Empathy

Chapter Sixteen

The week leading up to Katie's party had me antsy, feeling so stupid. I shouldn't have been feeling what I assumed was anticipation for some high school party, not when my uncle was currently in the Psychiatric Ward of St. Patrick Hospital. I was able to get him admitted a few hours after he came to my house. I drove him there without breaking any laws because I did not want a ticket on my way to the hospital. When he finally got there, the nurses were kind and washed him up. I had called my mom to tell her what happened. She didn't seem to care all that much. Whatever, I just had to let her know where I was and what happened. I finally left the Ward, a few hours after midnight.

And when the night of the party finally came around, it had me feeling remarkably uncomfortable. I was sitting down on my bed, my eyes roaming over the book that laid down on it as well. I can't believe I agreed to do this. Especially with Mickey as sick as he is.

"Aren't you coming?" Gemma asked from my door. I looked up from my book, hardly remembering where I left off. It was a simple young adult novel with a pathetic protagonist who could not be more relatable to me. My sister was putting hooped earrings through the holes in her ears, where they were pierced on her tenth birthday.

"Wait," I said. "Where are you going?"

She had her arms set firmly at her sides. Her brown eyes glared at me, a fiery heat in them. "The party?" she said, a sarcastic tone in her voice.

"You were invited to Katie Byrne's party?" I asked, a note of curiosity in my voice.

Gemma nodded. "Yeah, just about the entirety of Ambrose High was. Why do you sound so surprised that I got invited?" my sister asked me, a hurt tone bleeding into her voice.

I shook my head. "It's not that. I just didn't think freshman were able to even be considered for such a high honor." I could not keep the sarcasm out of my voice no matter how much I tried.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that, Vel?" she asked me, never leaving from her post, which just so happened to be my bedroom door. "Why do you always think I'm never good enough for you to be around you? Does this have anything to do with Dad? I lost Dad, too, you know. You're not the only here who was absolutely crushed by his death. You're not the only one concerned about Mickey."

But you don't act like it still haunts you to this day.

That's where Gemma and I are different. Yes, Dad was also hers, but they weren't close, not like she and Mom are, not like Dad and I were. Dad and Gemma only had one thing in common other than some genetic physical similarities. They would go to as many garage sales as they could every Saturday since my sister was five years old. It was their thing, just like ours was books.

Gemma looked down at her wrist, telling me that she was looking at her watch. She looked back up at me. "Do you have a ride there?" she asked, her voice dead and solemn. I nodded in confirmation. "Aiden?" I shook my head.

"No, Aiden is not the one driving me there. We're meeting up there, though," I explained. "Luna and Peri are picking me up."

Gemma simply nodded, her earrings clinking together, creating a chiming noise. "They're also picking me up to get there."

"Since when were you and my friends friends?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Gemma shrugged her bare shoulders. "Peri and I have talked a lot more lately. She offered and Luna said yes. It all worked out in the end." It was the most simple thing in the world for her to say. Seriously, what the hell? I know Luna and Peri have been hanging around me for as long as I can remember, but Gemma was hardly in that equation.

"Since when?" I asked, hoping to get something out of my sister once and for all.

She just shrugged her shoulders again. "That's not any of your business, sister," Gemma snapped. Ooh, clearly, I struck a nerve in my sister. Huh, it felt like forever since I was able to do that.