Illusion: Destiny Awaits (In Editing)

13 - Christi

"I... I don't know. We've never really talked about it as a family." She looks away. "Mom and Dad never really... they never really want to talk about it. They don't even answer the phone calls from the hospital." I'm starting to feel the anger bubbling up inside of me.

"It's like they don't care," Sabrina whispers, reading my mind.

"Exactly."

"Aren't they making frequent visits to the hospital, though?" Sabrina asks, shaking her head.

"Not sure, usually I'm at school, and I don't know if they've left the house or not..."

Sabrina pats my hand reassuringly. "Well, I'm sure they've been visiting Katy. Why wouldn't they?"

"Can we just not talk about it?" I ask. "I don't want the image of her in a hospital stuck in my mind." Sabrina nods. The door of my bedroom slides open with ease. It's Dad.

"Christi, Mom and I are going out tonight. Dinner's all ready, so you will be eating with Easton and his friend Kase." He nods towards Sabrina. "And Sabrina, if she'd like." Sabrina starts nodding. Dad raises his voice, "If it's all right with your parents." Sabrina scrambles from her spot on my floor, racing to her phone. Within seconds, her fingers are rapidly moving back and forth, hitting the keyboard on her phone's screen.

Dad shakes his head, closing the door and chuckling to himself. I turn to face Sabrina. "You actually want to stay here with Easton and Kase? Unheard of, Sabrina, unheard of!" She shrugs.

"I can't have you running after 'Kase, my boy!' now can I?" she snickers; I glare.

"Now, now, Sabrina! Don't go around talking to me like that!" There's a moment of pause. Then, we erupt into a volcano of laughter once more. Until Mom's voice calls.

"Dinner, girls!" Oh, great.

✦

So I guess it's safe to say, I'm in desperate need of air freshener. Easton stinks (literally), and Kase keeps belching. And to tie it all in, Sabrina is laughing her head off. Me? I'm just sitting here, glaring at them all.

"Hey, cut it out, will y'all?" Kase stares me in the eye.

"Of course." He tidies himself up.

And belches.

I want to scream. Sabrina doubles over in laughter. "Haha! He gotcha Christi!" I scowl. I don't understand. Is Sabrina actually enjoying this, or trying to get on Kase's good side?

"Well," I say through gritted teeth, "that was mighty lovely, now wasn't it?" I brush the remaining crumbs off the table and dump them into the trash can. I tidy up the dinner table. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room." I start walking away. I glance at Sabrina. Then cringe. I know what she's going to do. She lets out an ear-piercing laugh. I pull the courage to grab my hand out of its home in my pocket. My hand goes flying, covering Sabrina's mouth. She bites it. Not hard, but it still hurts. I wince in pain. Finally, when I've got a hold of her, I say, "You, Sabrina Jenna Waller, better shush your big mouth. You're coming with me." I drag her away. She smiles, waving bye to Kase and Easton, still hacking in laughter.

When we get upstairs, I say, "What was that all about?" Sabrina grins, wiping tears from her face.

"Hahaha..." She sighs heavily. "Oh, Christi! Ha! That was—"

"Absolutely disgraceful and putrid. What were you thinking?" I finish for her.

"Hilarious. So much hilariousness. Oh, I can't feel my face anymore." She sighs again, joy taking over her mind.