Chelsea: From the Point of View of Sister #2

Two sisters run down the street. One runs as straight as a Ringer girl can possibly run. She’s the younger of the two. She’s short, but tells people she’s tall and sometimes the confidence with which she speaks forces them to do a double-take. She walks with purpose, like it ain’t nobody’s business.  

The other really is tall and tends to trip when she walks, which makes her more prone to running. She’s often distracted, attempting to catch leaves in her hands, snowflakes on her tongue, or whatever else may be falling from the sky.

Sister #1 feigns frustration:  You’re swerving into the road again. That’s it! I’m doing it! I’m buying you a leash!

Sister #2: Good grief, Lady! I won’t get hit by a car. And, by the way, I’m winning the leaf-catching competition.

Sister #1: You haven’t caught anything. How could you possibly be winning?

Sister #2: I get 50 points just for trying… and then 10 after that for every leaf caught.  You, my dear friend, haven’t even tried!

Sister #1 sticks her hand out. A leaf floats into the open palm.

Sister #2 purses her lips, narrows her eyes and gives sister #1 a harrowing look.

Sister #1 ignores the look and continues to run as straight as a Ringer girl can possibly run.  60 points. Beat that.

And sister #1 doesn’t even crack a smile…though she does know the moment is worth one. And sister #2, though older and taller, looks up to sister #1 and is humbled. She secretly knows she can’t possibly “beat that” and wouldn’t trade that graceful moment to catch 100 leaves of her own.