Learning How to Swim
If You Didn't Notice
Ronald wasn’t shrieking this time. The hallway was dead silent except for the sound of our shoes slicking on the floor as we walked wordlessly. Steven glanced over at me, taking my hand gently in his.
“Take a deep breath for me,” he whispered as he placed his hand on the doorknob. I did as I was told, but I wasn’t any calmer as he pushed it open.
Kara’s eyes met mine the second I stepped in. Her legs were folded under her tiny body as she sat at the table. She looked a little surprised when Steven Quigley followed me in. I glanced back at him and saw that he was taking it all in. His grip tightened on my hand as his eyes darted around the room. I pulled him to the table, making him sit between my mother and I.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” she admitted, pulling her knees to her chest.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked her, forcing a smile. I hadn’t planned on coming actually, but Steven had talked me into it. I, in turn, had forced him to come with me.
She frowned. “We both know you’d rather be at home—or with Quigg elsewhere. He made you come, didn’t he?” She turned to look at him. “I’m shocked that you came to watch the fireworks.”
“Alyssa wanted me to,” he told her, looking at the cheap table in front of him. “I had to.”
“Whatever,” she scoffed. “I don’t care.” She turned to focus back to me. My parents excused themselves to go talk to the nurses. The door closed softly behind them. “Did you kiss yet?” I glanced to Steven, but he kept his eyes glued on my sister. “It doesn’t matter. So this place is just as great as it was the last time. It’s like I’m on vacation! That’s sarcasm, if you didn’t notice.” She scowled at me.
“I didn’t tell them, Kara. You said you stopped, so I didn’t breathe a word!” I hissed in a whisper, not wanting anyone to overhear.
“Well, someone certainly blabbed.”
“But I only told—”
I shut my mouth. Kara’s eyes were on Steven. I shook my head. He wouldn’t do that to me! I glanced over to him...and he looked so guilty.
“You told them,” I murmured, my heart pounding in my chest.
“She could have killed herself,” he tried to justify. “I had to tell them. I told my mother. Kara—”
“Don’t talk like I’m gone already!” she screamed, jumping out of her seat suddenly. She lunged at Steven, knocking him to the floor, the look of pure insanity in her eyes.
That wasn’t my sister—it was methamphetamine. Steven stared up at her calmly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” he told her, getting onto his feet. “You need help.”
“No! You just want me out of the picture! You just want Alyssa to forget me so you can corrupt her head with your lies!” She started screaming them. “You want me gone!”
It wasn’t long before she was dragged off, having clawed Steven’s face. The cut trailed from his upper lip to the middle of his left cheek. I just stood and watched as blood trickled off of his jaw and onto his hoodie. He didn’t seem to care, but then again that jacket already had blood on it anyway.
“How could you?” I asked him, shaking my head.
I could clearly see the face of Kara when she had finally snapped even after she had been dragged away. Her voice kept echoing in my head...
”You want me gone!”
“Take a deep breath for me,” he whispered as he placed his hand on the doorknob. I did as I was told, but I wasn’t any calmer as he pushed it open.
Kara’s eyes met mine the second I stepped in. Her legs were folded under her tiny body as she sat at the table. She looked a little surprised when Steven Quigley followed me in. I glanced back at him and saw that he was taking it all in. His grip tightened on my hand as his eyes darted around the room. I pulled him to the table, making him sit between my mother and I.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” she admitted, pulling her knees to her chest.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked her, forcing a smile. I hadn’t planned on coming actually, but Steven had talked me into it. I, in turn, had forced him to come with me.
She frowned. “We both know you’d rather be at home—or with Quigg elsewhere. He made you come, didn’t he?” She turned to look at him. “I’m shocked that you came to watch the fireworks.”
“Alyssa wanted me to,” he told her, looking at the cheap table in front of him. “I had to.”
“Whatever,” she scoffed. “I don’t care.” She turned to focus back to me. My parents excused themselves to go talk to the nurses. The door closed softly behind them. “Did you kiss yet?” I glanced to Steven, but he kept his eyes glued on my sister. “It doesn’t matter. So this place is just as great as it was the last time. It’s like I’m on vacation! That’s sarcasm, if you didn’t notice.” She scowled at me.
“I didn’t tell them, Kara. You said you stopped, so I didn’t breathe a word!” I hissed in a whisper, not wanting anyone to overhear.
“Well, someone certainly blabbed.”
“But I only told—”
I shut my mouth. Kara’s eyes were on Steven. I shook my head. He wouldn’t do that to me! I glanced over to him...and he looked so guilty.
“You told them,” I murmured, my heart pounding in my chest.
“She could have killed herself,” he tried to justify. “I had to tell them. I told my mother. Kara—”
“Don’t talk like I’m gone already!” she screamed, jumping out of her seat suddenly. She lunged at Steven, knocking him to the floor, the look of pure insanity in her eyes.
That wasn’t my sister—it was methamphetamine. Steven stared up at her calmly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” he told her, getting onto his feet. “You need help.”
“No! You just want me out of the picture! You just want Alyssa to forget me so you can corrupt her head with your lies!” She started screaming them. “You want me gone!”
It wasn’t long before she was dragged off, having clawed Steven’s face. The cut trailed from his upper lip to the middle of his left cheek. I just stood and watched as blood trickled off of his jaw and onto his hoodie. He didn’t seem to care, but then again that jacket already had blood on it anyway.
“How could you?” I asked him, shaking my head.
I could clearly see the face of Kara when she had finally snapped even after she had been dragged away. Her voice kept echoing in my head...
”You want me gone!”