{Editing Status: Unedited}

I woke up early, excited for the elections that morning. As I stretched, my joints cracked. I got dressed: black jeans, a black leather jacket. The usual. As I walked past Liana's room, I knocked on her door, and was greeted by silence. I rolled my eyes. She was probably still sleeping.

"Wake up, Ana!" I shouted.

I heard her groan from inside. "Go away!" she yelled, her voice muffled.

"Get up, idiot. It's election day."

Silence.

I rolled my eyes again and left her. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Aurelia was cooking. The smell of bacon made me salivate.

"Good morning, Ivana," Aurelia said, without even turning around.

I frowned. "How did you know it was me?" I asked, sitting down at the table.

"I just knew," she said. I watched her put two rashers of bacon on a plate, and she put it down in front of me. It was almost black and charred, the way I like it.

"Thanks, Relia," I said, grinning.

She glared at me. She hated her nickname. I shoveled the bacon down, and my stomach growled in thanks.

She sat down next to me. "Is Liana up?" she asked me.

I sighed. "What do you think?"

She grimaced. "Of course not."

"Yep," I said, smirking slightly.

"Shut up you two, I'm awake," Liana sighed, walking into the kitchen. I laughed and pushed her playfully as she walked past. She ignored me. I couldn't help smiling. My younger sister was not a morning person.

"Where's my bacon?" she asked, folding her arms.

Aurelia raised an eyebrow at her. "Well maybe if you asked nicely, I would make you some," Aurelia said. Liana inhaled deeply.

"Please may I have some bacon, Aurelia?" she smiled, sarcastically.

Aurelia stood up and walked over to the cooker, where she started frying some more bacon. Liana sat next to me.

"Where's Mom?" she asked me.

I shrugged. "She's probably getting dressed," I answered.

"I can't believe she's actually coming today. I mean, she never, ever leaves the house..." Liana said.

"Liana," Aurelia said, sharply. Liana looked at the ground quickly.

"Sorry," she muttered.

Aurelia was the closest to our mom; Liana and I weren't that close to her. She hardly spent any time with us. Aurelia was more like a mother to us than our own one. Aurelia handed her bacon to Liana, and Liana thanked her. She ate in silence. Aurelia took my empty plate and started washing it up in the sink.

The stairs suddenly creaked, and Liana glanced at me quickly. She had always been slightly scared of Mom, and I wasn't surprised. I was scared of her too, sometimes. Her mood swings were so rapid I got whiplash. She walked into the room; she was dressed in a knee-length dress, black in color. I forgot how beautiful my mom was when she got dressed up. Her long, strawberry blonde hair hung in shimmery waves, the ends reaching her waist. Her emerald green eyes were vivid on her pale, freckled face. She was the odd one out in the family; us three sisters all had brown hair and brown eyes. I'm not sure where we got our features from, seeing as our father had been blonde and blue-eyed.

"You look beautiful, mother," I smiled. I knew best than to anger my mother. Trying to keep her on your good side wasn't easy.

She smiled at me. "Thank you, darling," she said.

"Would you like any bacon?" Aurelia asked her.

She shook her head, and checked her watch. "We better get going soon."

Liana finished eating, and put her plate in the sink. She kept her head down. Mom wasn't fond of Liana, because she got up to so much mischief.

"So shall we go then?" Mom asked us.

Aurelia nodded. "Yes, we shall. I'm just going to go and get my coat. It's quite chilly out there this morning." Aurelia walked briskly out of the room.

I quickly tied my hair into a high ponytail.

"Put a coat on, Liana. It's cold," Mom smiled.

"Oh, no mother, I'll be fine, I promise," Liana said.

"I said," Mom snapped, "Get a coat."

"Yes, Mom," Liana muttered, and she quickly walked out of the room, her eyes on the floor. I sighed. Mom smiled at me and I returned it, although my jaw was clenched with anger. I hated how Mom spoke to Liana.

In a couple of minutes, Aurelia and Liana walked down the stairs. We all walked out of the front door together, and onto the porch. It was a very rare occasion, where we were all together as a family - outside. We walked across the huge field in front of our house and onto the dirt road, and then into the center of Salem.

The elections were to be held in front of the bell tower near the mayor's house. There was already a huge crowd of people, which we joined. Only then did I realize, all four of us were wearing black. We stood out from the crowd, who were wearing light blue's and white's and yellow's. I shuffled uncomfortably. Liana nudged me, and I looked at her.

"What?" I asked. She looked to her right, and I followed her gaze, to where a handsome boy, about Liana's age was standing with his parents. He was talking to who looked like his younger brother. His hair was a light, chestnut brown, brushed back in a neat fashion, and his eyes a light hazel.

"Who's that?" I laughed.

"That's Blake. Remember the boy I told you about, from my school?"

I nodded. "He's cute," I whispered.

She blushed slightly, and nodded. "Yeah, he is."

"Go and speak to him," I said.

He turned his head, and then he noticed Liana. He smiled and waved at her, and she waved back, her cheeks pink.

"Go," I said, nudging her.

"I can't," she hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes you can, idiot. Go."

She sighed, and walked over to him. I smiled at how happy he looked. He clearly liked her. He hugged her, his arms wrapped around her waist. They broke away, and they started talking.

I began looking around, trying to spot any of my friends. I spotted a few of my friends that went to my school. Over near the sculpted fountain, I saw Shannon and Taylah, who were girls that were in my grade when I went to school. When they noticed me, they waved, and I returned the gesture. I never saw them these days. Mom didn't like me leaving the house a lot; I was only allowed to go to work (at a hiking/outdoors store) and then come straight home.

I heard the sound of wood on wood and I looked to the front, where Mayor White was standing. He was possibly our new mayor. Our old mayor, Mayor Daniels, committed suicide. I saw his family in the crowd today; his wife and daughter, just slightly younger than Liana, so maybe about fourteen or fifteen. The wife had her arm around her daughter.

As Mayor White spoke, I watched Mom. She was looking at Liana and Blake, her eyes like fire. I touched her arm gently, and she jumped slightly. She looked at me, frowning.

"Don't, mother," I whispered.

"But, she's with a boy," she hissed.

I sighed. "She's sixteen. She has to grow up sometime," I said.

None of us had had ever had boyfriends before; not even Aurelia. We weren't allowed. I hadn't told Mom that I had a fling with a boy when I was in eleventh grade, but he wasn't my boyfriend or anything.

I heard clapping and whistling, and I realized his speech was over. I started clapping, even if I hadn't heard anything he had said. The city council spoke next, announcing the next mayor candidate: Mayor Williams. Then it was Mayor Philips. After they had all spoken, the city council leader, Jane, announced the winner. Mayor White, of course. The crowd erupted in cheers, and he walked to the front, grinning. He gave another speech, thanking the crowd for the votes, and his family for all the support they had given him. Another applause. Then it was over.

The crowd dispersed gradually, chatting to themselves.

"Why don't we go to lunch later?" Aurelia asked Mom.

She looked shaken at that, but she nodded. "Yes, alright. Where?"

"There's a nice place down the road from here - their food is amazing," I said.

Mom nodded. I was surprised. She never wanted to go out and eat. I checked my watch.

"We can go in an hour, at eleven." Aurelia nodded. She pointed in front of her. "Look, people are going over to congratulate Mayor White," she said. "Let's go over to him."

I laughed. "There's no way I'm doing that. You can, if you want," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed. "I will." She walked away, over to Mayor White, who was surrounded by people trying to speak to him and congratulate him. I suddenly spotted Liana and Blake; they were walking slowly away in the opposite direction. I noticed they were holding hands, and that made me smile. Blake was looking at her as she spoke. It made me slightly jealous to see my sister have someone like that. I lead Mom away, so she wouldn't see them. I didn't want to ruin it for Liana; she didn't deserve that.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To sit down. Aren't you tired from standing for so long?" I asked.

"Yes, actually," she said, and I laughed. We walked over to a bench and sat down. We sat in silence; my mother was not a sociable person. At all. I watched Aurelia talking to Mayor White, as she shook his hand. After she had finished speaking to him, she walked back over to us, her face smug.

"He's so friendly," she smiled.

"He looks it," I said.

"Maybe if you had come with me..."

"Shut up," I sighed.

Aurelia laughed. "He has two sons. He said they were in the crowd."

"Two sons?" I asked.

She nodded. "He told me."

"Why would he tell you that?"

She shrugged. "How am I meant to know?"

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't see any boys with Mayor White. I wondered if they were older or younger. Aurelia checked her watch.

"Ivana, go and get Liana. Let's go to lunch now," she said.

I nodded, and got up from the bench, and started walking over to where Liana and Blake were. I stopped in my tracks, as I watched Blake lean in to Liana and kiss her. I sprinted over to them, and they broke away.

"Liana, we have to go," I said. I felt bad for interrupting, but I had too. Liana looked euphoric, but under that, I could see her anger for me. Blake smiled at Liana, and kissed her cheek.

"You've got my number right?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'll call you," she smiled. "Bye, Blake."

"Bye, Liana," he said.

We left, and Liana wouldn't look at me.

"Liana," I said.

She glared at the ground. "Shut up, Ivana. Just, shut up," she snapped.

"You know you can't..."

"You were the one telling me to go for it!" she hissed.

I gripped her arm. "What if Mom was watching?" I whispered.

She ripped her arm out of my grip. "I don't care if she was watching. She needs to lighten up."

"You know I would love you to have a boyfriend, Liana. And you two look great together..."

"Then, what's the problem?"

"You know what the problem is. Don't be foolish," I snapped.

"You ruined everything," she said.

I squeezed the bridge of my nose with frustration. "I saved you, Liana. If Mom had seen you..."

"I've already told you that I don't care."

"Well, you should," I said, and I walked away from her. She was so naive, and stupid. Aurelia saw me and she frowned. I probably looked angry.

"Let's go to lunch," I said. I looked back at Liana. She was glaring at me.

"Come on, Liana," Aurelia called. She hesitated, and then slowly started following us to to the cafe. I was only protecting her, and I wish she could see that. But she was young and immature. I knew she liked Blake more than any boy she's ever liked before. I wish she could date him, and I wish they were able to have some sort of future together. But they couldn't. And she was holding onto that minuscule piece of hope that she could be with him. Mom wouldn't allow it. It wasn't fair, and it angered me. I didn't want to anger our mother, though.

She was truly frightening when she was angry.

---

A/N

Hello!

Sorry for the really long wait :( It seems like forever since I updated the first chapter. Here's the second one, though. I hope you liked it! Feedback is much appreciated.

Olivia J. Clarke

(Gif: Liana Cain ~ Adelaide Kane)

© Olivia Clarke 2016

Salem