Some People Stay

Bridget sat in her living room, wondering what was going on between Jonathan and Amelia. She knew they were becoming close, closer than she had ever expected them to be. But, she didn’t know if they were becoming too close, if they were beginning a relationship or what. She hadn’t talked to Jonathan since they had had their fight a couple days ago, and she wasn’t planning on doing it anytime soon. He had hurt her by keeping whatever he and Amelia talked about to himself. Why couldn’t he clue her in on it? She was trying to help her sister, and he was preventing that.

She hadn’t been able to check on Amelia like she wanted to since her boss had forced her to come back into work. She had called her a couple of times, but Amelia didn’t want to talk too much, so the conversation mainly consisted of Bridget begging her to talk to her, and Amelia just saying she was “fine.”

She had tried calling Bridget just a few minutes ago, but she hadn’t picked up her phone. She wasn’t sure if she was ignoring her or if she was busy. And, to add on to that, Jonathan wasn’t there either, and that only made Bridget wonder if they were together. She had thought about calling Jonathan to see if he would pick up and she could see if he was with Amelia or knew where she was, but Bridget didn’t want to talk to him, so she decided against it, hoping that Amelia would call her soon.

She didn’t have to wonder about the two of them much longer, though, as her front door opened, and the two of them walked inside. Both of them were exceptionally quiet, which worried Bridget a bit. She looked up at them as they walked over to her. Jonathan had his hands in his pockets, and Amelia was picking at her thumbnail, something she did when she was nervous, which only worried Bridget even more. “What’s going on?” she asked them cautiously. She tried to brace herself for what they were going to tell her, but her mind was racing with thoughts of what it could be.

Jonathan looked over at Amelia, waiting on her to say something first, and Bridget’s stomach was doing flip turns as she waited for something to be said. Amelia looked up at Jonathan, wanting him to talk instead, and Bridget couldn’t take it anymore. “Can someone please say something?” she asked impatiently.

“Amelia went to the psychiatrist today,” Jonathan blurted out, getting the conversation started.

Bridget looked at Amelia, who simply stood there, continuing to pick at her thumbnail, not looking Bridget in the eye. “You did?” Bridget asked her. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have gone with you!”

“Jon went with me,” Amelia told her.

“Of course he did,” Bridget mumbled. Amelia either didn’t hear or didn’t care, as she didn’t respond to that. But, Jonathan gave Bridget a look, wondering why she was being like that. “So, why did you decide to go? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a good thing, it’s just, I’ve been trying to get you to go, and you kept saying no,” she explained.

“Jon convinced me,” Amelia gave a vague answer.

Bridget looked over at Jonathan, who was looking down at Amelia, almost protectively. “There’s more,” Bridget said, looking between the two of them, though neither one said anything right away. “What is it?” she asked them.

“Dr. Sullivan wants me to stay with someone,” Amelia said slowly.

“Okay...?” Bridget trailed off, confusedly.

“She thinks I’m harmful to myself if I don’t have someone watching me,” she explained further, but Bridget still didn’t comprehend fully. Jonathan looked down at Amelia, placing one of his hands on her shoulder, encouraging her, and she took a deep breath before finally explaining everything to Bridget. “I had another suicidal moment,” she sighed, not wanting to tell Bridget all of this, but knowing she had no other choice. “And, instead of putting me in some mental institute, she wants me staying with somebody.”

Bridget was speechless. She knew Amelia had had some suicidal thoughts before. That was why she had asked her to go to Dr. Sullivan in the first place. But, she had been put on medication, and as far as Bridget knew, the medicine had been working just fine. But, apparently that was wrong. Was that what Jonathan had been keeping from her? She didn’t know, and that didn’t matter at the moment. Right now, the important thing was Amelia and keeping her safe. “So can I stay here?” Amelia asked her, pulling Bridget out of her thoughts.

“Of course, Amelia!” Bridget told her.

“Well, I think I’m gonna go get some of my stuff, and I’ll be back,” Bridget told her.

“You want some help?” Bridget asked her, giving her a soft smile.

Amelia shook her head. “No, that’s okay, I think Jon’s going to help me, right?” she asked, looking up at Jonathan.

He looked between Bridget and Amelia, feeling helpless. No matter what he said, he was going to end up hurting one sister. “Yeah,” he finally said, looking at Bridget apologetically.

“Okay,” Bridget said quietly, walking up the stairs without another word. She heard the front door close, and she laid down on her bed, trying to stop the tears that were behind her eyes. She hated that Amelia didn’t need her or want her anymore and that she was choosing Jonathan over her. She loved her sister more than anybody on Earth, and the fact that she wanted Jonathan’s help over hers was killing her. She continued laying there, wishing that she could help Amelia, but she was finally starting to realize that maybe the best thing for Amelia was to just let her be and not try to do anything anymore. She hated feeling so helpless, and the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She didn’t even feel like wiping them away, and instead just let them drip down onto her pillow.

A little while later, she heard a knock on her door, and she quickly wiped away her tears before telling whoever it was to come in. She knew there was only two options: Amelia or Jonathan. She wasn’t surprised when she saw Jonathan walk inside. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked her, shutting the door behind him.

She didn’t say anything, simply sitting up in bed, and Jonathan sat down next to her.

“I know you’re upset,” he began.

“What are you talking about? Why would I be upset?” she asked, hoping she could fake how she was really feeling. She didn’t want him to feel sorry for her. This was the first time she had talked to him since she had begun giving him the cold shoulder, and part of her wished she had continued to stay quiet towards him. She knew nothing good was going to come out of this conversation.

“Bridge, you know I know you. I can tell you’ve been crying. Is it because of Amelia’s suicidal moment or that she asked me to go with her instead of you to pack her stuff up?” he asked her. Bridget didn’t want to talk about anything with him, but especially this, so she stayed quiet. “Or both?” Jonathan continued. “Look, don’t take it personally,” he said.

“Don’t take it personally?” Bridget asked, outraged. “How the hell am I not suppose to take it personally? Huh, Jon?” she asked, but Jonathan just stayed quiet, knowing she needed to get all of this out. She needed to yell and scream and just let all of her emotions show. “My own sister is becoming closer to you than she is to me. You know everything about her. And I find out things how much longer later? Huh? When did she have this suicidal moment, Jon? I’m sure you know. I’m sure you’re the one person she told. I mean, you’re the one that got her in to see the psychiatrist. I’ve been trying to do that for how long? And, you just somehow get her to do that? How?” she asked, clearly angry.

“Does it matter how she got to the psychiatrist?” Jonathan asked. “As long as she went? It’s obvious that she needed to go. And, yeah, I’m the one that got her there. But, does that really matter? Bridge, are you really competing against me to help Amelia?” he wondered.

“I’ve always been the one there for her. Always. And, now you just come swooping in and become the superhero? How is that fair, Jon?” she yelled at him.

“Bridge, she’s getting help. She’s staying here with you!”

Bridget crossed her arms across her chest. “No,” she said lowly. “She’s staying here because you are. If you weren’t here, you know damn well that she wouldn’t be here either. For some reason, she’s bonding with you and she trusts you.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” he asked, but he could tell by the look she was giving him that she thought it was. “You know, you used to be that way. You used to trust me. Isn’t that why you asked me to come here? Bridge, what’s going on? Why is it so important to you that you be the one to fix everything. You’re always going to be your sister, she’s always going to love you,” he pointed out.

“I asked you to come here to help me, not to steal my sister away from me.”

“Steal her away?” Jonathan asked, confused. “I’m not stealing her away from you!”

“Oh really?” Bridget asked, narrowing her eyes at him. “Then why does she only talk to you? Why does she come to you when she’s in trouble? Why are you the one that can convince her to go back to the psychiatrist? Why are you number one in her life now?” Bridget waited on an answer, but Jonathan couldn’t seem to find one. “You’re stealing her, Jon. And, it’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry, Bridge,” Jonathan said quietly.

“Get out, please,” Bridget said.

“Bridge,” Jonathan began.

“Get out,” she said more forcefully. When Jonathan tried to protest once again, Bridget had had enough. “Get out of my bedroom!” she yelled loudly, and Jonathan knew better than to try to talk to her again. He slowly began moving towards the door, turning around to look at her one more time. “Get out!” she boomed, grabbing a pillow and whipping it at him, barely missing him when he ducked at the last second. She watched as he left her room, and she laid back down on the bed, screaming into her pillow, all of her energy draining from her. She never would have thought that in the process of trying to help her sister, she would be hurting herself.