Learning How to Swim

I hadn’t seen her for weeks. She’d been in Beckham for a month now. I hadn’t been able to see her because my mother told me she was going through a rough patch, but Dad had finally talked her into letting me come. My mother told me not to gawk at her.

And Steven had wished me good luck.

I hadn’t understood why until I walked into that room and saw her. I tried not to stare, but she had only gotten worse. She was even bonier than she had been the last time I saw her! She looked like she was about to fall asleep and standing almost seemed to kill her. She folded her bony legs under her ninety-pound body as she sat at the table. I sat beside her, still trying not to gape. Her blond hair seemed to be falling out, and I swear I could almost see her skull.

“How do I look?” she asked me, her voice nearly given out.

I handed her the sandwich I had crafted at home.

“You look great,” I lied, smiling softly.

When our parents left to give us some alone time, she reached across the table and seized my wrist. “Spare the bullshit!” she hissed at me, holding tighter. Her long nails dug into my skin.

“Kara, you’re hurting me!” I whimpered, trying to tug my arm free.

“You want to know pain? Try spending a month in this Hellhole!” she shrieked, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging herself. “It’s awful here! Why can’t I go home? Why aren’t I home? Aren’t you going to save me? I told you to save me! Save me, Alyssa! Fucking save me!”

She reached out and grabbed the collar of my hoodie, tugging on it as hard as she could. I tried to pry her off, but she held on tight. “Get off, Kara!” I yelled, pulling back. “I can’t breathe!”

“I can’t breathe either!” she screamed, hysterical. “I’m suffocating, Allie! I can’t breathe! I’m drowning, and no one is helping me! The fucking lifeguard is off duty, but I went swimming anyway! I’m being pulled under. And you don’t care!” She let go of me, falling to the floor and letting out a bloodcurdling scream.

I watched in horror as she was dragged away by the workers there. They pulled her into the hall like they’d done to Ronald a month ago. She kicked and screamed, demanding that they put her down. They didn’t, but she just kept screaming.

“Help me, Alyssa! I’m drowning, and I can’t swim!”