Callie's Sister

Chapter 8

 I paid for it later. When I got home, holy crap, it was like I had crashed Callie’s car myself and dumped her on the side of the road.

“Where the hell have you been?” my mother roared as I opened the door. No chance to even get in the house, she just let it loose. “You left the music blasting and your father had no idea where you where and, silly me, I thought you were so sick you just couldn’t stay and keep your sister company. Miraculous recovery?”

I took a deep breath and walked past her, up the stairs, turning around to say, “I am not coming to that rehab place anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “You need to be there.”

“No,” I said. “I think you have everything under control over there and I’m done.” I continued up to my room, my mother running up right behind me.

“Madeline,” she said, her voice more of a plead than a shout. “We need you now. You can’t do this.” She looked so sad, so determined and there was a part of me that wanted to help her, to be her partner, but I was drowning and I had finally gulped some air.

“Mom, I went out for the first time all summer tonight. And it was fun. I’m not going back to that rehab place. It was disgusting. I don’t know how you stand it.”

“Because I have to stand it. To make your sister better. I thought you wanted that, too, but I guess not.” She walked away from me and went into her bedroom.

That was the last thing she said to me all summer.