Carmen stepped into the music room only to hear the sound of a piano playing and one of her sisters singing. She considered for a moment, and decided it was Esme. She walked to the doorway of the piano room and smiled to herself as her assessment was correct.
The smile faded as Carmen stood there and listened to Esme’s song. It had a sad, haunting melody and it was like a window to her soul had been opened. She frowned as she listened to her sister’s words and felt the passion in them. Her musical instincts shouted “Hit! Hit!” and the sensitive side of her screamed back “Shut up! Now is so not the time!”
The song drew to a close and there was a potent silence that followed.
“Esme?” Carmen called softly.
Esme whirled around, her eyes falling accusingly onto her twin.
“How long have you been there?”
“A verse and a couple of choruses,” Carmen replied. “Esme? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. What on earth makes you think you can just spy on me?”
“I wasn’t spying! Honest! I just heard and... “ Carmen held up her hands helplessly. “You’ve got a good voice, Esme.”
“Yeah, me and everyone else in this family. Big whoppy-do-dah,” Esme dismissed.
“Well, you do. I haven’t heard that song of yours before. New?”
Esme shrugged.
“It was good.”
“Whatever. Just leave me alone, okay.”
Carmen paused, then shook her head and moved over to sit by her sister.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong,” she said determinedly.
“Hell, it was just a song,” Esme exclaimed. “It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.”
The twins looked at each other. Carmen with a look of concerned patience, and Esme with frustrated anguish. The silence drew out until Esme couldn’t take it any more.
“No one ever looks at me! Mum, Dad... everyone else... it’s always all about you. Or Xavier. Or Cosmo. Or Rogue and Storm, or Myst or whoever! It’s never about me! Just once I’d like it to be about me! There, you happy now? You got your answer!”
Esme burst into tears. Carmen pulled her close and put her arms around her.
“I tried everything, I did!” Esme wept. “I was captain of the cheerleading squad. I got good grades. I studied music with you at college. I even found the most horrible guy I could find that I was sure Mum and Dad would hate and they didn’t even react! It’s like I’m invisible or something. No one cares...”
Carmen couldn’t help herself, and started laughing. Esme pulled away angrily.
“It’s not funny!”
Carmen reached over and grabbed her wrist before she could storm out.
“Oh, Esme, I’m not laughing at your pain,” she said trying to assure her. “I’m laughing because, well, Mum and Dad did notice. They tried pulling the classic let’s-invite-eligable-guys-Esme’s-age-to-all-our-parties-and-maybe-she’ll-find-someone-new stunt.”
Esme blinked, a couple of tears being dislodged in the process.
“They did?”
“You didn’t notice?” Carmen asked, trying to hide her smile. “Wow, and I thought it was so obvious. I don’t think they wanted to risk alienating you. Y’know, like Uncle Zac and Hope.”
Slowly Esme sat down. Carmen hugged her.
“You do get noticed, Esme,” she said, trying to assure her.
“Our family’s too big,” Esme muttered in reply.
“What is it that you want to do?” Carmen asked. “Y’know other than stop feeling like you’re living in the shadow of other people?”
Esme gave Carmen a startled look.
“You overheard a lot more than a verse and a couple of choruses.”
Carmen smiled and shrugged.
“Well...”