Chapter 3: Pretense

"Hey, Gav come on let's swim at the pool. I asked a maid to make us some snacks there." She was watching the most awaited volleyball match that was being aired live when Leanna found her in her room. She was wearing a bathrobe and inside it was a floral one-piece bathing suit.

"I'm watching my favorite volleyball match, Leanna. " She stated then switched her eyes again in the TV. She just can't miss every detail of the game. She was so agitated for her favorite team to win.

"Stop watching that boring volleyball match. Come on, let's just swim." Leanna then pulled her hand that made her laugh.

"I can't miss this. I've been waiting for this to be aired you know. Can't you see it was live via satellite?" She explained in between laughs.

"But I want you to accompany me swimming. It's boring swimming alone."

"Okay, I'll accompany you after this."

"No! I want it now Gav!" Leanna still insisted. Sometimes, she noticed Leanna was having a habit of being persistent and imperious. She is also being bad-tempered if she couldn't get what she wants.

"No Leanna." She declared finality. She heard Leanna stomp her foot in outrage then seated beside her on the couch. She then sighed out of patience. The more she get to know her these passing days, she seemed to dislike some of her bad attitudes.

"Go on and swim. I'll go down and accompany you later." To her surprise, Leanna suddenly stole the remote control out of her grasp then change the channel.

"Why did you do that? Can't you see I'm watching!" She irritatingly stated out of outrage.

"If you can't accompany me on the pool then I want to watch my favorite show with you!" Leanna teasingly stated that made her really irritated.

"Why don't you watch in your room? You see I'm watching my favorite match!" She uttered out of impatience then try to get the remote control back from her but Leanna moved away and teasingly extended her hand away for her not to reach it.

"I want it here! Come on you'll gonna love this show and it will make you forget that boring channel." The truth is she was starting to lose her patience but she tried to convince herself to tolerate her.

She never had a sister before and she doesn't know how to handle this kind of situation. She was starting to be upset with her but if she have to tolerate and endure her persistency and her imperious habit, well she have to just for them to get along and not have any conflicts. She just decided then to let Leanna watch the show she wanted even though she badly want to watch the game she had been anticipating for.

* * *

"I brought you some snacks, girls!"  Chelsea happily stated as she was bringing a tray with sandwiches and sliced fruits together with glasses of lemonades.

They were at the pool. She was currently swimming and Leanna was laying at the floating bed while her feet soaking in the water when Chelsea caught their attention. They immediately went out of the pool and walked towards Chelsea's place. 

"Thanks, Mom!" Leanna mirthfully uttered.

"Wow, that looks delicious. Thanks, Aunt Chelsea!" She happily stated too. She couldn't understand but she felt Chelsea suddenly get stunned and turn to her. When she looked at her, she was not sure but it seemed like she saw a tinge of irritation in her eyes.

"Why are you calling her Aunt Gav? It's supposed to be Mom." Leanna corrected her.

"Yes, darling. Leanna's right, drop the Aunt and start to call me Mom, okay?" She got stunned for a moment and doesn't know what to say or do.

She thought she already clarified this matter to her Dad? Did her father not explain to Chelsea that with a respect to her own mom, she will not call any other Mom under her mother's image? She thought Chelsea agreed to be only called by her as Aunt? She kept her silence and just gave the woman a short smile because she just don't know how to construct her words without offending her. She don't know how to approach Chelsea appropriately without hurting her that she don't want to call her mom and she was more comfortable just calling her Aunt.

She could sense that  Chelsea was waiting for her answer but she suddenly lose the courage to explain her thing. She suddenly got afraid that she might not like it, or worst it might hurt her feelings. To her surprise, Chelsea suddenly walked away and she had a bad feeling that he upset her because of that.

"I think you upset my Mom," Leanna said giving her an accusing stare.

"I didn't mean to upset her and -- "

"Call her mom like how I call your  father as Dad." Leanna interrupted her. And the way Leanna raised a tone on her, kinda upset her.

"Dad and I talked about it. He understood the reasons that I only want to call my own mother as Mom but that isn't mean I don't treat  Aunt Chelsea as my second Mom too." She explained.

"What! You're preposterous Gav! Don't you know it insults and hurts my mother whenever you call her Aunt? You should have some respect in your bones--

"What are you talking about? I do  respect her!" She angrily retorted out of irritation.

"Whatever!" She got stunned when Leanna drastically put down her sandwich in outrage then walked out and left her.

That night her Dad talked to her about the same issue. He told her that he never mentioned to Chelsea about calling her Aunt. Her father even asked her to just call her Mom to please Chelsea which she opposed of course. And no matter how her father tried to convince her to oblige the will of her stepmother to call her Mom, she never agreed. This could be at least the best gift she could ever give to her beloved mother. They might have thought she was being childish, preposterous, and self-centered but then she do not care. That's how she love her mother and by that means, she knew she will gratify her.

After what happened, Leanna had been a week ignoring her. Every time she talks to her or tries to make a conversation, she just nods and shakes her head as an answer. There are times that she was trying to piss her off like accidentally bumping her, borrowing a kit or gadget from her then bringing it back broken or damaged and there was a time also when the tire of her bicycle got flat and one of the maids told her that they have seen Leanna intentionally flatted her bicycle tire. Sarah was one of their long-time maids and according to her mom, she had been serving their family even before she was born so the woman will never lie to her. She never confronted Leanna about this because she don't want to have a conflict with her. She just tolerated those acts because she believed Leanna was upset about what she did to her mom. She tried tolerating all of those but there were these instances that finally tore off her patience and lose her self-control when she wore her favorite dress that her mother gave her before she passed and she did not bother to ask for her permission to use it.

"Why are you wearing that dress? That's mine." She calmed herself trying to make her sound normal when deep inside her she was trembling in anger.

"Are you mad at me because I wore this dress?" Leanna sarcastically retorted.

"No. I just don't remember you asking permission to borrow that dress of mine. That's my favorite and I seldom wear it." It was the last dress her Mom bought her when they went shopping. That was the time when she was healthy and she was not aware of her disease. That dress was one of the most valuable things she treasure the most and it really pissed her off that Leanna just wore it without asking her permission. The truth is she was worried she might have brought it back broken or damaged just like what she usually does when she uses her stuff.

"I thought everything that's yours was mine too? Are you just lying when you told me I can use all of your things and you won't be upset with it?"  Leanna's tone was infuriating as her brow raised.

Yes, she remembered telling her that. She told her she can use anything she desire or borrow anything she may like in her stuff and told her what she have was hers too but that dress was too important to her that she will really get upset if Leanna brought it back damaged. Yes, she told her that, but isn't it's impolite to just use something that is not yours without asking permission from the owner? Is she that ill-mannered?

"Please take off that dress after you used it and bring it back to me." She uttered calmly.

"You're upset do you?" She teasingly asked. She hated that infuriating half-smile of her as if it pleases her when she gets irritated.

"I'm not." She lied. Does she expect her not to be? She never thought Leanna was this too insensitive.

"Liar! You didn't mean when you said what's yours was mine too." Leanna accused.

"You should've asked permission from me. That dress was so important to me, Leanna."

"Tell me the truth. You don't really like me do you?" Leanna's eyes were like daggers ready to attack her.

"What! Where was that came from?" She asked unbelievably.

"Come on, I can see in your eyes the disgust and hate every time you look at me."

"That's not true!  You see I always favored and tolerate you to avoid the conflict between us."

Where is this all coming out? Is that what she thought of her all along? That she didn't like her?

"Oh please don't give me that crap because I won't buy it, Gav." Leanna poignantly stated.

Her eyes widen in the way she speaks and talk to her. Anger and disappointment started to creep inside her. She shook her head in disbelief. She just couldn't believe she thought they can be friends and be like real sisters before.

"Please bring back that dress after using it." She just decided to say then leave her and walk towards her room.

The moment she entered her room, she got surprised when Leanna suddenly followed her and drastically take off the dress in front of her then aggressively threw it on her face.

"Here's your dress! Next time, don't say something if you don't intend to keep it." Leanna angrily stated. She meddles in her cabinet then took one of her robe and wore it to cover her body then left her room. She was left stunned and angry at Leeana's behavior.

A week had passed and they weren't talking to each other. Actually, after what happened,  she intentionally evade Leanna to avoid conflictions. Their parents noticed their silence and evasion to each other the reason they were asked if they had a misunderstanding. When her Dad confirmed it, they were asked to settle their gap and patch things up between them so they were forced to reconcile. She knew Leanna was just faking her reconciliation with her because she often caught her glaring at her or giving her a sly smile when she was trying to talk to her. It pisses her off sometimes but he managed to ignore it so it won't create trouble.