Muted

Chapter 9

When I got home, George was sitting on the couch. "Hey, do you want to go to the hospital." I nodded. I put my backpack down and got Carlie. She was reenacting "The Wizard of Oz." Her dolls were skipping along a pink rug. "Case?" I picked her up. We walked out to the car and I strapped her in. I sat in the passenger seat. We drove in silence to the hospital. When we got there, we went up to his room after going through security. He saw us and clapped his hands. There was color back in his cheeks and I saw a finished food tray next to his bed. "Hi, Sadie! Where's mommy?" "She's working. She really wants to be here but she needs to make money." George answered. Casey looked down. I gave Casey a hug. "Can you put the tv on?" He asked. I nodded and put on cartoons for him. The doctor walked in. "He’s doing much better, although, we can’t break his fever. We need a blood sample to make sure his condition isn’t worsening." A nurse came in with a cart. "Are there needles? I don't like needles." Casey asked. I nodded and gave him my hand. "Yes, there are needles, but we have to do this so you can go home with your sisters." The nurse said and Casey stuck his arm out for the nurse.

Casey got a sticker for being such a brave boy. He was exhausted and we let him sleep. George made dinner for us. I wasn't hungry, like always. "Not hungry, Sadie. You really should eat something." I ate a small salad to make him happy. I really don't want to argue with this man. I needed to get out. 'Why so you can be with Monroe?' I mentally slapped myself for thinking that. 'Can I go out?' I wrote on my whiteboard. "Sure, be back by ten." I nodded and left the house. To be honest, George isn't that bad. I actually like him. He's not too strict or too hard on the kids.

I walked to Monroe's. He saw me coming and met me outside. "Hey, where were you earlier. I wanted to take you to dinner." 'My brother is in the hospital.' I wrote on the board. He hugged me. "Sorry." He said. "It will all be okay." We stayed like this until Riley asked him to pick her up from the school.

Prom was in two weeks. I really didn't want to wear a dress, but Monroe insisted. He was more persistent than usual. We were fighting a lot too, rather he was yelling and I was crying. He was beginning to remind me of him. "Don't make a goddamn sound when I'm gone. I heard one word from you and-." One night, he was trying to get me to eat and started yelling. "Sadie! You're freaking killing me! Just eat the fucking pizza!" I ended up leaving early and went home crying. He apologized for that. He said that it's hard to be in a one voiced relationship, but he didn't end it. He stayed with me. It was very stressful for both of us.

We were trying to decide if we wanted a limo and what to do after prom. He was really stressed out. He was testy and distant. It was a few days before that night. He was defensive all the time and we were fighting nonstop. He wanted me to go to the party and I didn't. I was split on this decision. Little did I know-.

Of course we got a limo. Riley said it was a must for any prom night. I just went along with it all. I nodded and smiled but I was living in constant fear. ‘What if he came back? What would he do? Would he kill me? Or hurt me or worse, would he hurt Monroe?’  I stopped sleeping at night without the help of Mr. Halone's oxy or my Vicodin. I barely ever ate. I only drank water and ate salad. I was not Sadie Dilon, I was his pawn. Apparently, this change was evident. My friends started pointing out my differences. Dan said I was "withdrawn and scrawny." Riley's words were "she's wasting away in her own mind." Hannah offered to buy me lunch everyday. Monroe made sure I got home safely and followed me around to assure himself that I was not going to kill myself, which was annoying, but sweet at the same time. Laine barely said two words to me. They were a lot more focused on me to see her issues. Mentally directing their attention to her didn't work, so I stole Monroe's apple and bit into it. He smiled. "Laine, what's wrong?" Hannah asked. She looked exhausted. "Just fighting with my boyfriend." Riley stood up. "Okay, we all know you're dating a teacher." Laine glared at Hannah. "You lied! You said that you would keep quiet about me and Thomas!" Luckily, we were the only ones outside. "Is that why you looked like a whore the other day?" Dan asked. "Thomas thought that I looked good and mature." "And slutty." Dan added. "Well, Hannah, did you tell them that he loves me? Did you say he proposed to me? If he only wanted me for my body, we would be through by now!" "You're engaged?" Dan asked slowly. "Yes, I am. We are going to get married and have children together." "Why are you fighting?" Riley questioned. "He wants to get married directly after I graduate. I want to wait." I put my head down on the table.

The next thing I knew, I was in the nurse's office. I got up. "Good, you're up. George Metcal is here to take you home." The nurse told me. "Are you feeling better, Sadie?" He asked. "A nice boy brought you here when you weren't waking up. He was concerned about you. He seems like a nice guy." I nodded."He wouldn't leave your side. It was kind of cute and sweet! I wish my ex husband did that, but alas no, hence the ex." I smiled at the young nurse. She was full of energy.

I slept until after dinner. I heard my door squeak. It was Monroe. I pulled my covers over my head. "I have soup for you." I curled up in a ball. He removed my covers. "Sadie, I'm not going to tell George about your eating disorder if you eat this soup. He just thinks you have the flu, not anorexia. Do you really want to be hospitalized for a mental evaluation? They will lock you up." I grabbed the bowl. "You know I care about you. That's why I'm doing this and I rather you eat now instead of later. Hospital food sucks."  I finished the soup while he sat on my bed. He was rubbing my legs. George came in. "I'm going to visit your brother. Since you're sick, you can't see him. I'll tell him you love him." I nodded. George left five minutes later. Monroe didn’t leave.

"Are you feeling better?" I nodded. ‘You’re lying. You’re worried and scared and everything in between.’ He pulled out his laptop. "Do you want to watch a movie?" I shrugged. "I have Netflix. We can pick from there." He opened up Netflix and gave me the laptop. "Pick whatever you want to watch." I looked down the screen and saw that he had a movie saved. I pointed to it  "You want to watch The Lovely Bones?" I nodded. He put it up on the screen. I assumed it was because he liked it. I thought that since he'd been so nice to me, he could watch his favorite movie. That was stupid. I couldn't stand it. It was really close to what happened to me. "We should totally go now, Sadie."  "You're drunk, I'm not going anywhere with you." "I called my brother. He's gonna take us home. We just have to wait in my car." "Oh, okay." We got there and-. I slammed the laptop shut. "Sadie, what's wrong? It didn't really happen. I don't think so at least." I hid under my covers. "Sadie, did something happen to you? Were you raped?" I didn't move a muscle. "Sadie, is that why you cry when I touch you? And that time when I kissed you, you pulled away? Is that why you have scars all over your body? Is that the reason you are mute?" I felt tears running down my face. "Let's watch another movie. Do you like Burlesque?" I wiped my tears and came out from hiding. He played the movie. It was with Christina Aguilera and Cher. I guess it was okay. I just couldn't focus because Monroe was rubbing my back and I just wanted him to stop touching me. I still like him, but he does not know the danger that will come to him if he comes back.