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“Boys, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Celeste Lourde. I met her out on the stage, and decided she was cute enough to be backstage with us,” AJ teased as he pushed Celeste forward. She gave a shy smile as Anael’s body froze in shock. She felt her emotions mix between pleasure, fury, and depression. It was too obvious not to allow her emotions to run rampant. Her little sister whom she hadn’t seen in ages was standing right before her. Celeste had grown so much. Anael could see her mother in her sister’s eyes.

“Hello, Celeste,” Howie greeted.

“Hey, Celeste!” Brian replied with a grin.

“Great to meet you,” Kevin concluded.

“I was hoping to meet all of you,” Celeste answered primly, her voice coated with southern honey. Celeste’s soft blue eyes twinkled with happiness, but lingered with sadness. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. Her soft curls fell down along her shoulders as she bounced her right foot nervously. Anael felt tears threaten to fall, because she did the same thing. Celeste was growing up so fast and Anael hadn’t been there to see any of it. She was her beautiful Celeste.

“You look exactly like our manager,” Howie commented suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Celeste asked as she heard AJ snort.

“I see it, D! Our manager, Grace-Anne, you look exactly like her! It’s way uncanny!” Brian exclaimed, immediately agreeing with Howie. Anael’s cheeks flushed as Brian grabbed her by the arm, making it impossible for her to get away. AJ glared at her with fury as Brian pushed her to the front of the group. Anael’s jaw dropped when she came face to face with her little sister.

Celeste’s soft blue eyes became wide in complete shock as she took in Anael’s essence. The familiar aura surrounding Celeste made the child wince. Anael glanced down at the floor, tugging on her flaxen curls hard. She glanced up to see Celeste still staring at her. Anael’s heart stopped as she finally met the child’s gaze. She blinked back her tears, trying to communicate her professional attitude. “Hello, my name is Grace-Anne Lupe,” Anael replied quite smoothly.

“My name is…” Celeste’s mind froze for a moment. Anael watched her little sister’s eyes fill with tears. The child immediately rubbed the bottom of her eyes, trying to stop the tears. The boys glanced at the two women with confusion. Anael felt like she might cry also. Celeste blinked back her tears, trying to ignore her feelings. She shoved her hands deep into her jean pockets. “I’m s-s-sorry. It’s just…wow… I’m sorry.”

“What’s the matter?” Brian asked softly, feeling sorry for the young girl.

“N-Nothing,” Celeste answered, blushing.

“Are you sure?” Anael finally encouraged.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Celeste concluded. She stared at Anael for a long moment. Her mind was completely clouded with confusion. Celeste felt AJ place his hands warmly on her shoulders. She let her shoulders fall forward as tears rained down her cheeks. “It’s just… Ma’am, you look a lot like my older sister!”

Anael stood there, stunned that Celeste had finally mentioned it. The ironic nature of it all seemed to catch Anael. Her mind went completely blank. She wanted to hug Celeste and tell her that she was right. That Anael really was her sister. However, her body declined the invitation. She stood next to Brian, stiffly erect. She immediately licked her bottom lip, offering a flustered smile. “I’ve never received that type of compliment. I’m sure your sister is””

“Was,” Celeste corrected painfully.

“Excuse me?” Howie asked in confusion.

“My older sister died a little over a year ago,” Celeste answered, glancing at the floor. The boys went painfully quiet. Anael’s fingers tightened around the silver cross around her neck. Her body began to become clammy with fear and anticipation. Her death was still too raw to talk about. Poor Celeste. Anael wanted to reach out and hug her sister, but she couldn’t. It would blow her entire mission. It was forbidden. Anael bit down on her tongue, forbidding herself the pleasure of comforting Celeste. She watched the tears gather upon Celeste’s honey-dew cheeks. “She wasn’t sick or anything… I…”

“We’re very sorry, Celeste,” Howie communicated, sorrowfully gazing upon the broken child. AJ took this time to wrap his arms tightly around Celeste, pulling her close. Anger broke against Anael’s soul as AJ rubbed her little sister’s back. He dared to touch her. He dared to break the boundaries. Anael bit harder on her tongue until she could taste the metallic residue of her own blood.

“I’m so sorry, Celeste. I didn’t know it’d be that painful for you. Would you like me to take you for something to drink? I can get you a soda and we can go talk. You shouldn’t be alone while you’re crying so feverishly…” AJ cooed, his voice dripping with sweetness. Anael felt physically ill as AJ used his thumbs to brush away her sister’s lonely tears. Anael could already tell what the little rat was thinking. He was going to seduce her baby sister and toy with her emotions. Anael went to reach for Celeste, but AJ’s voice caught her. “Let me heal your hurts, Celeste.”

“Do you want to see a picture of her?” Celeste asked hopefully, stepping out of AJ’s arms. He nodded thoughtfully, causing Anael to swallow down a scream of fury. Celeste was looking for someone to confide in, and AJ was manipulating her. The broken girl reached down into her back pocket, producing a tattered photograph.

“We’d love to see a picture of her,” AJ whispered, rubbing Celeste’s shoulders. Anael took a furious gulp of air, trying to calm down her emotions. One more sly trick from AJ would cause Anael to burst out. She knew the Lord would forsake her, but that was her baby sister! She narrowed her eyes at AJ, hoping he would catch her furious glare. However, he stayed immune. He focused all his attention upon Celeste.

“Here she is,” Celeste murmured, pulling out the tattered photograph. It was folded into four sections. Each side was gently torn from love and affection. Anael adjusted her eyes to another location of the room, not wanting to see the photograph. Celeste’s hands trembled as she revealed the picture. The edges were beginning to turn a pale yellow from its daily use. Celeste’s light eyes brimmed with dangerous tears as she held the photograph for everyone to see.

Anael had to wipe away her own tears when she realized what photograph it was. It was Celeste’s favorite photograph. It was a picture of Anael before her session of senior photographs. Their mother had taken Celeste and Anael out to get their hair done for Anael’s photographs. Anael sat perched in the styling chair, batting her bright sapphire eyes at the camera. Her golden curls were bundled in various clips and combs while the stylist had tried different styles. Anael held her hands against her face, scrunching her nose at the camera. She was beautiful, even in her odd behavior.

“My goodness,” Howie murmured, reflecting the reality of the photograph.

“What?” Celeste asked, trying to wipe away her tears.

“Dear, dear, dear,” Brian blanked.

“That is way uncanny,” Nick agreed.

“Exactly,” Kevin murmured, tapping his bottom lip with his index finger.

“What the Hell are you four shitting about?” AJ blurted with frustration.

“That woman in the picture looks exactly like Anael!” the four screeched in the same manner. Anael jumped at the surprised look on her sister’s face. Celeste’s eyes went wide as she compared Anael with the photograph. A deadly blush crept against Anael’s cheeks. She wanted to reach out and comfort the child, but did nothing.

“What was your sister’s name?” Brian inquired.

“Anael,” Celeste whispered, “She died a year ago…on the day of her birthday.”

“I’m sorry, Celeste,” Brian whispered.

“What is your name?” Celeste asked, glancing at Anael.

“A”Grace-Anne,” Anael replied with a fluster of emotions.

AJ growled as he snatched the photograph from Celeste’s hands. He glanced at the photograph, and then at Anael. She thought that her heart might stop suddenly. Celeste whimpered, causing AJ to jump out of his trance. He scowled at Anael. “She looks nothing like that photograph!” AJ grunted, thrusting the picture back at Celeste. “Don’t even think about it, darling. I can make you feel better. Do you want to go back to my ro””

“Leave her alone! She’s only fifteen!” Anael screeched, unable to contain her emotions any longer. Everyone grew deathly quiet.

“How did you know?” Celeste murmured in awe.

“Lucky guess,” Anael lied with a faint blush.

“CELESTE! CHILD! WHERE ARE YOU?” a voice called out loudly against the silence of the room. Anael’s face flushed with relief, recognizing the voice as their mother’s. Celeste’s eyes lit up with surprise. “CELESTE!”

“That’s my mom, I really have to go. Thanks for meeting with me,” Celeste thanked.

“Are you sure you have to go?” AJ frowned.

“It’s her mother, J,” Howie warned.

“Well, let me get your number and I’ll give you our numbers?” AJ suggested. He grabbed her poster and quickly scribbled his name upon it. He then handed it toward the other members. AJ wrapped his arms comfortably around Celeste’s shoulders, leading her to find her mother. The boys signed the poster and hurriedly followed.

Anael stood there in complete silence. She watched as Celeste slipped the aged photograph into her back jean pocket. The soft reminders of Celeste’s light sapphire eyes made Anael’s emotions drown with guilt. The picture concealed in Celeste’s heart was slowly fading like the image on the ripping paper. Anael felt extremely depressed as she imagined herself as the photograph. She was nothing more than an image fading from the world.