One step at a time

4

Bradly Newman

I had mixed feelings when it came to my sister, I loved her dearly, more than anyone in my life. We were twins she was my other half, better half I was a better person when she was around. 2 years that's how long she took from me 2 years is what she stole from me but it was more than how long she was gone it was so much more. She took away my choices, she took away everything the day she left. We all thought it was from a broken heart oh how we were all so wrong yet nobody knew this just me. Looking over at James we had been close until he choice to belittle my sister I had told him many times not to pursue her but he didn't want to listen he was my best friend at that time. James had been watching Lissa all day I knew he felt bad about what he did, he watched as Blake and myself fell apart. Lissa doesn't realize how many people she broke when she decided to leave. That was the truth she may have thought her sickness would have broken me the truth was she did she broke me I haven't been the same since she left but she wouldn't know that like I said she left.

I spotted Blake across the room he was another one who couldn't take his eyes off Lissa he had been watching her all day I doubt that she had realized this she was always so oblivious. I hoped he wouldn't give up on her she needed him more than she let on she tried to pretend she didn't need anyone but she did, she needed support but was too ashamed to ask. As lunch dragged on the angrier I got. "Should we get out of here for the next period" Sam one of my friends had said and right now it sounded like the best thing ever so instead of thinking about my sister I thought about myself as we laughed walking out of the cafeteria the bell ringing just as we left

We had gone to the beach 20 minutes from the school so we had enough time to attend the last period of the school day my parents would understand that I needed a moment to be a teenager I shouldn't have to stop my life to look after my sister and I think she understood that. Ambulance sirens were heard in the distance. "What poor soul got injured" Sam had laughed as they raced by thinking nothing of it we continued to watch the waves and soaked in the sun. "We should have invited Melissa" Melody commented from next to me. "The one thing my sister would never do is skip school" Laughing I looked at the guys. "She's so skinny now you wouldn't think that was the Melissa we grew up with" Brody had said. "What are you talking about you had a crush on her once but wouldn't pursue her because she would give you a bad name" A lot of my friends liked Melissa but her weight was something no one could deal with she was too big and would screw with their social life. They were affected when she left too.

" James is an ass for doing that to her" He was an ass even though he wasn't the direct reason why she left he had somewhat caused it I like to think that if James didn't push her she might've had the courage to tell us what was wrong. I had considered the what if's but at the same time I shouldn't be doing that because she had done what she had done, Is it wrong to be angry at her. "We should head back we've been here for almost 2 hours if we don't leave now we won't make it back in time for the last period" Melody was the wisest one out of all of us. "Yeah, let's head out babe" I put my arm around her shoulder as we made our way to the cars. My phone had a couple of missed calls but I ignored it my parents could wait until I got home.

When we got into school everyone was giving me a weird look. "Is there something I don't know" There was this eerie feeling around sitting at my seat with Melody next to me I shook it off and waited for the teacher? "Last period then our first day is over" I could never remember his name even though he had been my teacher for years he was too preppy for me. "Today we're just going to read the first two chapters of this book which you can do in your own time and once you're finished you can relax" Sitting down in his chair he let everyone pretty much do their own thing this was his normal first-day routine. "What are you doing after school?" Brody asked the group. "Just chill Lissa might want to do something but other than that nothing really" I was still angry at her but I would drop everything for her at the same time I had mixed feelings but I would always be there for her no matter what. "What's it been like since she came back?" Everyone knew that when she left it hurt me and I couldn't wait until she got back but now that she's back I don't know how to act around her. "It's different she's not the same Melissa she changed at that boarding school something happened she so guarded now even with me" I didn't understand why she wanted to lie to everyone but then again I wasn't her.

"Maybe she just needs time to trust you again, James was your best friend maybe she felt like you were somewhat involved remember everyone use to pick on her yourself included" I wasn't proud of some of the things I had said to her but she never took it to heart she knew I was just teasing her right? I didn't mean half the things I had said to her. "Plus it would have been hard to have you as a brother everyone idolized you I even heard people yelling at her telling her to kill herself" I was shocked at the information Brody had just stated I knew people were picking on her but I didn't think it got that bad. "I didn't know I mean I knew people would say things about her but she never told me any of this were we even as close as I thought we were" This information was messing with my head. "She already knew you were ashamed of her she didn't want to push you over the edge" I was not ashamed of her. "She told me that so don't go yelling at me" Brody put his hands up in surrender.

"Can we not sit here and talk about her?" Sierra one of Melody's friends said rolling her eyes. She was one of the people who had picked on Lissa the most when she first started hanging around with us I wanted nothing to do with her but she was Melody's friend so I had to deal with her no matter how much I had disliked her. The bell finally rang indicating the end of the day, I was hungry so I was going straight home.

The house was quiet when I entered. "Lissa" I yelled walking up to her room to find it empty, Did I leave her at school? But we had all the same classes if she was at school she would have been in class. Grabbing my phone I rang my parents the answered quickly, "Do you know where Lissa is she's not home and she wasn't at school" I could hear beeping in the background which was normal because well they worked at the hospital that sound was normal for them. "Where were you after lunch Bradly" The school must have called them. "I went out for lunch and we didn't get back until late sorry I didn't mean for that to happen" I was constantly letting my parents down. "While you were gone with your friends there was an accident at the school" I hung up before she could even finish her sentence.

Speeding to the hospital my head was everywhere, she would be fine. My dad had already texted me her room floor and number knowing where I was going. When I walked in she was hooked up to so many machines her head was bandaged. "She has a concussion and split her head open she lost a lot of blood and will seem drowsy for a couple of days but she's awake now and I would like to keep her here for a couple of days"