This Road Called Life (Red Band Society)

The Truth

"Caterina," Nurse Brittany knocked on the door, "Weigh-day!" Caterina thought about saying she didn't feel good, but decided to just go. "I'll be there in a second. I just have to connect my oxygen tank to my cannula."

"Okay, hurry up though." Once Brittany left Caterina drank two water bottles, which she kept in her draw. She put on bulky clothes and put her hair up in messy bun. Caterina put her oxygen tank on a cart, and rolled it behind her to the weighing scale. "Ready?" Nurse Brittany said. "Ready as I'll ever be." Caterina said as she closed her eyes and stepped on the scale.

"Step off, now." Caterina was nervous that all the water she drank and extra bulky clothes wasn't enough for one pound. "You gained one pound! I'm so proud of you!" Brittany said as she gave Caterina a big hug. Leo was walking by just as she said this and was puzzled. "That's impossible." Leo said as he walked by.

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Months passed and Caterina hadn't gained a pound. She was gathering up pills that she was supposed to take for her lungs and was storing tem in her bathroom cupboard. For her weigh-ins, she faked her weight gain. Caterina was still cutting, rocking, and crying herself to sleep each night. So, all the time, her arms were covered with white gauze. Jordi had been checking in on her occasionally. They watched movies together and Jordi sang to her on some nights. One night before he left to go back to his room Caterina said, "Jordi, I need to tell you something."

"Anything." Jordi said calmly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "A while ago, when I was born, my parents weren't married anymore. My father left my mother in Mexico, where my parents both lived. When my dad moved to California to start his acting career, he went back to Mexico to visit my mom. My mom then became pregnant with me without my older brother knowing. When the divorce became official, My dad took custody of me, and my mom of my brother. I never met my brother or my mother. Now, when I came to Ocean Park, my dad told me about my family. He said my brother was here getting treatment for cancer."

"Who is he? Maybe I know him."

"You do. His name is Jordi, Jordi Palacios. And my name is Caterina. Caterina Grace Palacios."

"Caterina, that's not true, that's not possible."

"Jordi, I'm your sister."