Beaming Through It All

Chapter Twelve

As Katie got more and more on Jill's nerves, Jill tried to avoid her as often as she could, and she had found out the best way to do this was not to stay in the bathroom for hours or to pretend to sleep, but to go out, leave the house, go somewhere Katie could not find her. At the beginning, she just disappeared all day, and neither me nor Katie nor my mom knew where she was. We could catch a glimpse of her at breakfast, and then she went to school and didn't come back until very late at night. I had no idea where she was going, but I usually heard her entering the house when I was half asleep in my bed, after midnight. She did the same during weekends, although she was probably not going to school but just left the house early in the morning and came back much later. That way Katie could never bother her. I don't know whether this was better than before, or worse, because if we never heard Katie and Jill fight anymore, or at least Katie trying to talk to her, meals without Jill had become a time when, instead of a big silence, I could hear Katie and mom repeat the same discussion over and over again.

'I'm so sorry,' Katie would say, usually half sobbing. 'It's entirely my fault, I shouldn't have come, now I've made things even worse.'

'Don't say that, honey, it's great to have you here. I'm sure she will eventually decide to talk to you. Just give her some time, you know ?'

I always felt like a ghost or something, for they never talked to me and never stopped mentioning Jill in their never-ending conversations.

One night, to everyone's great surprise, Jill showed up at seven o'clock. My mom and Katie were in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, and I was in my room, practicing for the cheerleading trials. I heard the door open, and assumed it was Katie or my mom taking the trash outside or something, but then there was a big shriek.

'Jill !'

I stopped moving and opened my bedroom door to listen to what was coming next. She couldn't be here, it was impossible. But then I heard her voice very clearly from the hall.

'Please, I'm not here to hug you or anything. Move !'

I tiptoed to the stairs, where I had a great view of what was going on on the first floor. Sure enough, Katie had just ran to Jill, who had pushed her away. Katie was now standing one or two meters from her, probably crying again.

'All right, that's it,' my mom said, getting closer to Jill. 'You're under my responsibility, and I've tolerated your disappearances for days, but I won't accept it anymore. Especially considering the way you treat your aunt. You owe her respect, you know.'

'Drew, it's okay, I don't blame her...' Katie mumbled.

Jill seemed untouched by the situation, for she said :

'Where is Jen ?'

There was a silence, and I saw my mom pointing to my room, upstairs. Jill went past them and towards the stairs, and I thought it would be weird if she saw me there in the dark, spying on them, so I went down the stairs in the most casual way I could think of.

'Hey, Jen,' Jill said. 'Do you mind if we talk for a second ?'

I shook my head, and we both headed to my room. When the door was closed behind us, Jill hugged me.

'I'm so sorry,' she said. 'I want to make it up to you'.

I gave her a surprised look, and she pursed her lips.

'I may not have answered, but I read all your texts.'

I had sent her angry text messages during the past few days, blaming her for leaving the house like that and leaving me alone with Katie and our mom. I had no idea she would take it so seriously.