Chapter 2

As we were washing the dishes after dinner, Mom said, "Accompany Annie to pick up the camera she preordered tomorrow, Anna."

"I have work tomorrow," I said.

"Is your work more important than spending time with your sister?" Mom retorted. "Can't you just let her have her way?"

I had heard the same words for 15 years that I could recite it by heart at that point. I gave up my seat, my room, Mom's hug, and Dad's attention to her. Now, I also had to give up my time to her.

"Annie doesn't want to drive because she thinks it's too tiring. The shop is in Westglade. It'll be more convenient for you to drive her there," she added, serving as some sort of explanation.

"Fine."

I wasn't able to stop myself from uttering the same answer that I had gotten so used to giving.

…

The next morning, I drove Annie to Westglade. She watched reels as she sat in the front passenger seat. The noisy sounds that blared from her phone made a vein pulse in my temple.

Annie tested the different lenses for half an hour after we arrived at the shop. In the end, she chose a mirrorless camera that cost 3,600 dollars. When it was time to pay, she rummaged through her wallet before turning to look at me.

"The card that I brought doesn't have a high enough credit limit, Anna. Can you settle part of the payment for me first? I'll wire the money to you later."

However, I had less than 4,000 dollars in my own card.

"I don't really have enough money in my card, Annie," I said.

"How much do you need? I'll send the difference to you. Can you pay 2,000 dollars first?"

The sales assistant stood next to us with a professional smile on her face. I pulled out my card and paid 2,000 dollars. After Annie paid the remaining 1,600 dollars, she grabbed the bag that the camera was in and left the shop with light footsteps that made her look like she was walking on clouds.

"I'll pay you back when we get home," she said as she showed off her new camera on her social media account.

The caption attached to it read, "Giving myself a little treat."

…

I went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water after we returned home. Aunt Lisa was still around and was chatting with Mom in the living room.

When I walked past them, I heard Aunt Lisa say, "Anna looks like she lost a lot of weight. Has work been too tiring for her?"

"She's been like that since she was a child. She doesn't eat a lot," Mom answered nonchalantly as she cut some fruit.

"Then, you should worry about her a little more. Be fair."

Mom chuckled and calmly said, "Anna's different from Annie. Annie has been clingy since she was a child. She'll turn this entire place upside down if you don't coax her. Anna's quiet and doesn't want anything. She's low maintenance."

She decided that she didn't need to care about me because I was low maintenance. She had used that logic for 15 years without finding any fault with it.

I went back to my room with my glass of water and closed the door. I then tapped on my notes app to look at the information for my departure in the next two days.

The plane would take off at 2:15 pm. 17 hours later, I'd be part of a pack that endured the Polar Nights each winter, breathing in air unlike anything I'd ever known.

I checked my bank app. There were 1,860 dollars in my account. In the end, Annie didn't wire that 2,000 dollars back to me.

…

Everyone was seated around the dining table for dinner. I kept my head down and focused on eating the salad on my plate.

Mom sighed and pointed at the dessert that had peanut butter in it, saying, "Have a bite of the new dessert I made. I put your favorite peanut butter in it."

My eyes stung as I looked at the desserts on the plate. I wasn't the one who loved peanut butter. It was Annie. On the contrary, I was severely allergic to peanut butter and would struggle to breathe if I accidentally ingested it. In severe cases, I might even go into anaphylactic shock.

"I'm full," I said, setting down my fork before getting to my feet and returning to my room.

Mom's voice resounded from behind me. "Just look at her. She gets upset when I don't give her anything, but she doesn't want it when I do offer her something to eat. I have no idea what she wants."

Annie laughed and said, "Her personality's just like that. Don't mind her."

I thought about her words—"Don't mind her."

"Don't worry," I thought to myself. "You don't have to mind anything that I do anymore after the day after tomorrow."