What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

"So, who was that girl that wesaw you with?" my Mom asked me after we sat down at a booth in P.F.Changs. I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Mom, she's just my friend's new room mate. I was keeping her company while she was waiting for him." I told her.

"Ooh...Ty-Ty's got a girlfriend!" my soon to be seventeen year old sister Candace squealed.

"I do NOT havea girlfriend!" I shouted, getting a few stares from some of the other people that were sitting around us.

"Why didn't she have an arm?" my innocent eleven year old sister Cassidy asked as she took a sip of her water that was just brought to her.

"She said something about a car accident and then having it amputated." I said.

"Oh my, how awful! The poor girl!" my mother exclaimed.

"Yeah...I guess." I muttered, taking a sip of my coke. The conversation was soon changed to my family's life back home, but my mind couldn't help but continously wander back to the girl with no arm.

"Ty...are you awake?" A small voice said from my bedroom door. Barely awake, I groggily rolled over and said,

"I am now." The owner of the voice walked in .

"What's going on Candace?" I asked, sitting up in my bed as my younger crawled in next to me. I slid my arm around her as she curled up against my chest. When she doesn't say anything, I say again,

"C'mon Candy, what's going on?"

"Promise you won't hate me?" She whispers.

"I could never hate you Candace, you're my little sister. Sure, I think that you act like a bitch sometimes," She lets out a small laugh. "But, you're my sister and I'll always love you."

"Not after this you won't." the sixteen year old muttered. All these horrible scenerios popped into my head as I told her

"Try me."

"Well, I slept with TJ while I was completely wasted at a party last month and now I'm a week late." She said bluntly as she played with the string friendship bracelett on her right wrist that hadn't been removed since the day that it was put there by her best friend Brendan.

"You're fucking kidding me right? That's a joke right? Candy, please tell me that you are lying." I pleaded, wishing that what I was hearing wasn't true.

"I wish it was a joke Ty, I wish it was..." It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was now crying.

"How could you sleep with TJ, Candace? He's my best friend!" I exclaimed, trying to remain as calm as possible, not wanting to over react and have a fall out with my sister like Adam did with Leah.

"I'm sorry Tyler! I was drunk! I don't even remember doing it with him! All I remember is waking up naked next to him the next day." Candace cried.

"Please tell me that he didn't take advantage of you? That you were both drunk and that he doesn't remember it either?" I pleaded, knowing that if the answer wasn't what I wanted to hear, best friend or not, I would kill TJ.
"I-I don't think he was Ty." She muttered. My grip on her tightened as I asked,

"And why do you think that?"

"Because when he saw that I was awake he told me I wasn't as good as he thought I would be and getting me drunk was a mistake." Candace sobbed.

"I'm gonna kill him. I swear I'm gonna hunt him down and kill him." I growled, the over protective side of me coming out. Candace says nothing as she sobbed into my chest.

"Do Mom and Dad know?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

"You're the only one." She muttered.

"Candace you have to tell them!" I groan, knowing that if my parents found out that I knew before they did I would be in deep shit.

"NO Tyler! I can't and YOU can't tell them!" Candace exclaimed, pulling away from my chest.

"And why not? Candy, they have a right to know!" I inquired.

"Because I might not even be pregnant! And if I'm not, then what's the deal if everyone finds out? Please don't tell anyone Tyler, please?"

Just how she said it made me crack. I was pretty much putty in her manipulative hands and she knew it.

"Alright, alright. But, if you are pregnant, then you HAVE to tell Mom and Dad ASAP. Understand?" I compromise. Candace leans back against my chest and nods.

"Thanks Ty, you're the best." She whispers. I roll my eyes and say,

"Yeah, yeah I know. Now either stay here and shut up and let me go to sleep. or, you go back to your own room and do whatever the hell you want." I say, leaning back against my pillows and pulling the sheets around my bare chest.

"Shutting up now." She says as she snuggles closer to me. Shaking my head, I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, I would not be getting any sleep tonight. No way, not with new like this floating around in my head...