Catchfly: Seeing Stars

Chapter 19: Bigger Than Us

September 16 – 7:55 AM

I wake up to footsteps creaking on my bedroom floor. I rub my eyes. Sienna's on her knees on the carpet, eyes shut. Praying. It must be the first salat of the day.

When she opens her eyes, it doesn't take long before her gaze meets mine. "I'm sorry," She pushes herself off the floor. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, no, it's fine." I yawn, rubbing my eyes once more. It's like I have sand in them. I slept horribly.

"Are you religious?" She asks me. She goes to the other side of the room to fetch the clothes she was wearing yesterday. In daylight, I catch the bruise on her upper arm. It's darkened since yesterday. My stomach cramps together.

"Um, I don't know. I don't think so. Sometimes I believe there's something bigger than us out there."

She nods. "Right. I'm just gonna freshen up." She smiles softly. I watch her disappear into the adjoining bathroom.

"Do you know any Arabic?" I raise my voice so she can hear me.

"Not really," She says. "I know a few basic prayers. But my mother tongue is Turkish. My parents only really started speaking English when I started going to school."

I smile. "That's cool, that you speak another language."

Sienna comes out in her clothes. I frown. "Why are you getting dressed? It's so early." I stretch myself.

"I'm going home."

"What?" I fly up. Terrible sleep or not, I'm wide awake now. I kick the blanket off me. "Sen– You can stay here. It's okay. You don't have to go back home."

"I know. But I should at least go see my parents. I think I should explain some things to them. And I don't even have my shoes, I left my phone there..."

I'm urged to tie her to the bed. We didn't get to talk things over last night– we didn't get a chance to discuss what the plan is. She wasn't there when Jace told me: She can't go back there.

"Don't make any rushed decisions. We'll just, we'll get some breakfast first, alright? Talk things over. Why don't you... watch some... Jersey Shore?" I almost trip trying to grab my laptop from my desk.

"Um, I–"

"I'll be right back." I flip open my laptop and twirl my fingers at it, like I just did a magic trick. "Wait here." I smile at her and run out the door.

Mom.

I turn into Usain Bolt flying down the stairs. I barge into the kitchen. My parents are discussing something, but their conversation ends the second their eyes fall on me. Whatever is going on between me and dad right now, Sienna is a bigger question than Jace at the moment.

The events of last night rattle out of me. From the double date to Sienna's text message, to my odd visit to Danny at the precinct, to Sienna's house. Her father. And to Sienna's brisk decision just now to go home.

"And now, I don't know what to do. Or what to even say to her." I say in panic. "Obviously I don't want her to leave. She can't leave."

Dad paces around the kitchen. "Of course she can't leave. That girl is not ever going back to her father."

"Her mom is still with him. I wanted her to come with us, but it was like she was tethered to him."

"We should call someone. The police," Dad suggests. "Or at least social services. The girl's sixteen."

The thought of the police makes red flags pop up in my head, after what Jace told me last night.

"I don't think that's the solution." I say. "I think what she needs right now is safety. She can sleep in my room. We should try to get her mom, too. I'll sleep on the couch."