Jessie Franklin was lying out on the grass in the middle of the backyard reading a book when her older brother, Jaime and his friends burst out of the house. "Get out of here." he demanded. "We're gonna play ball."
"I don't have to." she retorted not budging from her spot.
"Come on! Get out!" repeated Jaime angrily.
Jessie looked up from her book and angrily glared at her brother but didn't say anything. Jaime glared back even more angrily. "You're so annoying." he declared furiously, "I wish you weren't my sister,"
Jessie just stared at him for a moment with her mouth open. She thought that was a really mean thing to say. Finally, she stormed into the house. As soon as she left, Jaime and the boys began playing ball like she'd never been there.
When Jessie went in the house, she found her younger sister, Joya. "Hi, Joya, sweetie!" she overenthusiastically greeted her little sister. "I bet you don't wish I wasn't your sister. She took Joya's favorite toy ball off the floor. "Do you want to play?" she asked eagerly.
"Mine!" exclaimed Joya quickly snatching the ball out of her sister's hands and running way.
"Don't you won't to play?" begged Jessie. She chased after Joya and tried to take the ball back so she could throw it to her.
"Go way." said Joya running away and hiding under the table.
Jessie stopped dead in her tracks and stared at her sister. Apparently, Joya didn't want a sister like her either. She ran off to her room and lay down on her bed apparently nobody wanted a sister like her. She closed her eyes tightly and soon drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up, it was late. It was past dinner time. "Why didn't anyone wake me?" she wondered. She went downstairs the whole family was assembled in the living room watching TV. They were smiling and laughing and seemed to be having a great time without her.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't anyone invite me?" Nobody responded. It was as if she wasn't there.
"Can you watch, Joya for me while Dad and I run out to the store?" asked their mother.
"Sure." replied Jaime. He smiled at his little sister and she looked at him adoringly. She picked up her favorite ball and handed it to him.
"Play!" she demanded.
"Okay." he replied. He gently tossed the ball to her and she just barely caught it in her chubby little hands. "Good job, Joya!" he gushed and she beamed.
Jessie frowned. Apparently, nobody needed her. She started running out of the room, but she tripped over one of Joya's toys and went tumbling to the floor. The world went black.
Jessie woke up, and it was light out again. She figured it was the next day, but when she looked at the date on her watch she realized it was still the same day. Maybe, she had only been dreaming but that didn't change the fact that nobody needed her. She wished she'd never been born. She lay down on her bed and tried to go to sleep, but them she heard someone calling her name.
Joya burst into her room closely followed by their mother. Joya handed Jessie a book. "Jessie read." she demanded.
Their mother smiled at Jessie. "She won't take her nap unless you read her a story." she explained.
Now, it was Jessie's turn to smile. "Come on." she said. She scooped up her little sister and put her on the bed next to her. Then, she picked up the book and began reading. Afterwards, Mom picked Joya up to take her to own room for her nap. Joya blew her big sister kisses all the way out the door. Jessie smiled even brighter than before.
Jaime poked his head in the room. "Hey!" he called. "Do you want to play a game of checkers before dinner?" he asked.
"I thought you hated me." said Jessie in surprise.
"Well, you can be kind of annoying sometimes." Jaime replied only half teasing. "But your kind of an okay sister." he admitted.
Jessie smiled at him. "Your kind of an okay brother too." she told him.
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