After I spoke with dad I felt a bit better, he told me I wasn't an embarrassment. He gave it to me straight. I wasn't judged like I thought I would be, for Dad, I'd try, one day at a time.
I got off the bed and went to the bathroom to wash my face, dad wanted me to rejoin society, I wasn't going to do it with a tear stained face. I take a good look at my face as i hurry and get cleaned myself up, as I brushed my hair, I smiled remembering what he said earlier about me looking like a cave man... he wasn't exaggerating.

Once I was done with that, I left my room confidently for the first time since the trails.
Since my parents were high ranking pack members, they had the choice of either living with the pack or having their own place. Both were private people so we had our own place, I didn't have to immediately face a swarm of people, and Jenna. I was grateful for that, with a spring in my step, I headed downstairs to the living room, I stopped midstep when a door suddenly opened.

A little girl opened up the door, we had the same blonde hair, that we got from our mom, she had little ice blue bows in hers that made her look like a cute marionette. " Emily" I said
Before I could say anything else, the door shut in my face.
I was stunned, umm what just happened. I had an unreasonable jolt of fear that maybe she was ashamed of me because of the trails, No, Emily was too young to even understand anything about them, even if someone did say anything to her, she was too young to understand. So why did she react that way? Only one way to find out.

I knock gently on her door. " Go away" she says
" Emily, it's me Taylor. I—"
" I know it's you Taylor and i don't want to talk to you" she said, she sounded sad, not mad, I couldn't help but sigh in relief.
" You can't be mad at me without telling me why Em" I try to reason with her
" Can too!" She said

" Can not" I replied

I smiled to myself knowing that she would open up soon, little kids were like that, they really wanted to win at almost everything.
" Can too" she said again

" Can not" I repeated

" Can too!"

Her yell was louder this time, just a bit more.

" Can not" I said in a bored tone.
I heard her little feet running to the door before she flung it open, staring at me with a glare on her face.
" Can too!!" She said

I tried to keep a smile off my face. " So you won't tell me why you're mad at me? If I don't know what I did, how can I apologize huh?"

Her face turned into a confused expression. " I don't know, but I know you're wrong though"

" Really? How ?" I said

She narrowed her eyes at me before taking a deep breath.
Oh no.

" Well I'm mad at you because you're a jerk, giant one. You promised you'd come back for my recital but you didn't, you even made mommy and daddy leave. Mommy missed my dance and daddy didn't come at all. You were supposed to apologize, but you never did . You didn't even come to see me when you got back. You forgot me!"

I felt my eyes widen, I didn't realize, truth is I did forget about her, when mom came to see me in the emergency room, I had barely registered that she was leaving for Emily's recital, I was too busy feeling bad for myself.

" Emily I'm sorry, I don't have any excuses. Especially since I didn't even apologize when I got back"
The recital was a big deal for her, it was supposed to be the story of a princess, who befriended a monster in a dark and dangerous forest. It combines acting and dancing.

It was actually a retelling of a famous bed time story for young pups. It was the story of our people's deity. Selene, the goddess of the moon.
How she met her husband, the story of our creation.

" That's right, you've been home for a week too, a whole week! Mommy said I should give you space because you were tired and you had a hard time on your trip, then I see you walking around the house pretending like I don't exist!" She said with tears in her eyes as she stomped one of her feet at the last bit.
My little sister was sensitive and while she wasn't a cry baby, sometimes the littlest things upset her.
I for one knew all three of us missing her recital was a really big deal for her. She worked so hard, to not just get picked, but also to get her lines right. She loved that story and wanted to do a good job and impress our parents.

I knew a thing about that too.

" I tried saying hello, but you ignored me, you even ate my cupcakes. Those were mine!" She yelled

I blinked, stunned. If I'm being very honest with myself the entire week was a blur, I remember nothing but being just acutely aware of Dad and Mom, and doing my best to avoid them. All she was saying was news to me . I felt horrible, from her point of view I was just being a big bully, I had to make it up to her.
" I'm really sorry, Em. The truth is I haven't been myself this past week and —"

" Yes you were" she yelled " You were yourself, just like you are now, you were not playing, you weren't in mommy's clothes like when we pretend. You were you and you were mean!"

After she said this, she started crying, I had hurt her feelings and she'd been feeling this way for a week. With mom and dad busy, she probably thought we were all ignoring her. If she was right about anything, it was because of me, mom and dad being too busy, then ignoring her, me. I was the reason for all of it. She definitely had her culprit.

I cringed knowing that someone else would share her views of me at the moment.

I bent down to look at her and wipe her tears " Hey, listen. You're right, so right. I promise I won't do it again and if I do, then I give you permission to throw mud in my face"

I grinned knowing that would get her, she had a weird fascination with dirt and mud.
When she was younger, no matter how any of us tried she'd always find her way back to the dirt or mud outside.
The worst were on her birthdays, formal and special occasions , especially when we had to stay clean.
It was a nightmare. Before her seventh birthday, there was no photo of her without a smudge or a lot of dirt on her somewhere.

These days she was a cute little princess, hosting tea parties and sipping teas. Didn't mean she didn't love dirt though. Her heart had been equally divided into the sparkly and cute, to the not so sparkly and cute.

She let out a cute little giggle, " I can? Mom and daddy wouldn't get mad?"

" Nope, cuz I'd be asking for it , by breaking my promise"
She lifted my hand and held out my pinkie finger as she looked at me with a little smile,

" Say, I promise if I ever hurt Emily's feelings again, she can throw lots of dirt in my face and I Taylor have to bake her cupcakes" she said

" Hey now! I never said you could throw lots of mud on my face or anything about cupcakes"

" Say it" she laughed " The cupcake bit too or I won't forgive you"

Her fascination with cupcakes was something I didn't understand. I mean kids liked sugar but jeez.
I rolled my eyes" Emily can throws lots of mud on my face if I break my promise and I Taylor will bake her lots of cupcakes..."

she let out a loud yes, before pulling out her finger and linking it with mine.

I smirked while she laughed, " That will give her lots of cavities" I yelled in a witchy voice.

" Hey that wasn't part of the deal!" She was still laughing. It seems I was forgiven.

" Neither was the lots of mud bit" I say dryly
As she laughed harder,
" It made the promise more special" she said

I raised an eyebrow " Throwing lots of mud in my face makes the promise more special?" I scoff

"That's ridiculous. Begone!"

It made me happy to see her smiling, she'd been hurting for a week and it seemed like no one noticed it or her for that matter. Not that it was anyone's fault but mine.

I had to get my head straight, there was more going on than me. Especially since the trails were over, time to put on my big girl pants and be there for my family and sister. No more wallowing, atleast I hope not.

" You're no fun Taylor" She says after sticking her tongue out at me, she's backing away into her room with a smile on her face,
" Hey Taylor?"
"Yeah?" I reply
" I love you, please don't be mean to me anymore" she had such a hopeful expression on her face.

It was a simple request. One that I hoped would be easy to keep. I knew for a fact that sometimes, things changed. I didn't want things to change or be the reason behind that change.

Big girl pants on,

Dramatic music plays in my head.
Okay that might me a bit overkill.
I let out a laugh at my own weirdness. I stand up from my crouched position, and looked down at Em.
I wanted our relationship to be different in a special way, wanted her to look up to me in the future, wanted to be her role model, as much as I was doing a piss poor job of it now.

I smiled at her and she gives me one of her own .

" I promise, Em. Pinky swear with mud and cupcakes"

A/N: So hi again, just wanted to say thank you for giving this a chance again, I mean I'm really happy, yayy.
Double yay, I introduced a new character here.
Emily Fray, my girl Taylor's younger sister.
Who else can relate to always having a muddy younger sibling?

It would be great if you would vote and comment, I would really like to hear your thoughts on the story so far.
I mean, I know there isn't a lot yet, but baby steps...
Till the next update guys
💞🦋