"Slut's can't trust anyone, especially not themselves."

There is a palpable, pregnant pause as Emma's words sink in. You think of all the time she's betrayed your trust by blowing your bullies or claiming your crushes for herself. You think of all the parties you haven't been invited to, though you can't say you would have accepted the cost of the invitation if you had a choice. After what feels like a lifetime, you offer a weak rebuttal, "But you can trust me, Emma. I've never lied to you or let you down."

SKREEEEEEEECH

You almost bash your head on the dashboard as Emma slams on the brakes, but your arms cushion the blow. You turn to confront your sister, but the tearful, twisted look of pain and fury in her eyes scares you silent. You can practically see the words catching in her throat, painfully huge and hurtful, words she knows she can't unspeak. You want to tell her not to say anything, to kiss her hard and long until you take the words right out of her mouth, but you just sit and wait.

Finally, she manages to **** out, "You...you don't really believe that, do you? You were the one that let the kids pick on me the first day of kindergarten. I was trying to stick up for YOU! and you just hid under a desk and let them push me around and spit on me and call me names and...and that was just the beginning. Do you ever wonder why for all their tough talk, none of your bullies ever beat the shit out of you, or broke your bones, or did much more than push you around? It's because your 'SLUT' sister was putting out to protect you. So what if I learned to love it? It's been less than a day and you've practically caught up to me on the slut scale, so we'll see who can look down on who by the end of the night!"

You sit cowed and chastened by her revelations. You spent so long blaming her for not protecting you, spent so long blaming her so that you wouldn't have to blame yourself. You don't know if it's the **** or the dick that have opened your eyes, but for the first time in years you feel like you can really see your sister. She's certainly not perfect. She's a brat and bitch and a ball buster, but she is also your sister. You've had more fun hanging out with her today than you have spending your whole life waiting for it to start.

You don't say anything. There's nothing you can say. You don't have the words, but you do have touch. You slip your hand down around your sisters and slip your pinky around hers. It was the pinky promise you used to make as kids to be friends forever. Emma seems surprised at first, as if she had almost forgotten the gesture, but then she squeezes your hand and wraps her pinky around yours. You both smile as she pulls up to Brad's house. You tell yourself that no matter what happens at the party, you are going to keep your promise this time.