A Reliable Big Sister

"My head hurts…"

"You've been doing a lot of studying after all."

Stella gathers all of the remaining flashcards as Mira turns into a puddle on the couch. After several hours, she has managed to at least read all of them. Meanwhile, my toils are never ending.

"My head also hurts…"

"You can handle it."

"Always so mean…"

My back and shoulders ache as I pull myself to my feet and head towards the window. Mira watches my upside down figure undo the latch and slide the glass screen upwards. The refreshing cool air from outside blows softly into the room.

"It's no walk around town, but I guess this is nice too…"

The taste of the nearby forest sits on my tongue as I take a deep breath. I've lost something very important today, but at least the autumn breeze will never leave me. My eyes are closed as I enjoy the feeling, but the shuffling of clothes brings my attention to the girl leaning out next to me.

"Sorry again for your notes."

Snow white hair blows in the wind and brushes against my arm. I have to look forward or lose my mind staring at her profile.

"Like I said, I'm basically doomed anyways…"

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Almost immediately, I look beside me. Stella leans too far forward for me to see the eyes always hiding behind those unique lenses.

"I saw your flashcards. As much as I hate to admit it, they were very comprehensive."

"Why do you have to hate to admit it…"

"Can it."

Her elbow rams into my side, but her expression remains static.

"For somebody struggling, I can see them being a lifesaver. That includes the one making them."

"They didn't get my grade higher than a C, but I guess it would have been worse without them."

"Sometimes just surviving is good enough."

I hear the soft grunts of Mira stretching in the background. She looks so relaxed right now, but Stella and I both know that her fight for survival is only just beginning.

"Academics are a specialty of mine with a few minor exceptions. However, I can't help Mira learn."

"You seem like the kind of person that understands everything easily."

Stella looks down to the ground and visibly deflates onto the window sill.

"So it does look that way…"

"You thought it didn't!?"

For the first time in a while, she turns and glares directly at my face.

"What you all think doesn't bother me, but it's annoying to be so predictable."

"That's what bothers you…"

The two of us return to staring out at the lake no longer visible in the night. Somewhere out there is a large pool of water that likely contains a bunch of rabbits huddled around a bush. Life is simple out there.

"I've tried teaching her some basic survival skills, but I'm not certain if they'll be enough."

"You sound like she's going out to war."

"School might as well be a battlefield. Especially among girls, one wrong move and your life there is over."

While uncommon, I've witnessed a couple of 'disputes' between girls at school that escalate into a situation nobody can control. Fights happen between boys all the time as well, but they never reach that level. Sure, some fists are thrown, but guys know the rules and when the fight is over. Girls on the other hand, they have no such agreements. Punches, kicks, hair tugging, spitting, all of it is fair game. Nobody comes out of that fight with any kind of closure.

Physical conflicts are only the surface level outcome of the general female hierarchy. Even guys know who is supposed to be on top because girls aren't particularly subtle about it. Mira is a walking cinnamon roll, but she's gullible. Best case scenario, she gets a little pushed around by the less than pleasant folk. Worst case scenario, she gets completely abused. If I could be there myself to protect her, I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, she's basically on her own.

"Girls are scary…"

Stella sighs as she stares up at the sky. In the darkness, it becomes easier to recall everything, even the things we would rather forget.

"You're telling me. Jealousy, vanity, greed, I've dealt with all of it first hand. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I don't look very likeable."

"You don't sound likeable either."

"Do you want to taste the dirt down there?"

"See! My point!"

I sigh as well. If Stella is considered to be one of the less dangerous girls among the student roster, I have a lot to be concerned about. Part of me now regrets having her enroll into public school. Maybe I should have followed through with the lie and searched for some homeschool opportunities.

"What are Noa and Stella talking about?"

The young girl in question suddenly squeezes into the space between Stella and me.

"Woah, the wall is gone!"

As Mira stares excitedly out into the night, Stella reaches up to place a hand on the rabbit's head. It's an awkward distance given their similar heights, but the sight doesn't look at all strange.

"It's a window. Just make sure you never try to jump out. We are three floors up."

"Okay!"

If I could see this soft expression all of the time, I think I would end up falling for this older girl within a day's time. For better or for worse, this smile is reserved for Mira and I have no intention of changing that.

"If Mira had you as her older sister, I don't think I would ever have a worry."

"Are you sure about that?"

It isn't the same as before, but Stella flashes me some kind of smile. My heart skips a beat regardless.

"What would you do if Mira ended up like me?"

"Crap…I didn't think about that…maybe stay as far away from her as possible?"

"That isn't happening."

A pair of white sleeves wrap around Mira's body from behind. Next to the patch of blue hair, Stella's face rests on the open shoulder. One half is illuminated by the light from the room while the other remains shadowed by the night.

"Like you said, I'm effectively her older sister. If you make her cry, I'll make you pay tenfold."

"Noted…"

The girl in white nods before taking a step away from the window. She briskly walks to the door whilst grabbing her belongings along the way. When Stella reaches the end of the room, she turns back to look at Mira and me standing in front of the open window.

"It pains me to think about it, but you really are the one who needs to take care of Mira. Make sure you never let her go."

The meaning behind her words eludes me, but I don't need to understand to give my feelings on the matter.

"I'll protect her for as long as humanly possible."

"Bad answer. You should at least promise to be more than human."

"Give me a break…"

"Girls like it when guys are confident, not that you need any help in having Mira like you."

After her shoes are on, I follow the girl in white out into the hallway. The sparse lighting reflects across the red glass as we're greeted once again by the cool air.

"Thanks for coming over and helping out. It really does take another girl to prepare a girl for the worst."

"I came because I wanted to see her, everything else happened on a whim."

"Even if you say that…"

Without waiting for the rest of my response, Stella begins walking down the rows of doors. She doesn't look back, but her last words reach me as she slowly disappears. It isn't much, but hearing them from her voice fills me with motivation.

"Good luck, Noa."