PROMPT : WORTHWHILE
“Clara?” Leann stuck her head through her older sister’s bedroom door. She could see some movement from behind the mound of unmade bedsheets and blankets. “D’you wanna come with us to the woods?”
There was an indecipherable grunt from somewhere behind the large body pillow.
Leann rolled her eyes. “We’re gonna have a picnic,” she wheedled. “It’ll be fun. The weather’s good.”
“There are bugs,” came the raspy growl. “And people. You know I don’t like people.”
“You like picnics.” Leann repeated. “You like dessert. I’ll even take your favorite picnic blanket.”
There was a pregnant pause, before Clara deigned to show her head over the mound of unmade bed linens. “You hate carrying that blanket,” she said, at last.
“If you’ll come…?”
“…Mom said I had to, didn’t she?”
Leann winced. “Not in so many—words.” She faltered at her sister’s glare. “She’s just worried that you spend too much time indoors, is all.”
“Reading,” Clara said, flatly. “She’s worried that I spend too much time reading. Indoors. As if being a Daywalker means that I have to subject myself to daylight on a daily basis. No thanks.”
“Clara, come on. You haven’t come out with me and my friends in ages!”
“I did—three years ago.”
“Years! That’s my point. You’re always busy and I’m running out of excuses about you!”
“…You’re making excuses about me?” Clara said, incredulously. “Good grief, Leann, I didn’t think you had it in you. What’ve you been telling them about your poor, sad sister?”
“I’ve been telling them that you’re having a hard time and that there’s nothing wrong with you!” Leann snapped. “If you want to stay here and feel sorry for yourself, fine. Go ahead. I’m not stopping you. I just thought you’d like to know that if you bothered to come with us today, I’d have made it worth your while.”
“Worthwhile?” Clara snorted. “As if.”
“Try me,” Leann growled, a hint of her werewolf side showing through. “You’re my older sister, yes, but you’re also—just my sister and I care about you. So be ready on the front porch by the time I pick up the picnic basket!”
(c) S. Harricharan