✅ My Sister's Problem

12. Compromise

"I said okay!" I looked up when I heard Lindy yell. I'd been catching the latest episode of Redux on the big TV in the lounge, while Mum wasn't watching anything today. She'd gone out again after dinner, saying that she needed to pick up a few things from the shops. Her bags were a bit bulky when she came back; I wondered if those were the diapers, which would explain why I hadn't been able to find any earlier. Presumably wherever they'd been during the day hadn't been the right place to buy those.

I knew I was being lazy. I just sprawled on the sofa, watching whatever the TV had picked to show me next. But after the day I'd had, my whole body ached and I felt I deserved a little break. Now quite a few minutes had passed, and I wasn't sure what they might be arguing about. But I figured it would be better to stay here for now, and not intrude on anything that should remain private. It was hard to restrain my curiosity, and several times I stood up, wondered if it was okay to go to my room, and then decided to fix myself a snack or a drink instead. Once I actually considered going to further hone my basketball skills, but a twinge from my legs reminded me why that might be a really bad idea now.

Once I was back in my room there was homework to do, always more than Iexpected, as well as the usual grind of social media and all the messages I had to keep up with. Sometimes it made me wonder if it wouldn't be better to take a break occasionally, and not have to know everything that was going on in the world. My arms were almost as still as my legs, and protested against being asked to type. But I could whip them into shape and get all my work done.

I was tempted to keep snacking, but I knew that wouldn't be a good idea. I wasn't vain or anything, but I needed to stay in shape if I was going to stay on the team. I didn't even think about what guys might be attracted to, or whether my neighbour might notice if I started to gain weight. After food crossed my mind for the fifth time, I knew I needed to find something to take my mind off it. And in a moment of weakness, I thought about the pacifier in my drawer. If I was sucking on something, I couldn't eat. Right? It would be like some hard candy that never dissolved, giving the sensations of snacking without actually containing any calories. I knew it wasn't the best logic in the world, but it worked. Once I was sucking on the thing, it was so much easier to focus on the screen, and not on the pointless demands of my body. Twice I snatched it out of my mouth when I heard a creak that might have been somebody walking quietly on the landing outside. But I knew it was unlikely that Mum or Lindy would come in without asking. I should try to be less paranoid, too.

I still hid it carefully away, in a box at the back of the drawer, when I was ready to stand up again. It was late, but I thought that my overworked muscles would really appreciate a soak in the bath. So I grabbed my pyjamas, a couple of my fluffiest towels, and a bath boat filled with soap, shampoo, and conditioner. It was a perfect opportunity to relax, and I even managed to ignore anything that might have been a conversation between my family. I told myself it was none of my business, and that was something I could believe.

It was when I was crossing the landing back to my room, most of my attention on the towel I was wrapping around my hair, that I became aware of a disturbance in the atmosphere of our peaceful house. Mum was in Lindy's room, I could see her through the door, and standing with one hand on her hip in a sign of frustration.

"Hi Sally. You ready for bed?"

"Yeah," I nodded back. "You seem stressed. Anything I can help with?"

"Just your sister. Doesn't seem to have learned about keeping promises yet."

"Hey, I said I'd wear the thing!" Lindy's voice came out, but I couldn't see her in the room. "You don't need to come check on me. I can do it by myself!"

"But you haven't, have you pumpkin?"

"No, but I don't need to. Stop treating me like a baby!"

"What's up?" I asked, knowing that I shouldn't interfere in an ongoing debate, but unable to stop myself.