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charlielabouff · 6 years

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what is this feeling → the la bouffs

WHO: Tia & Charlie La Bouff ( @tiaisms )

WHEN: Sunday, December 24th

WHERE: New Orleans, LA

WHAT: Christmas with a new family member isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Charlie had quickly realized just how not awful Ken was. He was a nice guy, a good guy. Better than some of the other men that their mother had been with. And she had to admit, it was nice being able to talk more about her interests and actually have someone understand when she talked about sports. Not that her mother and sister didn’t try – she just hadn’t realized how much fun it was talking to someone who actually kinda knew what they were talking about. She’d honestly been surprised with how well they got along – and how well Ken knew them, because his gifts were pretty spot on. She figured her mother had talked to him a bunch about them, but it was pretty cool. Seeing her mom happy was really cool. Christmas hadn’t turned into what she’d expected it to turn into. The blonde had to cups of cocoa in her hand as she made her way toward her sisters room, knocking on the door before carefully pushing it open with her hip. Tia had seemed abnormally quiet for most of the day, and if she hadn’t already felt stuffed from dinner – she probably would’ve ordered a pizza or something. She smiled, moving toward the other blonde before offering the bright pink mug to her. “Merry Christmas.”

Tia was not having a fun christmas. Not because anything bad had happened or because she hadn’t gotten everything she’d wanted. Quite the opposite really, under ordinary circumstances Tia probably would’ve been nothing but smiles. But since this year’s Christmas celebrations included Ken as well, who Tia simply had not forgiven for the whole “surprise wedding upstaging Kai meeting the family” thing, she was absolutely refusing to enjoy herself and instead spent a majority of her time sulking about how much fun everyone else was having. After dinner Tia went straight to her room to avoid any more time than necessary with stupid Ken Kennedy and had begun to start doing her hair for the night way ahead of schedule when Charlie walked in with the cocoa. Simply looking at her sister through the mirror’s reflection as she continued to brush through her hair, Tia greeted Charlie coolly. “Merry Christmas to you too, Charlotte. Did you have a nice chat with your new daddy?”

Charlie’s smile faltered when her sister wouldn’t even look at her. Not really. Through the mirror didn’t count. Her smile then turned into a full frown when she called her Charlotte. Normally that meant she was upset with her. A sigh fell past her lips and she moved toward her. She set the mug down on the blonde’s vanity next to her, leaning against it with her back facing the mirror. “My new — he’s not my dad, Tia. He’s not our dad.” She sighed softly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “You still gonna help me with my make up, right? For later?”

Tia barely spared her mug a glance as she continued to brush her hair. “I’m aware. I was just wondering if you knew that. After all, weren’t you the one ready to murder over your jersey name being switched out?” She asked, rolling her eyes pointedly to show how little she cared about the whole jersey fiasco. “Of course I’ll help you. Unlike present company, I’m loyal to my sister.“

Charlie tipped her head to the side, raising her eyebrow and turning her head to look over at her. “Yeah, because my last name isn’t Kennedy, and it won’t ever be Kennedy. You’d be pissed too if someone did something – similar to you.” Though, she wasn’t sure what the Tia equivalent of changing a last name on a jersey was. And she couldn’t help but feel a slight pain in her stomach as her sister rolled her eyes at something that was a big deal to her. She swallowed, raising her eyebrows before she turned to look at the blonde – leaning against her vanity with an arched brow. “And – what exactly have I done to warrant the ‘not-loyal sister’ title? Because I don’t think I’ve done anything to piss you off.” This was starting to sound how she thought the holidays would go, and she knew whatever she did to upset her she was gonna have to make up for it big time.

Tia put down her brush and began to style her hair as she continued to not look at her sister. “Well firstable, something similar would never happen to me because I don’t wear a jersey, and even if I did I’d never even pick up one that didn’t have ny last name on it.” Tia felt a little bad about downplaying something that had clearly upset her sister but she managed pretty easily to hide it by focusing intently on her hair. “See, Charlotte. If you were really a loyal sister, I wouldn’t even have to tell you what’s wrong. Loyal sisters pay attention, you’d know that if you hadn’t spent the whole time being besties with Mr Magoo downstairs.”

Charlie sighed and she rolled her eyes as Tia continued to refuse to look at her, turning to look at her through the mirror and leaning forward on her hands that were rested on the top of the table. “There’s gotta be some kind of equivalent.” She raised her eyebrows as she listened to her, tipping her head to the side and letting her eyes fick over her sister’s face in the mirror, desperately trying to figure out what exactly she’d done wrong. Sudden realization appeared on her face when she mentioned Ken down stairs – or that was who she assumed when she said Mr. Magoo. “You’re upset because I was talking to Ken,” she meant it more as a question than a statement, but that was definitely not how it came out. She let out a laugh, reaching behind her and she tightened up her pony tail. “He’s not that bad, Tia. You should just give him a chance. Mom really likes him,” she grabbed the cup of cocoa and she held it out to her once more, almost like a piece offering, “He’s actually kinda cool, and he’s trying. He’s a good guy.”

Tia continued to work on her hair intensely as Charlie spoke to her, tryhing her best to make Charlie really feel how ticked off she was via the lack of actual eye contact. “Not really. Unless we’re counting the anklet I gave Kai for his birthday, but my first name isn’t really something anyone could swap out.” Tia’s eyes narrowed menacingly when Charlie’s reaction to her anger was to just laugh. Finally looking up at Charlie as she tightened her ponytail, Tia stood up from her seat and ignoring the offered cup of cocoa looked down at Charlie, even shorter than the inch that actually seperated them now that Tia could wear her heels constantly again. “You’ll go bald if you keep pulling on your hair like that.” Tia snarked simply, before flouncing away dramatically towards her closet. “Mommy doesn’t make the best decisions and you know this, Charlotte. Heck, we’re both proof of that. Men who get married out of nowhere without meeting their new bride’s children totally weirdos. Especially ones that look like him, where did mommy even find him anyway? Goodwill?”

Charlie rolled her eyes and she shrugged. “I’ll figure out some kind of equivalent eventually.” She puffed out her cheeks, raising her eyebrows when she saw Tia’s eyes narrow at her and she took a step. That was a look that she hadn’t gotten from her before. She swallowed thickly, shrugging before she looked up at her sister, clearing her throat. “I always wear my hair in a pony tail, and I haven’t gone bald yet. Or are you gonna shave my head because I’ve made you mad?” she asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at her. Though, she probably shouldn’t have even tried to challenge her. She shifted away from the cocoa as a little spilled out from the cup, sighing once more before she set the cup down and she shrugged. “Mom’s done good with us, and sure she should’ve been a little smarter when it came to using protection, but we’re still good.” She licked her lips and her eyebrows shot up at her words, her arms folding under her chest and she tipped her head to the side. “Wow, that’s really fucking shallow of you, Tia.” IT wasn’t something she’d meant to say out loud. A lot of the times when she had something to say about Tia’s – reactions to things she managed to keep to herself. She licked her lips, pushing her glasses up her nose once more. “Maybe if you’d stop acting like such a god-damned brat you’d see that he’s not as bad as you think.”

Tia rolled her eyes right back at Charlie’s plan to find an equivalent and let it drop at that. Arguing over something as stupid as that didn’t feel worth it in comparison to their real disagreement. “I know, but it’s going to happen eventually. Besides, even if I wanted to shave your head, I wouldn’t. Letting you keep your hair like that is punishment enough.” Tia momentarily quit sniping at Charlie and flitting through her closet to flinch at the hot cocoa Charlie was spilling in her room and then putting down all willy nilly, like it wouldn’t leave a gruesome little chocolate ring on her pristine furniture. “Pick that up right now. And I didn’t mean bad choices with us…well me anyway, I mean MEN.” Tia pointed out, turning away quickly when Charlie pointed out how shallow her comment was about Ken. Tia knew it wasn’t Ken’s fault that he looked like something that escaped from one of those little hobbit thing movies, but because she disliked him for ruining Thanksgiving not because of his looks, she figured it was fine up until Charlie called her out on it. “Watch your language, or get out, Charlotte. I’m not being a brat for not liking some rando with the commen sense to pretend to care about your stupid sports.”

Charlie eyebrows pressed together at her words, her arms folding under her chest and beginning to collapse in on herself like she normally did when she was starting to feel defeated. She’d seen Tia like this only a few times, but it was never with her. She set her jaw as her eyes began to fill with tears, her eyes flicking down to the ground as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her eyebrows rose, her eyes snapping back up at her and she swallowed. “You think Mom keeping me was a mistake?” she asked softly, her voice breaking as her eyes searched her sisters face. If Tia thought it, then maybe her mom did, too. But her mom wouldn’t have kept her if she didn’t want her. Even though they were different. She set her jaw, her eyes focusing on her sister in an attempt to look fierce — but not being able to look nearly as scary as Tia did. “You’re being a selfish, shallow brat, Tiana. You’re just upset because for once you’re not the center of attention around here and I finally have someone to talk to about the stuff that I like. God forbid you ever let me be in the spotlight for once. Or Mom. Or anyone else. It’s always gotta be about you,” she spat, reaching up to wipe at the tears that had began to freely roll down her cheeks, “Fuck you, Tia. I’m done.”

Tia knew full well that she’d gone too far, especially once Charlie had clearly started to cry, but in her mind it was way too late to backtrack. “I didnt mean it like that, but whatever floats your bat, Charlotte.” She replied, crossing her arms against her chest and regretting every word that fell out of her mouth even as she said it. But her regret couldn’t even last that long before it was replaced with nothing but rage. “I am not!” She yelled back, slamming her hand down on the closest item in her closet, ironically enough, a photo of herself in one of her numerous pageant crowns, and tightened her grip on it. “I tell you all the time to go for the spotlight, Charlotte. You know I do! After all,I’m the one who got everyone to notice that you’re actually pretty under all that jock dirt. It’s not my fault that it never sticks and it sure as hell isn’t my fault that the only person here that seems to care about the lame crap you like, aside from me, mommy and Wes, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, Is some random guy mommy married so she wouldn’t have to die alone.” Tia screamed, not even meaning a single word outside of their intention to make Charlie’s feelings hurt as much as hers did. “Get out Charlotte. I was done first.”

Charlie honestly didn’t understand why Tia was acting the way she was. Why she was mad at her for making the holiday into something she wanted. It was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be happy, but somehow in the process she’d done something to hurt her sister. “Of course you didn’t, that’s why you specifically said ‘well, me’ toward the end of your statement.” And the fact that Tia seemed to think that she was a mistake, that her mom keeping her was a mistake, absolutely broke her heart. She gripped onto her arms even more, watching as he sister screamed and slammed her hand down on something in her closet. “Yeah! You are! You don’t like how things are going for you so you’re in here throwing a stupid temper tantrum because — what? You weren’t getting enough attention? You’re mad at me for trying to get along with the guy who’s living with us and that’s not something youwant? Maybe you should look at yourself in a goddamned mirror and realize how stupid you’re acting.” Dumb and stupid weren’t words that she liked to describe her sister as. But she was hurt. And angry. She swallowed and she shook her head. “Since when? Since when have you ever let me take it from you? Every time anything remotely good happens to me, you always step up and something better has to happen to you or this happens,” she gestured between the two of them before she folded her arms under her chest once more. She gripped even more onto her arms at her words, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes shut, refusing to believe that — at least Wes didn’t have to pretend that he was interested in what she was interested in, that the friends that she had cared and liked the same things she did. She inhaled sharply, shaking her head. “Fine, but if everything ever goes to shit, don’t call me. I won’t answer.” She grabbed the mug from her vanity before she moved out of the room, moving down stairs to drop the mug into the sink before climbing back up them so she could go to her room — hopefully without notice from either of the adults in their home. She closed her door as quietly as she could before letting out a soft sob, her hand moving to cover her lips to muffle the sound.

Tia quit responding to Charlie entirely just stood there trying her best to remain as cold as ice for as long as Charlie remained in her room. Once she left, all bets were off as Tia flung the picture frame at the door Charlie had just vacated and let out a loud scream, not caring in the slightest if anyone heard it. There wasn't anyone there she wasn't mad at anyway. Forgetting what she was even doing in her closet anyway, Tia just crawled into her bed and grabbed as many stuffed animals to cuddle as possible while she cried herself to sleep with her hair only half finished.

#para #tiaisms

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