Chapter Twenty-Three
Big sis
It took nearly a week before Cindy was through the withdrawal process. I was thrilled to be past that stage because we had so many scream fights my throat was sore. At one point she actually tried to hit me. Me. But when we got past all of the emotion, things became simple. It was strange to have someone with me. I’ve been so used to being a loner, I don’t even know how to handle a person being around me.
“I found a place that served egg and cheese biscuits!” I announced as I held up the bag as evidence.
Cindy came into the room wearing the same white dress I had worn out of Matthew’s out over a week ago. “Hope you don’t mind me wearing this. I kind of got tired of wearing your sweatpants.”
I placed the bag on the table and only took a brief glance at the dress. “No, it’s fine. You can have it. Bad memories.”
She grabbed a sandwich out of paper bag and began unwrapping it. “What kind of memories? It’s a really nice dress. Top brand.”
I pulled some hash browns out and placed them onto a paper plate. She reached across me and snatched one up. “It’s from an ex, I guess.” Pft, Matthew wishes.
Cindy sat on the edge of the table and swung her stick legs like a little child. “David?”
“I have more boyfriends in my past than David.” I took a big gulp of my coffee. “Speaking of past…”
She stopped kicking around and began slowing down on her chewing. We both knew what I was about to say. “I don’t know how you plan on ‘handling’ everything.”
“Well, if you ever want to leave this house again, you’ll just have to trust me. Now feet off the table.”
Cindy slid off the table and gave Buddy a piece of her biscuit. I could tell something was still bothering her by the way she kept looking down at her bare feet. Looking at her now was like looking at an entirely different person from last week. Her hair was braided to the side and the only type of makeup she wore was tinted pink chap stick I had in my purse. The sun bounced off her pale skin; pale from walking the streets at night and sleeping off a hangover during the day. When the sun touched her skin, in the white dress, she looked almost angelic. Her large, hazel eyes weren’t red and sick looking, but instead were bright and shiny. She was someone entirely new, yet I could tell she didn’t feel that way.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked, crashing on the couch and stretching out.
“Huh?” She licked the cheese off her fingertips and grabbed a juice off the table.
“Something is bugging you. Spill.”
She didn’t look at me as she spoke. It was like I was no longer in the room with her. “I keep remembering things. They keep coming back and I can no longer numb them. I just want to numb it all.”
We weren’t quite at the hugging phase yet, not that I really ever have been a hugger. “It gets easier, I swear. It’ll get much better when the target on your forehead goes away.”
She nodded and took a seat in the rocking chair. “…Do you really think you can help me?”
I nodded and smiled confidently. “I’m getting you through this alive, sis. Tonight.”
*****
“You can’t just leave me here!” Cindy shouted, slamming her barefoot against the grassy ground.
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