Sister Dearest

Chapter 4 - A Zeal of Zebras

Elody sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day.

"Can't you just take me home?" She asked.

Lisa unlocked the car, getting in the front. "I can, but I have to say I'm surprised you're not giving in to a nice frozen treat."

Elody gave her a look. "It's January... are they even open?"

"Yep," Lisa nodded. "I know how to google things."

Hesitantly, Elody walked around the back of the car to get into the backseat. She spotted a cacophony of bumper stickers, reading things like "I <3 WEIMARANERS," and "Honk If You're Feeling Funky!"

Elody slid into the backseat as Lisa started the car.

"Do you like the new interior?" Lisa asked, looking back at Elody in the rearview mirror. "Much better than the old ratty guts of this beast."

"I haven't been in this car in years," Elody replied flatly. "I wouldn't know."

"Well, I think it's better." Lisa mumbled.

Elody could tell Lisa was desperate for conversation with her, but she wasn't feeling very chatty at the moment. She was happy that the drive to Mo's Fro-Yo from the school was only a few minutes long.

They stood in a quick moving yet surprisingly long line for frozen yogurt in the winter, despite the unusually tepid weather.

"Two banana split cups, thank you," Lisa said when they got up to the window.

Elody nudged her. "I can order for myself, you know."

"Were you going to get the banana flavor?" Lisa raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, yes," Elody admitted,

Lisa grinned. "Knew it."

The woman in the window handed two cups of yellow frozen yogurt to Elody while Lisa paid. They walked over to the park area behind Mo's and sat down at a picnic table.

Elody swirled the frozen yogurt around, occasionally taking a bite, as Lisa dug in to hers. She had to admit, banana was her favorite flavor of anything- as a kid, she would beg for banana flavored toothpaste. Looking back, it made Elody a little queasy.

Lisa finished her frozen yogurt in minutes, with Elody still chipping away at hers.

"You gonna finish that?" Lisa asked, gesturing towards her cup.

Elody gave her a strained look, scooting the cup of frozen yogurt over to Lisa, who huffed and shoved it back, clearly only wanting to prompt her to participate in conversation. Elody let the silence go on for a few moments longer before feeling the need to be honest.

"This is weird," Elody said.

"You're right," Lisa replied, hugging her sides. "It is. But I want you to know that I'm here for you."

Elody snorted. "Like you've been for the last seventeen years? You abandoned me."

Lisa looked hurt. "Deedee... that's not what happened."

"Then what did happen?" She asked.

Elody had been under the impression that Lisa abandoned her. What if she found out I was autistic and made her choice then? Elody thought. Gigi and Pop love me, but even they messed up big time when they didn't understand autism... but that was in the past. She shook the thought away.

"I promise, I'll tell you anything you want to know." Lisa said. "Just ask, and I'll tell you. Granted, I did try to tell you, but you rode off into the night."