Sisters In Distress

How Long?

She walked in and saw her sitting up in bed.

"I don't need a lecture."

DJ sighed. "I'm not here for that. This is about Stephanie. How long?"

"How long, what? We just met those guys. You saw."

"How long has Stephanie been hurting herself? You know about that, right?"

Gia sighed. "How do you know about that?"

DJ sat down. "The doctor told us, but our dad is in denial. So, how long?"

Gia frowned. "I found out about a month after we became friends."

DJ's jaw dropped. "That was- That was last year."

Gia nodded. "Yeah, well, I told her to stop and she is trying, but-" She gulped. "I don't know if she can."

"You're helping her?"

Gia scoffed. "I know you think I'm a bad influence, but Steph is my best friend, okay? She is the only one that sees any good in me and I- I need that in my life. Sure, I screw up and get Steph in trouble, but she usually helps me get out of trouble and maybe it's the morphine making me tell you all of this, but I don't want anything to happen to her. I don't want Stephanie to die." Gia started crying.

DJ let tears fall from her own eyes. "Neither do I. I'm sorry I thought you were just trouble. I guess I always think it's my job to keep Stephanie out of trouble and when she became friends with you that job became harder, but maybe I haven't been doing the best job. I guess I just got older and busier with my own life and I lost track of my sister."

Gia moved and DJ saw the cast on her left arm. "Look, you can't keep track of her like a dog and you can't keep her out of trouble completely, she tries doing that with me and it just doesn't always work out that way, all you can do is be there when she messes up as much as you're there when she does something good."

DJ gave her a small smile. "Wow, it's good advice."

Gia chuckled. "Don't sound too impressed. I got that advice from Stephanie. She's the best person I've ever met."

DJ nodded. "She is pretty amazing. I can't believe she doesn't know that."

Gia shrugged then she flinched. "Low self esteem is a silent killer."

"So, without sounding judgemental, why didn't you tell me when you found out about this?"

Gia looked directly at DJ, her bruised eye barely open, but she wanted to keep eye contact. "Would you have believed me if I did?" She asked already knowing the answer.

DJ hung her head in shame and sighed. "No."

Gia swallowed hard, her throat was very dry. "So I didn't say anything. I thought that you would think I was just causing trouble, but I want you to know if it got too bad I would have told you, repeatedly, until I got you to believe me. Okay?"

DJ nodded. "Okay. I have to get back to Steph. I'll tell her that you're okay and you'll call her later."

"She's going home?!"

She nodded and stood. "Yeah. Dad is taking her home because the doctors accused her of hurting herself." She sighed.

"But, she is."

"I know, and I think our father knows, but he's in denial." She sighed again.

"I'll call Steph tomorrow when I get home."

"Okay, I'll tell her." DJ said then she walked out.