Somewhere on the stars

After the millionth smack of her lips, Cyn throws her lip gloss in her bag and searches for her keys that she placed randomly earlier. “Jesus Cyn we’re just going to sit in a car for hours what’re being so extra for?” Cyn’s younger sister, Ija, waited impatiently on her sister’s bed. Cyn had the random idea of going on a road trip. Ija would’ve declined to stay behind to do her own thing but, considering she had lost a large amount of her friends this past school year, there was nothing for her to really do this summer so she thought “Why not?”. Cyn side eyed her sister who was tapping her foot and sighing obnoxiously loud. “Okay, okay, I’m done! You don’t have to stare at me like that.” The two exited Cyn’s bedroom heading toward the living room to make sure they got everything they needed. 

“I think that’s everything, now can we please go? I’m starving and you promised me food, remember?” 

Clicking in her seat belt, Cyn looked up at their house once more, she frowned. Ija noticed a change in her expression and grew curious, “What’s wrong? Why’d you look up like that?”

“No reason…I’m just a bit sad y’know? To leave my warm, comfortable bed for so long.” Ija rolled her eyes and smiled “Girl…start the car.”

Ija’s curls flew with the wind as she hung her head out the window and shaded her eyes with her hand. “Hey, I have a question,” Cyn replied with a hum indicating her sister to proceed with her question, she had a mouthful of her fries. “What’d happen to you and Wyatt? Homeboy ain’t been around in a minute.” Cyn practically gagged at the words that came out her sister’s mouth. “Oh please don’t even say his name. I broke up with him like two months ago, I’m a free woman now!” Ija sighed sadly in a joking way, “Damn, he brought me a fire ass birthday gift. I mean that jacket was $200! He was probably tryna impress you huh?” 

“I don’t even know where he got that kinda cash from, especially with no job and in this economy? Girl, please, he must’ve wanted me badly because I am not buying your big head self  nothing more than $20 bucks!” Cyn laughed and smacked her steering wheel. “So I’m worth $20? Y’know that’s some BS.” Ija reached for her phone and played the next song, “So where to first?”

“I was thinking Chicago first, I got us tickets to this concert…and-” “Wait…CYN YOU DIDN’T?” Her sister smiled, “We’re seeing Kali in concert tomorrow night! Gotta start our trip off with a banger, right?” Ija squealed and pecked her big sister on her cheek multiple times. “This is gonna be the best trip ever!” Cyn glanced at her sister and before returning her eyes back to the road she said, “You bet it will.”

The night passed and the two finally made it to Chicago, settling for a decent hotel near downtown. “I’m way too tired to shower, I’m out for the night.” Ija plopped down onto the queen sized mattress and sighed deeply. “Aw, come on! I’m going to the pool, are you in or not?” Ija poked her sister for a response but she was out cold snoring away. She sighed as she grabbed the first towel she saw in the bathroom and grabbed the keycard. Before she opened the door, she heard a ding from her sister’s phone. Ija turned back and wondered if she should snoop or leave it alone, she chose to snoop. She made her way to the nightstand and quickly swiped the phone and sat on the other bed. Ija knew her sister’s passcode like the back of her hand, 050505,  Ija’s birthday. “Let’s see…oh…eugh…gross!...” Another notification buzzed from the phone, “Unknown number…I wonder who this is,”  

Unknown Number: Where are you??? 

Unknown Number: Where’s Ija? 

Unknown Number: You promised you’d be here Cyn! 

Unknown Number: You’re not a little kid anymore, this is childish.

Ija was terribly confused, where are we supposed to be right now? Who’s this looking for Cyn and me? What’s so childish about us going on a road trip?” Questions flooded her mind all at once. Ija was about to make a dumb decision, responding back to the message to whom she didn’t have a clue who it was.

Unknown Number: Where are you??? 

Unknown Number: Where’s Ija? 

Unknown Number: You promised you’d be here Cyn! 

Unknown Number: You’re not a little kid anymore, this is childish.

                                                                        You: Who is this? 

Biting her lip as she tapped her foot, a few minutes passed and she grew tired of waiting. She put the phone back onto the nightstand and grabbed her towel and left the room, making her way to the elevator down the hall. She stared at the numbers on the elevator and her  mind wandered. “What is she not telling me…” The elevator dinged.

Late that  next night, the two returned to their hotel room after the concert. They began packing, deciding that they’d leave out for L.A, their next stop, that night. 

Almost 24 hours into the 30 hour trip to L.A, Cyn decided to stop at a gas station to stock up on snacks, and gas. “We’re on a time crunch so don’t spend years in the store please,” Ija skipped away to the store while Cyn stood by the pump pumping her gas. “Buzz” Her phone rings and it’s from the same unknown number. Cyn hesitates, she hoovers her finger over the answer button and after the moments of hesitation, she accepts the call.

“Hello?” 

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Where in god’s name are you and Ija? You said you’d be home to meet Jessica, you promised

remember?!”

“Look Dad, sorry but I’m not interested in meeting the woman you kicked Mom and us to the curb for! Me and I decided to take a little road trip, I didn’t want her to have to 

worry about this. This divorce has already affected my sister enough, I can’t continue to let you and mom do this to her,  we’ll be back next week.”

“You’re not Ija’s Parent, you’re her sister! You don’t get to just up and take her whenever you want, know your place Cyn. Jessica is a nice woman and you’d like her, both of you would. You’d love our new house in Arizona, just please listen”

“Whatever Dad, I’m hanging up.” Cyn hangs up the phone and finishes pumping her gas. “Who were you on the phone with?” Seemed pretty intense,” Cyn takes the receipt from her sister and hops back into the car “Nobody Important, let’s just go.” 

“Finally, we’re here! My legs were about to fall apart!” Ija stretched as she got out of the car. The two had just made it to L.A and were checking into a hotel. After a nap, and some showers, Cyn and Ija prepared to go sightseeing.

They park their car a few blocks away and make their way to the walk of fame to explore the city, stores, and the different celebrities on the stars of course. As they walk, a wave of people come down the crosswalk. “Must be some sort of parade…” “Probably so,” Cyn said as she stopped to look at the items on a stand being sold by a smaller older man. Being the curious young teen that she was, Ija lets go of her sister’s arm and wanders her way to the crowd. “Hey, you stay nearby okay? I don’t need you disappearing on me.” Ignoring her sister, Ija did just that. She listened to the sounds of the instruments and bumped into one of the performers who smiled encouraging her to dance along. It reminded her of the times she and mom would listen to songs on the CD player in the living room at their old house and just dance and sing for hours, she really missed her mom. Getting lost in movement, Ija swayed to the sound while she giggled and pranced down the street with the performers not noticing how far she was getting away from her sister. Cyn looked for her busy sister whom she thought would be at a nearby food stand or clothing store only to notice she was gone. Cyn quickly called her sister’s cell phone but it went straight to voicemail, “Dammit, she must’ve left it at the hotel!” Cyn’s heart dropped and her mind could only assume the worst, she always assumed the worse. She looked above the crowd on her tippy toes hoping to see the coily curls of her sister’s hair bouncing up and down as she yelled her name, but she couldn’t spot anything. Cyn went back to the stand and asked if the owner saw which way her sister went, he pointed left towards the next street and said “I think she followed the band, they’re pretty popular so it’ll be impossible to see her through all the people.” 

“Well that definitely makes me feel better.” Cyn huffed and jogged toward the street directed by the man, and she was right…she couldn’t even see her.

Almost two hours had passed and the parade was coming to an end on a whole different side of town. Ija was exhausted from all the walking, dancing, and singing. Turning in circles, she scratched her head and thought to herself  “She was just right…” With the sound of people, car horns, and music from one of the stores, she frantically patted her pockets for her phone only to realize she left it at the hotel thinking she wouldn’t need it. “Oh no…” She thought.

Cyn on the other hand, sat impatiently at the police station and she waited for an officer to get any news on her lost sister, when she got a call from their Dad again. 

“Great, now he’s gonna yell my ear off. What do you want, Dad? I’m busy right now.”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry…but you guys need to come home. You cannot just run off

like this without a word. I mean, does Ija even know why you took her on a road trip? Do you think she’d be happy knowing you’re keeping her away from me?” The officer returned and before you could say anything he interrupted,  “Okay miss, do you think there might be a place where your sister wandered off to?” Cyn sighed as she gripped her head, her dad heard. “Who’s that? What’s that about Ija? Is she missing? Cyn?!” She looked at the officer with a disapproving look but she looked down realizing it wasn’t his fault. “We were going for a walk and I stopped to buy some things and…and Ija wandered off somewhere with the parade…We’re finding her now..” The officer suddenly got a call and Cyn hoped it was about her sister. “Okay, thanks. Well miss, I think we found her, a café across town just reported a lost girl by her name.”

“Ija! Come here you!” The two sisters ran to hug each other, reuniting in front of the café.

“Don’t worry, we kept her safe here. She sure is a chatter box though.” said the waitress as she came out of the shop. “Thank you so much for watching her.” Cyn pinched her sister's ear and guided her back to their car. “Don’t do anything like that again dude, I was so worried.” 

“I’m sorry I just–”

 “Don’t worry about it, we’re back together again and that’s all that matters.” 

“She’s coming back with Jessica and I to Arizona.” Cyn balled her fists as she listened to her dad on the balcony back at their hotel room. She didn’t want them to talk to each other, let alone LIVE together. She didn’t want to see her sister be in any more pain than she already has since the divorce and mom’s disappearance. “Why? I mean just…Why? You know what this divorce has done to her? To all of us? Ija’s changed in the worst ways because of you! Why’d you have to cheat on mom…you know how much she loved you? She abandoned us because you broke her heart! You act like I forgot that you denied Ija of being your child, you just want her around to make you look good in front of Jessica and her stupid family. It’s…all your fault!” Cyn notices her sister in the doorway and her face goes blank. “Is that true…?” Ija heard the staticky voice of her Dad on the speakers of the phone, “Cyn is that Ija? Give her the phone! You can’t block me from her any longer! Give her the phone now!” Cyn looks at her phone and back at her sister. “It’s all making sense now…me living with you, this trip, mom leaving us behind, my entire life going to shit, everything…makes sense.” 

“It was for the best, Ija. I-I couldn’t let you stay with dad and his lies. Their problems have taken a toll on you…I couldn’t bare to watch that anymore…” Ija takes the phone from her sister and swallows before she gathers her words, “Dad?” Cyn was afraid her sister would choose her dad over her, she didn’t want to lose her sister. “Cyn is trying to keep you away from me sweetheart. Please, do not listen to anything she says, just about everything she says is a lie. I would never deny you! I’m sure you’re tired of struggling with her, moving house to house all the time? Come home with me and Jessica. You’re my princess after all, right?” 

“Hm…I’m not sure. You did all those things to mom and they were true, so how am I supposed to believe you now? I’m sorry Dad, but I’m not leaving my sister all alone.” Before he could get a word out Ija hung up the phone. Cyn locked her arms around her sister as she wailed.

“Save your waterfalls, I’m not going anywhere without you, Cyn. We’re together, forever and always.”