Avie was home, memorising a script for the next episode in the sitcom she was in, when she heard Zoe arrive. The thing that made her look up from the script was the sound of... sniffling?
“Zoe?”
There was no answer. Well, unless you count the sound of someone choking out a sob as an answer. Concerned, Avie walked into the hallway where she spotted her younger sister racing up the stairs.
“Zoe? Zoe are you ok?” Avie asked, following.
Then Zoe seemed to jump out from the corner she had gone behind. She took one look at her sister, tears streaming down her face and burst into another sob.
“He... he broke up with me,” she cried, before reaching her arms out for a hug.
Avie hugged back, a little confused.
“Who broke up with you?”
“My boyfriend.”
“I figured that much.”
Zoe sniffed.
“Oliver.”
“Oliver?” Avie repeated. “As in... Oliver? But I thought -”
“Just because Mackie wishes he’d never met him doesn’t mean I do. I love him, Avie, and he... he...”
Zoe was a little too overwhelmed in misery to continue. Avie hugged her tighter.
“Oh, Zoe, I’m not... I’m not criticising. I’m just surprised. But hey, if he dumps you, then it’s his loss. What happened anyway?”
“I... I don’t know. He just rang up and said he doesn’t want to... to go out with me any more.”
Saying that triggered another round of sobs.
“It’s still his loss.” Avie declared. “C’mon, dry your eyes. Let’s go out on the town and do something bizarre.”
Zoe managed a giggle. Avie grinned at her.
“Go get changed. I’m gonna pack up downstairs and then I’ll get changed to and we’ll blow this joint.”
Zoe nodded and wandered over to her room, still sniffling. Avie headed back downstairs, shaking her head in amazement.
“Oliver,” she mouthed to herself.
Avie decided she would keep that little tidbit to herself.