Misguided Observations

Melissa cannot be this stupid.

Cynthia sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose as she waves the fox ears in the air between them.
“Melissa.”
“Yes?”
“Explain this to me again please.”
Her sister’s cheeks burn, which is more adorable than anything considering her actually careful makeup and the soft freckles that threaten to burn into her cheeks with the embarrassment radiating off of her in waves. Cynthia waits, watches as the woman shifts through facial expressions without looking at her.
“Well, you know, like… the whole… animal thing… going on, in Town…”
“The furry convention, yes.”
Melissa ducks her head, soft curses and regret whispering around her red styled curls that Cynthia doesn’t even attempt to actually hear properly.
“Listen, I didn’t-”
“Didn’t what!?”
“I DIDN’T KNOW!”
“WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS HAPPENING WITH ALL THESE FUR CHILDS RUNNING RAMPANT IN TOWN!?”
“I THOUGHT IT WAS FASHION!”
Cynthia stares at her in disbelief. Her sister’s thought process has to be on a whole new level; she shakes the ears between them again.
“How are FURSUITS fashion!?”
Melissa opens her mouth, but Cynthia doesn’t have to wait for any sad excuse to come because Melissa just closes her mouth and throws her hands in the air.
“You wear trash from Gucci, how am I supposed to know that animal ears, whiskers, and a tail AREN’T!?”
“Mel, you have a phone!”
“I didn’t think I had to look it up if half the Town is now filled with them!”
“My. Gods. How are we related!?”
Melissa snatches the ears from Cynthia, face and ears burning into the shade of her hair as she throws them back into the box they apparently came out of.
“Shut up Cyn. I just wanted to do something, sorry I am such a fucking embarrassment.”
The guilt stabs her stomach and twists hard and sudden; she immediately backpedals a little, goes after Melissa as she tears off the whiskers and belted tail.
“Mel, I didn’t-”
“Whatever, I just thought it was a fashion trend! It’s fine.”
She flinches as her sister throws the accessories on her floor and storms into the small balcony that had always brought out her jealousy. Her insides are tearing too hard to hold any of that now though; she sighs, deflates hard as she looks at the accessories in guilt.
She almost retreats in shame; it only takes a single breath before she is moving to the balcony, barely stopping before she goes and plops down on the ground next to her sister.
The tears are obvious even though Melissa is more than a master at crying silently; the guilt makes Cynthia huff a little, but she keeps her eyes in the sky instead of at her sister.
“I didn’t mean to be a bitch.”
She hears a small noise, glances to see Melissa wiping at her eyes and ruining all of the makeup she probably worked on for hours.
“Yeah, well, you did a fucking bad job at that.”
“Yeah.”
The silence is a little tight; Cynthia hates it almost as much as she hates her inability to really apologize. It sits in her throat, more likely to make her puke than spit it out. She swallows and takes a different route, hopes against hope that it might be a good shift.
“I mean, at least you looked cute.”
Melissa chokes her emotions; she elbows her a little, but it doesn’t hold the sting of proper anger.
“Thanks asshat. Too bad you ruined my makeup.”
“Eh, wasn’t that great.”
Melissa shoves her hard but her eyes are bright with something stronger and less vulnerable than humiliation.
“Gods Cyn!”
They both break out into snorts and weak laughter, but Cynthia can see the smile creeping back into Melissa. She smiles brightly, shrugs into her sister and quickly sticks the ears back into her hair awkwardly.
“Don’t worry, I bet Mom would rather you be a furry than a drug addict anyways.”
“I fucking hate you.”
“Thanks, me too.”
Melissa shoves her again, and Cynthia just laughs a little as they settle next to each other again. Melissa grabs the ears, and they both watch them for a minute before Cynthia gives in.
“Okay, but they are kind of adorable.”
“Riiight??”