The Girl In Black

The air in the cramped apartment hung heavy with the scent of stale food and dampness. My phone, keys, and handbag hit the worn linoleum floor with a clatter, a stark echo of my own frayed nerves. "Jeez, Lucy! You scared me! You could've at least waited until I stepped through the door." I grumbled, bending to retrieve my scattered belongings.

Lucy, my younger sister, stood with her slim arms crossed, her fourteen-year-old face a mask of annoyance. "You didn't answer my question," she stated, her voice tight, a familiar prelude to a storm. Dammit, I thought I was getting better at this sneaking out thing. How did she find out this time?

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" Lucy's sigh was heavy with frustration. My hand instinctively pulled my beige trench coat tighter around me, a futile attempt to conceal the black dress underneath. Her sea-blue eyes, sharp and accusatory, immediately locked onto the movement.

"Take off your coat," she ordered, marching towards me. I instinctively recoiled. "No!" I warned, my voice a strained whisper.

"Nova, I mean it," she snapped, her tone mirroring my own. Sometimes, it felt like she was the older one. But I wouldn't budge. Not on this. Not when the consequences meant our survival. I pushed past her, ignoring her protests, the unspoken weight of our secret heavy between us.