The Butterfly Effect

Chapter Six - Dear Sister of Mine

Emily knew her sister as robotic whenever it came to their relationship. Occasionally, Emily would see her with her friends at school. It was the only place she'd ever see Megan happy. It was the only place Emily would see her laugh, genuinely smile, and gaze at her boyfriend like he put the stars in the sky. Emily thought that maybe she wasn't happy because their mom and dad weren't home all the time like normal parents. She could understand how a functional family was the latter instead of being trapped with a supposedly mental sister twenty-four-seven. Not to mention said sister being two years younger than Megan. It's not like Emily could understand what it was like to be a Senior in high school. Emily and Megan didn't have anything common to bond over-not that Megan would be willing to bond in the first place.

When they were little, Megan and Emily did everything together. They watched princess movies, played with Barbies, and dressed up in their mom's clothes. Emily wasn't sure when that ended. Even after Emily's friends at school turned their backs on her, Megan was supportive. Emily didn't think Megan gave up on her until she started to self-harm. Emily could still picture her sister's face when she was the first to discover it. Emily confided in her about the cutting. Megan was shocked and shook Emily with all the force she had. She screamed at her about how could Emily could possibly do that to herself. All Emily could see was betrayal in Megan's eyes. Then she ran off and told their parents. Things weren't the same after that.

"A year of therapy went by," Emily told Divina."Megan and I stopped talking afterward. When we finally spoke again, I knew she hated me. She was pretty clear on that."

"She's still your family. Perhaps there's more to it than you know." She replied.

"Maybe." Emily would have refused the optimism, but after the experience with Jason maybe anything was possible after all.

"Would you like to find out?" Divina waved forth another portal.

Emily received a sense of deja vu. "Might as well."

On the other side of the portal was a hospital room. Emily breathed in the sterile air when she stepped through. The room was a dull peach color. Cream curtains were wide open, allowing the sun to shine in. A heartbeat monitor beeped in the background. Emily whirled to find a hospital bed at the center wall of the room. A girl laid in the bed with her eyes closed. Her chest moved with a steady rise and fall. At the ash blonde hair, Emily knew exactly who she was: Emily's body, and she wasn't the only one in the room. At the side of her bed was an olive toned girl with dark locks. The girl scowled at the bed-ridden version of Emily.

"I hate you for this," Megan seethed. "Do you know how well you had you had it? You never had to be the perfect child! Everything is always about you!"

Emily flinched.

Megan went on, her stare could have been enough to set the body on fire. "Do you have any idea what you did? You took Mom and Dad! Ever since your stunt with cutting it's always about precious little Emily! 'Megan, don't taunt Emily it's not good for her health! Megan, make sure Emily gets her rest!' 'Megan, make sure Emily takes her pills!' Emily, Emily, Emily! The only time they ever talk to me is when it has something to do with you! I'm so sick of it! I'm not your babysitter! I tried so hard to make up for everything!" She raged.

Emily's body laid unresponsive to her words.

Megan's eyes began to water. "Look," her voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." She took a shaky breath. "I'm angry, I'm dizzy, and I'm tired all the time. Bulimia does something to you. People with eating disorders do it for control, but an E.D. is the exact opposite. You become something twisted-a sick version of yourself. I never should have left you alone. This is all my fault." The dam broke and Megan began to weep. She leaned forward and buried her face in the sheets next to my arm. Her body racked with sobs. "I can't lose another person!"