The Hardest Choice

I pick at the food laid in front of me, Trish happily dishing up the others' up when Poppy returns from upstairs.

"Marie said she'll be down in a minute and Rosie's not feeling well, she asked me to bring it up to her." My sister explains, picking up one of the dishes and leaving again.

Trish snorts at Poppy's statement. "That means Marie won't be down for another hour or two." She explains, picking up one of the bowls of curry and placing it in the digiheater to stop it going cold. "Guess it's me and you kiddo... Or just me, by the looks of things." She adds, observing my lack of appetite.

"Sorry, it's great, just... I have a lot on my mind." I admit, taking another mouthful.

Trish places her dish across from mine. "Hmm. Does this have anything to do with Rosie apparently being sick?" She asks me. Huh, I guess she noticed that. "Don't look at me like that, I'm married to a doctor, I learned what actual illness looks like years ago, and she sure wasn't this morning." She clarifies.

"Yeah... We had an argument, but honestly, I'm not even sure I know what I did wrong." I reveal, explaining the full story, before realising how many details about Marie and Poppy's private time I'd let slip.

"Oh, relax, I used to practically run a sex shop, Hell, where do you think Marie got her stuff from?" Trish chuckles at my sudden hesitation. From working in a sex shop to head teacher... I underestimate Trish too much. "You know, back when we were young, Rouge and Scarlet got into an argument, your mother didn't even know she was in one, but it turned out that Rouge was just lashing out because she didn't want to tell anyone me and her were sleeping together."

Do all of the stories about these two end in sex? "Right, and trust me, that image gives me great joy, but I'm not sure I see the relevance." I joke.

"Teenage boys, I swear..." Trish rolls her eyes. "I'm saying you did exactly what you worried about doing, you didn't listen, not properly. You jumped to the wrong conclusion, so Rosie yelled to protect herself. She wants to tell you something, you just have to be quiet for once."

Okay. It can't be that hard, right? Just listen... Damn, I really did fail at that before. This time, no gun-jumping. Damn, was this curry this good a few minutes ago? "Thanks Trish, how did you get so wise?" I smile, flattering my aunt.

"Well, you get things wrong long enough you figure out every way to fuck up." She admits, beginning to dig into her own food.

Maybe one day I'll run out of ways to mess up... One day.

*

After dinner Trish retired to the living room with Poppy, and Marie's back in her room again. I volunteered to do the washing up, I figure it'll give me time to come up with a plan to talk to Rosie, but I run out of dishes before I think of anything. Shit.

Winging it usually works, might as well stick with it. I dry my hands and begin to make my way toward Rosie and Poppy's room. I knock on the door, to no answer. Not like that's going to stop me. I open up the door to see Rosie bundled up in her bedding.

"Go away, I don't want to talk to you." She orders coldly, not turning to look at me. Not this time. I close the door and flick the lock on, before walking towards her bed and laying down next to her.

"Guess we'll lay here in silence then." I decide.

And that's what we do. For a while we just stay there, listening to the clock tick along. We wait, and wait, and wait... Until finally Rosie turns to me.

"Why are you doing this? You can't fix anything." Rosie growls at me.

I roll over to look her in the eye. "Maybe not, but unless you tell me, I definitely can't." I respond, waiting for her next words.

"Look... I just can't, okay? If I tell you then it definitely can't be fixed." She states, less angrily than her previous statements, looking away from me.

"Hey!" I interject suddenly, turning her attention back to me. "I'm your big brother, okay? No matter what, I'm on your side."

Rosie seems to wince in pain at this statement, for a second I worry she's going to throw me out again. "You don't get it, you're the problem, so how can you fix it?" She whimpers.

"I... I don't know... But I'll try, I'll do anything I have to, just tell me what you want me to do." I reply softly. "I'd do anything for you."

My words seem to halt her for a moment. I can almost hear the gears turning in her head, she's so pale, so cold. I've never seen her so afraid... Then all of it vanishes in an instant, all her fear and anger.

It all goes away as she pushes her lips to mine.

It only last a second before I instinctively pull away, trying to process what just happened. Rosie closes her eyes, unable to look at me, I can't tell if it's fear or shame, or just heartache, but she's clearly in pain.

"Can you fix that?" She asks, tears rolling from her eyes. "Can you fix me wanting you?"

I...

I don't know...