the evening younger froze them dead in their tracks

Well, Eldest has been at it again.  It's been a bit roller-coasterish.  (New readers: nasty back-ground found here--each word is a different link.)

On the whole she's doing okay.  It's not normal but it's become my normal, so I don't feel like I'm just operating in survival mode all the time.

Anyhow, this past weekend Eldest had her girlfriend and another friend over.  The two friends disappeared upstairs.  We could hear them laughing and giggling.  It made Eldest more and more upset.  I encouraged her to go join them.  She tried.  She said they were ignoring her.  I don't know; I wasn't there.  I thought the friends were being pretty rude but I also know that Eldest's dramatic tendencies can make things much, much worse.

Eventually, Eldest blew.  This was about the time I picked up pizza to feed everyone.  I called down the friends and Younger for dinner.  When they asked, I explained that Eldest had gone on a walk because she felt she was being ignored.

The two friends sat in the living room eating pizza talking about Eldest.  They tried to engage me in the smack talk.  I commented that Eldest is less than stable these days and we all have to be careful.  But I let Eldest's girlfriend know that I was not getting in the middle and I did not need more drama.  So they apparently decided to just talk amongst themselves about Eldest--referring to her as crazy--as though Younger and I were not standing the kitchen about 20 feet away.  I was hurt and stunned.  I like Eldest's girlfriend, but I sure didn't like how this was looking.  I don't like the other friend.  At all.

Our place...in the style of frozen.

I looked at Younger.  I know pain was written all over my face.  She slammed her pizza down on the counter, walked into the living room and gave them hell.  She told them they were being crappy friends; she told Girlfriend how to solve Eldest's mood.  And then she said, "And for the record, don't sit here and call my sister crazy.  I don't appreciate it."

I was stunned with pride.  That girl has incredible gumption.

Later, after the storm had blown over and all was better, the friends told Eldest of Younger's explosion.  Of how they had been wrong and Younger had set them straight.  They told Eldest that Younger was awesome.  Eldest took off up the stairs to love on her brave little sister.

I stopped in Younger's room later in the evening to let her know that I was proud . . . to tell her she was brave . . . to tell her she did what I hadn't thought to do . . . to tell her, her sister is so lucky to have Younger on her side.

Man.  I love these girls.