| published! under the new title MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE | Eden knows she can't love Truman, the boy with the angelic smile and devilish eyes. Why? He's her best friend Katie's older brother, who she strictly promised she'd stay away from.
But when a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
T R U M A N
I was standing in Katie's bedroom, staring out the window that overlooked our backyard when the memory hit.
I was fifteen, and it was one of those summer days when the sun felt like it was in our backyard instead of the sky. Katie and Eden were laying on the grass on their backs. My mom had made them lemonade in these pink cups with twirly straws, and they were sipping them like grow ups. They had stuck the hose on a tree branch so the water rained down on them.
"Impressive," I said, using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
"Eden's idea," Katie said. Her voice sounded far away, hidden behind the summer haze.
I waited for Eden to turn and look at me like she always did. But she continued to stare up at the sky, kicking her toes through the air.
"Tru," Katie called again, "go get us some more tea."
I stood underneath the hose, shaking my hair through the water. "Get it yourself."
"We're tanning."
"Tanning?" I laughed. "You look like two lobsters." Katie was burnt, but Eden was golden.
"I'm telling Mom!" Katie whined, stomping back inside through the patio door. I stared at it for a second, then took her spot beside Eden.
"Hey," I said. I couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses. When she didn't answer, I poked her stomach. "I know you're not sleeping."
"Katie told me not to talk to you," Eden said. She pushed her sunglasses into her hair, then turned those eyes on me.
"She's scared you'll like me better than her."
She rolled her eyes, then put her sunglasses back on. "That's impossible," she said. "Katie's my best friend. See"—she stuck her hand into my face—"she painted my nails orange to match hers. It's her favourite nail polish. She doesn't share it with anyone."
Then the patio door opened, and Katie walked out holding two cups. "Truman!" she yelled, marching over to us, tea spilling down her arms. "Leave Eden alone, weirdo, and get off my towel." Eden was giggling as Katie kicked me over, then laid back down. "Aren't you going back inside now?" she asked, glaring.
I remembered standing there, waiting. I didn't know what for. Maybe for Eden to say something. Maybe for my sister to stop controlling her. Nothing happened, so I walked back inside. And when I turned to close the door, Eden's glasses were off. Her eyes were on me, waiting.
"Sorry," she mouthed before turning back to Katie. I shut the door and, when my back was to them, I smiled to myself.
A car alarm went off outside, and the memory was gone as quickly as it came. Being back in this house brought back too many of them. And they were all of Katie and Eden. I didn't have many memories of my sister without Eden. She was like her shadow.
