Learning How to Swim
Trust is so Fickle
“How do I look?” Kara asked me as we walked to the bus stop.
“Great.”
“So where were you really yesterday?”
I sighed, adjusting my backpack. “I was with Steven... I tried to kiss him.”
She stopped, turning to look at me before walking again. “What do you mean, tried? Should I beat him up for you? Because I will.”
“No. It was a mistake anyway,” I told her as we got on the bus.
I glanced to the back seat out of instinct. Steven was sitting there and he smiled when he saw me, waving. I looked away, sitting with Kara.
“Oh. Okay then. Well, I’d do it for you. Know why?” I shrugged and she grinned. “We’re sisters. We have to be able to trust each other. Can I trust you?” I nodded. She smiled. “Good. I need to tell you something. Have you noticed anything different about me?”
Now that I thought about it, she didn’t look so tired anymore. “What did you do?”
“I don’t take the pill that makes me sleepy,” she whispered, looking out the window.
“Kara! You have to take those!” I hissed in a whisper, not believing this.
She scoffed. “I thought you said I could trust you.”
“You can, but this is—”
“Are you going to tattle on me?” she asked, making a face. “Go ahead. I don’t care. Tell mommy that I want to be able to be awake for school. I’m already behind as is!”
“You’ll catch up. You have to—”
“Spare me, Alyssa. I thought I could trust you, but I guess I can’t.”
“No, you can!” I cried out, begging her to keep talking to me.
“In that case, I forgive you.”
I forced a smile, but the ride to school was awkward. All I could think about was the pills she had obviously been pretending to take. I remembered on the walk to the bus when she had stopped by a bush and spat. I thought she had just been spitting like she always had, but I guess she had been spitting out the pills for the past three weeks.
I sat down in history, paying attention as the teacher rambled on about the American Revolution. I felt a small tap on my arm, but I ignored it. He kept at it, but I just pretended he didn’t exist.
A piece of paper slid onto my desk and I glanced down at it out of the corner of my eye.
“I’m sorry, Valentine
—Steven.”
I pushed it to the floor not looking at him. He thought I’d just forgive him for making me feel like a fool?
Well, he had another thing coming.
“Hey, Allie, have you seen your sister?” Lila asked me as I pulled a book out of my locker.
“What do you mean? She came to school,” I told her, closing the contraption.
“I know she came, but she wasn’t in calculus. Or physics. Do you know where she goes?”
“No... I thought she was going to class.”
“Oh. Well, make sure she’s okay, alright? I worry about her, don’t you?”
No, I don’t worry. I’ve never worried about her: she knows how to take care of herself...
Unless she was drowning again.
“Great.”
“So where were you really yesterday?”
I sighed, adjusting my backpack. “I was with Steven... I tried to kiss him.”
She stopped, turning to look at me before walking again. “What do you mean, tried? Should I beat him up for you? Because I will.”
“No. It was a mistake anyway,” I told her as we got on the bus.
I glanced to the back seat out of instinct. Steven was sitting there and he smiled when he saw me, waving. I looked away, sitting with Kara.
“Oh. Okay then. Well, I’d do it for you. Know why?” I shrugged and she grinned. “We’re sisters. We have to be able to trust each other. Can I trust you?” I nodded. She smiled. “Good. I need to tell you something. Have you noticed anything different about me?”
Now that I thought about it, she didn’t look so tired anymore. “What did you do?”
“I don’t take the pill that makes me sleepy,” she whispered, looking out the window.
“Kara! You have to take those!” I hissed in a whisper, not believing this.
She scoffed. “I thought you said I could trust you.”
“You can, but this is—”
“Are you going to tattle on me?” she asked, making a face. “Go ahead. I don’t care. Tell mommy that I want to be able to be awake for school. I’m already behind as is!”
“You’ll catch up. You have to—”
“Spare me, Alyssa. I thought I could trust you, but I guess I can’t.”
“No, you can!” I cried out, begging her to keep talking to me.
“In that case, I forgive you.”
I forced a smile, but the ride to school was awkward. All I could think about was the pills she had obviously been pretending to take. I remembered on the walk to the bus when she had stopped by a bush and spat. I thought she had just been spitting like she always had, but I guess she had been spitting out the pills for the past three weeks.
I sat down in history, paying attention as the teacher rambled on about the American Revolution. I felt a small tap on my arm, but I ignored it. He kept at it, but I just pretended he didn’t exist.
A piece of paper slid onto my desk and I glanced down at it out of the corner of my eye.
“I’m sorry, Valentine
—Steven.”
I pushed it to the floor not looking at him. He thought I’d just forgive him for making me feel like a fool?
Well, he had another thing coming.
“Hey, Allie, have you seen your sister?” Lila asked me as I pulled a book out of my locker.
“What do you mean? She came to school,” I told her, closing the contraption.
“I know she came, but she wasn’t in calculus. Or physics. Do you know where she goes?”
“No... I thought she was going to class.”
“Oh. Well, make sure she’s okay, alright? I worry about her, don’t you?”
No, I don’t worry. I’ve never worried about her: she knows how to take care of herself...
Unless she was drowning again.