- 10.
Jake took me to the closest hospital.
He answered the doctor’s questions: “My
sister was cooking, and she dropped the pot,
so she burned herself.”
t
<
The doctor popped the blisters, gave me a
shot, and said I needed surgery.
Mom and Dad visited me but didn’t mention
the bill.
Mom yelled, “If you didn’t throw up at the
table and ruin Tiffany’s night, she wouldn’t
have burned you!”
“You weren’t raised right.”
“You deserved it.”
Dad said, “You know Tiffany has a bad
temper, why did you try to annoy her?”
“You’re the older sister, why can’t you let
Tiffany have her way?”
く
“We were happy before you came back. Why
are there so many problems now?”
Before they left, Mom warned me.
“Your sister is taking the ACT soon, and if
you call the police, they’ll just tell you to solve
the problem, and it will break our family.”
Jake said, “Tiffany’s about to take a piano
certification test, and you know how
expensive art can be.”
“Her stuff is more important, she needs to
take the test before the ACT.”
“We can take care of your face later when we
have money.”
Г
I looked down. “I know.”
Jake sighed. “Tiffany’s just got a bad temper,
and she was spoiled, but she’s still your
sister.”
With my messed up face, I quietly asked: “Do
you really think she’s ‘pitiful‘?”
Jake looked at the floor.
“I only have two sisters, and if something
happens to one, I don’t want it to happen to
the other.”
That was clear.
I started crying.
The tears ran across my rotting skin.
It hurt.
“You’re trying to stop Tiffany because she
might break the law, not because you don’t
want me to get hurt anymore, right?”
“Why would you say that?” Jake said, “You’re
both my sisters.”
I didn’t stop crying.
“It hurts the same on both sides of your
hand.”
“I just wore Tiffany’s old clothes, and I was
almost naked in front of everyone.”
“My rabbit never hurt anyone. he was so
<
“My dog was really well behaved.”
“I’m well behaved too.”
“I thought you would like me if I was nice.”
Jake said, “It’s just an old dress, a bear, and
a dog.”
“We’re family. We have to understand each
other.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
I put my face and arm near him.
“I’m your real sister, right?”
Jake ran away.
I laughed and cried.
I was the same as my rabbit and dog.
It was time for my “hunt.”
