I sat in the booth behind one of the two couch in the front lounge. Today was a day off and I was checking my twitter on my phone. Arielle was napping on the couch in front of me. She looked rather peaceful. She and I had to deal with a lot of shit growing up. We both lost our older brother, I had my anxiety issues flare up after he was gone, and Arielle was bullied since she was still struggling with trying to lose her accent. I remember when she was learning to drive that I had to teach her. God I hated the way she drove at first.

---

"Arielle you need to drive the speed limit. God you drive like an old lady," I complained from the passenger seat.
"I'm trying to learn, Alex. You are not helping," she complained back.
"Pull the car over. You are not driving my car anymore. I can't handle teaching you. You are impossible," I told her.
Arielle pulled into a parking lot and turned off the car. She pulled the keys out of the ignition and tossed them into my lap.
"Drive yourself home. I'm walking," Arielle got out of my car and slammed the door.
"God damn it, Arielle," I groaned to myself as I watched her storm off.
I got out of the car and chased after her. I promised Mom that I'd keep her safe while we were out, and that meant making sure Arielle didn't wander off.
"Arielle, stop," I yelled at her, but she kept walking.
"Go home or go to Jack's house. I don't give a shit. Just leave me alone," she shouted back.
"Arielle Elizabeth Gaskarth, stop walking away from me," I snapped at her.
"Don't use my full name, Alexander," she snapped back.
"Come with me, back to my car, so I can drive you home," I snapped at her.
"Let me go," she screamed, "I'm going to Kyle's!"
"The fuck you are. You are coming home. He's not right for you," I told her as I threw her over my shoulder.
"Alex, let me go. Alex, stop controlling. You are not my father. Tom would let me date," she screamed as she hit my back. Once I got us back to my car, I slammed her against the side of it.
"Don't you ever bring up Tom like that again," I sneered at her as I forced her inside the car.

---

I wasn't too proud of how I handled that situation. I scared the shit out of Arielle. She broke up with Kyle and she stopped dating. She went to her prom stag, she never had a boyfriend through college. It was all my fault she was alone. I caused her to drive guys away. I cause her to be just my sister. I was so selfish.
And she thinks I don't know about her crush on Austin. I actually do. I just try to keep her busy with work here on the bus or by the stage. But I know it's wrong for me to make her be alone. She deserves to be happy. She's twenty-two now. She's not sixteen. I need to trust her to make the right decisions when it comes to who to give her heart to. It's not mine to keep anymore.
I know I can trust Austin to make her happy. I know he can give her the life she wants; a life with a house with the man she loves, raising their children, and just living out her life happily.
And I'm going to help her get that life she wants.
Hey Austin, I need to talk to you about something. Let's meet up outside your bus. -Arie :)

Notes

I wanted to bring Alex in a moment. A flashback on how Arielle started to cling to Alex because he was clinging to her felt like a good fit here. Stay tuned for more from us. With school coming up for me in just over a week, the updates may take more time.