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“I can’t believe, the first week we’re back, we get attacked.” Andrea said as she cleared some rubble away from a hole in the wall, silently gritting her teeth in pain.

“Kinda reminds you of the old times, huh?” Meredith chuckled. There was a time of silence as both girls worked, one clearing rubble while the other took measurements of the hole. Once the area was clear and the measurements were taken, both girls stepped back to look at the wall.

“Think we’ll get it done in a day?” Andrea was the first to break the silence.

Meredith ran a hand through her hair as she thought. “Maybe if we hustle.” Both girls sighed. A moment later, Meredith was sawing planks of wood while Andrea marked them. As they work, laughing from around the corner grew louder as their friends approached.

“How you guys doing?” Pamela asked as she surveyed the wall.

“We’re getting there.” Andrea answered, not looking up from her plank.

“You guys done?” Meredith asked as she walked over to Alejandro.

“We left the others to finish it.” He said with a shrug. Andrea bit her tongue as she continued to work.

“We should probably finish this, sis.” Andrea said finally, getting annoyed that she was the only one working in this wing.

“I will in a sec.” Meredith said airily before going back to her conversation.

A few moments passed before Andrea was done marking the planks and moving the ones that had already been cut. When she walked up to the group to join in their conversation, they were too wrapped up in each other to really notice she was there. If they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice she was there, they wouldn't notice if she left. So that's what she did. Without a word, she turned and walked off to the part of the building that was untouched. Just as she sat on an armchair, her sister came around the corner, looking concerned as ever.

“Andrea, what’s wrong?” She asked as she walked up to her. By this time, Andrea had stewed over her thoughts but she didn't let anything slip, yet.

“Nothing. You know me. I like my quiet.” Andrea smiled in an attempt to get her sister to go back to her friends.

“Don’t lie to me.” Meredith said with a motherly tone.

“You really want to know?” Andrea knew she was going to say things that she would probably regret later but she also knew some of these things needed to be said.

“Of course. You can tell me anything.” At this, Andrea closed her eyes and took a breath, building up the courage to speak. Finally, she opened her eyes and stood up, pacing about the room.

“Those people back there don’t care about me anymore. I mean that guy. He used to play with me and talk to me all the time but now... Now I’m just another person simply living in this mansion. I've been pushed into your shadow.” As she spoke her voice got louder into a yell as all her frustration from over the years came out. “I was gone for a year before everyone else left and you were the only one to notice!”

“I looked for you.” Meredith said, hurt by Andrea’s words.

“I know you did but if you were MIA, those people would make up search parties and
plans until you were found. What did they do for me? Nothing! If I were arrest as many times as Alejandro has been, I would still be sitting in jail. Your little group is so wrapped up in themselves that they don’t even care that they-” In the midst of her sentence, Andrea collapsed, landing on all fours as she coughed up purple fluid. Meredith instinctively moved over to help Andrea up but she was gently pushed away.

“Please don’t touch me. It hurts when people touch me.” She said as she finally stopped coughing. Meredith’s eyes watered as she remembered the slap she had given Andrea the first day they were back, the pain it must have given her and she acted like nothing happened. Andrea smirked as she wiped purple fluid from the side of her mouth. “You were so wrapped up in your group, you didn't have a chance to notice I’m dying.”

All Meredith could do was sit silently, her mouth dropped in shock, as her sister painfully stood. “H-how?” She managed to say. “How do you know?”

Andrea smiled softly. “I met a guy. He’d have been the one if he weren't married. Anyway, he was able to see into me to see that my power is what is killing me. He said,” She gave a chuckle in disbelief at what she was going to say next. “‘Either you excrete the poison as you are meant to, potentially killing others, or the poison will seep into your bloodstream, eventually eroding away parts of your heart and your veins.’ I didn't believe him at first but then I started to have chest pain. He said I would have about six months, if I’m lucky. That was two months ago.”

Then I woke up.

Description
“I can’t believe, the first week we’re back, we get attacked.” Andrea said as she cleared some rubble away from a hole in the wall, silently gritting her teeth in pain.

“Kinda reminds you of the old times, huh?” Meredith chuckled. There was a time of silence as both girls worked, one clearing rubble while the other took measurements of the hole. Once the area was clear and the measurements were taken, both girls stepped back to look at the wall.

“Think we’ll get it done in a day?” Andrea was the first to break the silence.

Meredith ran a hand through her hair as she thought. “Maybe if we hustle.” Both girls sighed. A moment later, Meredith was sawing planks of wood while Andrea marked them. As they work, laughing from around the corner grew louder as their friends approached.

“How you guys doing?” Pamela asked as she surveyed the wall.

“We’re getting there.” Andrea answered, not looking up from her plank.

“You guys done?” Meredith asked as she walked over to Alejandro.

“We left the others to finish it.” He said with a shrug. Andrea bit her tongue as she continued to work.

“We should probably finish this, sis.” Andrea said finally, getting annoyed that she was the only one working in this wing.

“I will in a sec.” Meredith said airily before going back to her conversation.

A few moments passed before Andrea was done marking the planks and moving the ones that had already been cut. When she walked up to the group to join in their conversation, they were too wrapped up in each other to really notice she was there. If they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice she was there, they wouldn't notice if she left. So that's what she did. Without a word, she turned and walked off to the part of the building that was untouched. Just as she sat on an armchair, her sister came around the corner, looking concerned as ever.

“Andrea, what’s wrong?” She asked as she walked up to her. By this time, Andrea had stewed over her thoughts but she didn't let anything slip, yet.

“Nothing. You know me. I like my quiet.” Andrea smiled in an attempt to get her sister to go back to her friends.

“Don’t lie to me.” Meredith said with a motherly tone.

“You really want to know?” Andrea knew she was going to say things that she would probably regret later but she also knew some of these things needed to be said.

“Of course. You can tell me anything.” At this, Andrea closed her eyes and took a breath, building up the courage to speak. Finally, she opened her eyes and stood up, pacing about the room.

“Those people back there don’t care about me anymore. I mean that guy. He used to play with me and talk to me all the time but now... Now I’m just another person simply living in this mansion. I've been pushed into your shadow.” As she spoke her voice got louder into a yell as all her frustration from over the years came out. “I was gone for a year before everyone else left and you were the only one to notice!”

“I looked for you.” Meredith said, hurt by Andrea’s words.

“I know you did but if you were MIA, those people would make up search parties and
plans until you were found. What did they do for me? Nothing! If I were arrest as many times as Alejandro has been, I would still be sitting in jail. Your little group is so wrapped up in themselves that they don’t even care that they-” In the midst of her sentence, Andrea collapsed, landing on all fours as she coughed up purple fluid. Meredith instinctively moved over to help Andrea up but she was gently pushed away.

“Please don’t touch me. It hurts when people touch me.” She said as she finally stopped coughing. Meredith’s eyes watered as she remembered the slap she had given Andrea the first day they were back, the pain it must have given her and she acted like nothing happened. Andrea smirked as she wiped purple fluid from the side of her mouth. “You were so wrapped up in your group, you didn't have a chance to notice I’m dying.”

All Meredith could do was sit silently, her mouth dropped in shock, as her sister painfully stood. “H-how?” She managed to say. “How do you know?”

Andrea smiled softly. “I met a guy. He’d have been the one if he weren't married. Anyway, he was able to see into me to see that my power is what is killing me. He said,” She gave a chuckle in disbelief at what she was going to say next. “‘Either you excrete the poison as you are meant to, potentially killing others, or the poison will seep into your bloodstream, eventually eroding away parts of your heart and your veins.’ I didn't believe him at first but then I started to have chest pain. He said I would have about six months, if I’m lucky. That was two months ago.”

Then I woke up.