Sixteen-year-old Yasmine Emori Sanders was getting ready to start at a new high school. She recently moved in with her sister Charlie after her mother's death. The death ultimately took a toll on her. She didn't eat or sleep for weeks. Her mother wa...
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October 5th, 2024
Yasmine stepped quietly into the hospital room, her heart heavy with worry. Charlie laying flat on the bed, pale and fragile, her eyes half-open. Tubes and machines surrounded her, a constant reminder of how serious this was.
"Charlie," Yasmine whispered, approaching the bed.
Charlie stirred slightly, her eyes focusing on her sister. "What happened?" Her voice was weak, but her tone had a sharp edge to it.
"You had a stroke, Charlie." Yasmine's voice cracked. The doctor said it was because of all the drinking."
Charlie frowned, her gaze hardening. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I know exactly what I'm talking about!" Yasmine shot back, her voice rising. "You've been drinking non-stop, Charlie!" This happened because of that, and you're acting like it's no big deal!"
Charlie scoffed, shifting in the bed. "You don't get it. You think you can just come in here and fix everything? You think this is easy for me?"
"I never said it was easy!" Yasmine snapped, her anger boiling over. "But you don't care! You're throwing your life away! And what am I supposed to do? Just sit around and watch you die like Mom?"
"Don't you dare bring Mom into this," Charlie growled, her voice low but full with fury. "You don't know how I feel."
"Because you don't let me in!" Yasmine yelled, tears filling her eyes. "You've shut me out for months, Charlie. I'm trying so hard to hold it together, but you don't care about me or yourself!"
There was a long silence, the tension thick between them. Both sisters stared at each other, the weight of their grief and frustration hanging in the air.
"I don't need a lecture from you," Charlie muttered, turning her head away.
Yasmine shook her head, wiping her tears angrily. "You're going to kill yourself, and you don't even care."
Without another word, she stormed out of the room, the door clicking softly behind her. She stood in the hallway, her chest tight with emotion. As she leaned against the wall, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
It was a text from Noah: Wyd?
Yasmine stared at the screen for a moment, her heart still racing from the fight. She hesitated, knowing that Noah was probably the last person she should be talking to right now. But in that moment, the distraction felt needed. She took a deep breath and replied: Just left the hospital. You?
Almost instantly, her phone buzzed with Noah's reply: Damn, hospital? You good?
Yasmine hesitated for second, not wanting to get into the details, but she felt like being honest with him for no reason. Maybe because he was one of the few people she wasn't constantly pretending around.
Yasmine: it's my sister. She had a stroke. I'm just tired of everything, you know?
There was brief pause before Noah's next text came through:
Noah: I'm sorry to hear that. You need to talk?
Yasmine chewed on her bottom lip, feeling a surge of emotions. Noah wasn't someone she expected to confide in, but here he was, asking about her, offering to listen when she felt like no one else would.
Yasmine: Maybe... I just need to get out of here for a bit.
Noah: Say less. You want me to pick you up?
Her fingers hovered over the screen, uncertainty filling her. She knew it was probably wasn't the best idea— getting involved with Noah could only complicate things— but right now, she just wanted to feel like she wasn't drowning in her own problems.
Yasmine: Yeah. I could use that right now.
Noah: Bet. I'll be there in 20.
Yasmine slipped her phone back in her pocket, her heart pounding a little faster now. Part of her felt guilty for leaving Charlie in the hospital like this, but another part of her craved the temporary relief Noah's presence could bring. She wasn't ready to face everything alone tonight.
She sighed, sending Charlie a quick text to let her know she was stepping out for a while before heading out for a while before heading down to the hospital's entrance to wait.
This is SUPERRRRRR short but next chapter will be longer and better guyssss!
