Rising Shards

Spring was close, but the air was still bitter, the grass and trees not yet returning to vibrant life. I remarked that it was the kind of day that would be hard to distinguish from the end of fall and the start of winter, because that was about all my brain could process.

”I don’t know if this is a prank or something, but you have to go,” Dr. Diast said, standing in front of P.D., who was about Diast’s height, maybe even taller.

”It’s no prank,” P.D. said. ”It’s the truth. I have a right to tell my sisters why I hate them.”

”Well, you did, so you can go now,” Diast said.

I watched as P.D. —or I guess Anastasia Kathron—was basically carried away by her friends Sai, Myles, and Ash out of my backyard.

”That’s…huh,” Diast scowled. She rushed to our defense as soon as Ana’s tirade started and helped make her go away, which I appreciated. I wasn’t sure what to feel otherwise though. I was embarrassed enough about falling in some mud, but this was something else. None of my friends knew what to say.

”Are you alright?” Dr. Diast asked, cupping Stella’s face in her hands.

”I…I don’t know,” Stella said. Diast hugged her.

”It’ll be OK, we’ll figure this out too,”

”Mmhm,” Stella said. ”Zeta, get in here. Family hug.”

”I still have mud on me,”

”Don’t care, come here,” Stella said.

I was already at peak embarrassment so a quick hug from Stella and Diast didn’t feel as bad in front of friends.

”Leave it to the Faleurs to have an all timer halftime show during the inaugural Roux-ball game,” Roux said.

”Roux, read the room,” Kalei said.

”Mm, but we’re outside, Koridia, what room is there to read?” Roux said. ”What Roux-m is there to read?” They didn’t need to say it any differently there, we all knew they were doing some pun with their name.

Kalei probably thought P.D. was here for her, I did too.

Another car pulled up in the alley behind the yard.

”God, what now?” Stella said as one of the doors flung open. ”Oh.”

”I made it, ready for cupcakes!” Oka said, bursting onto the scene with a bright smile. She promptly noticed the mood. ”What’s…er, going on?”

In the awkward aftermath of that whole mess, the others gradually filtered out, the desire to keep hanging out overwhelmed by the awkwardness. Kalei said she wanted to stay longer, but had another thing she had to get to. I wasn’t sure if she made that up or not, but it was hard to tell her to stay longer.

I had a sister. Well, another sister. One I didn’t know about this whole time, and Stella didn’t either. How did that make any sense?

And she hated us?

I sat at the kitchen table, Oka next to me, while Stella stood with her arms crossed, expression distant, and Dr. Diast paced around the apartment.

”I guess we can clean up,” Stella said. ”That’s about all I got right now.”

”If I can do anything to help, let me know,” Oka said.

”You’re the guest, you don’t have to do anything,” I said.

”But I wanna! What do you need?” Oka asked.

”Stay by me for a bit because Stella’s going to probably make you do chores,” I said.

As Stella cleaned, I asked the first thing that came to mind.

”Is she telling the truth?” I asked. ”It sounds so made up.”

Stella thought for a while as she put dishes into the sink.

”I…I don’t wanna say I knew it,” She said. ”But I had suspicions. There was a long gap between me and you. And there were plenty of times where they would just go for months, sometimes an entire year. There was a stretch before you were born that…yeah, I can see when Anastasia…”

”Huh…” I said.

”But, it’s entirely possible given our parents that there’s some other story to her. Maybe my anxiety-induced theories about us being clones or whatever apply to her.”

”Like she’s our clone?” I said.

”Like…” Stella said.

”That seems a bit far fetched,” I said.

”We don’t need to tear my theories apart! But I’m not wasting any more money on blood tests, so let’s just accept that we have another sister for right now.” Stella said.

”What do we do?” I asked.

”Carry on like we always do, I guess.” Stella said.

I think everyone thought I’d be doing worse.

I wouldn’t say I was doing good, but I didn’t feel the same devastation I felt when I first met my parents (or whatever form of them that was) or anything with Jeans. It wasn’t great to get yelled at by someone saying that she was my sister and that she hated me, but I mainly just felt confused.

I was more worried about Stella, but she too wasn’t doing too terrible all things considered. The only time she really freaked out that night was when she remembered her vacation plans a bit after Oka went home.

”Oh, god,” Stella said. ”Evy, the trip is next week.”

”Ah…yeah…” Diast said.

”You should still go,” I said. ”You could really use a vacation. I’ll be OK!”

Stella pursed her lips. ”Are you really going to be alright?”

”It’s just a few days, I got this!” I said.

Stella and Dr. Diast still double checked their arrangements. I’d have my usual school kinda-sorta parenting from dorm life, and Tik, Kara, and Mars agreed to keep an eye on us too.

”Tik says she didn’t have the slightest inclination that P.D. was our sister,” Stella said after hanging up a call. ”I don’t know if she’s saying that to make me feel better, but if even a detective was fooled, that’s…something?”

”I guess,” I shrugged. ”This is weird.”

”So weird,” Stella sighed as she collapsed onto the couch. ”So freaking weird.”

I thought about my plans for the other devils, I’d made a few my friends already. Did they know Anastasia was my sister? I didn’t realize it until I kicked back on a recliner in the living room that Sai seemed to be trying to make Anastasia stop with whatever that speech was. So it wasn’t like they wanted to betray me or anything. And Myles and Ash went to stop her, too.

”Would you be mad if I still tried to make her like us?” I asked.

”Obviously not,” Stella said. ”But if she’s gonna be as pissy as she was today all the time, don’t push it too hard. You don’t deserve to have someone treating you like that, ever.”

”Right…” I said as Dr. Diast brought us some drinks.

”I dunno if it helps at all, but I feel like soda on ice is a good remedy for…something,” Diast said.

”It helps, definitely,” Stella said. ”How are you feeling, Evy?”

”Just wanna be there for you two,” Dr. Diast said. ”I’ve helped students with similar happenings, so if you need anything, just ask. And even just for me, I’ve been through family s—” She stopped herself when I let out a slight gasp at almost hearing a swear. ”…drama.”

”Thank you for not swearing,” Stella said, hugging Dr. Diast as she joined her on the couch. ”Your new family’s a lot better, right?”

”Absolutely,” Diast said.

”Even with all this craziness every week?” Stella asked.

”Even with all the craziness,” Diast said.

”Even when Zeta won’t clean the basement?” Stella asked.

”Hey!” I said. ”Leave me out of it!”