My Sister's Keeper

Chapter 4

Shock was on everyone’s faces as Nora nailed that try-out and landed her last somersault with ease. Then an applause erupted from the stands. She was trying to catch her breath as she spotted Spencer standing and whistling. Everyone came down the bleachers and was giving her praise and hugs. She was just grateful that cheer came to her so easily. She hadn’t even practiced in months. Sophia walked up to her and said, “Well Mandy can she be on your team?”

Mandy looked confused when she said, “My team? She should be leading your team. everyone knows that. Look around.”

Sophia put her hands down to her sides digging her nails into her palms and screamed, “I am captain. Me.”

Everyone stilled around her and Kate said, “She can have my place, I am only a junior I can make varsity next year. She is a senior and obviously deserves it.” Sophia went to argue but everyone was nodding in agreement and Sophia stomped away knowing that if it was called to a vote she would lose anyway.

“Thank you, Kate,” Nora said. Kate just smiled and everyone left except Nora, Josie, Remi, and Spencer. Spencer looked down at Nora and she in turn looked up at him. She felt soothed in the fact that she normally towered over most people with her 5’8 frame but with Spencer she practically had to break her neck to make eye contact. When she met his eyes there was a spark that answered back that undeniable chemistry was oozing off them.

Josie taking note of this invited Nora and Spencer on her date with Remi. Remi went to disagree but when he saw the look that Josie was giving him it was pleading for him to understand. He then nodded and said, “yeah of course, you know, the more the merrier.”

“We wouldn’t want to impo…” Nora was trying to say when Spencer interrupted her with, “Of course we will.” Which stunned Nora into silence, and she just nodded.

“Then its settled,” said Josie beaming.

Nora didn’t even remember the drive home. But somehow, she had ended up in the driveway unscathed, so she wasn’t going to question it. She went into her house and with a new sense of assurance passing over her opened her sister’s bedroom door. Still as pristine as before just as untouched and perfect. She went to her sister’s bedside and laid on her bed.

“Hey sis. I took what I feel your advice would have been and forgave everyone. Me and Josie are back to being besties and it feels like nothing has changed between us. I tried out for JV but ended up to Sophias horror taking Kate’s place back on varsity. Josie is finally giving Remi a shot, however I seemed to have ruined it. She invited me and Spencer James to a double date. Yes, I know THE SPENCER JAMES. What am I going to wear? See these are things I should be saying to you, not to my memory of you. I should be telling you this and you would give me a squealed giggle and hug me and tell me you knew he would come to his senses. You would tell me that we would go shopping Friday after practice and find the perfect outfit. You would help me with my hair and makeup and now I will have to make these decisions by myself. I'll have to do this without you and knowing this makes me feel guilty that I am continuing life without you. I can’t life without you, it’s not fair. I know that if you were here though you would tell me that I deserve to live and that you wouldn’t want me to quit thriving without you. That you forgive me and I know that you would only say that because you knew I needed to hear that to go on without you. Oh, Isla I hope that when you get back you aren't upset with me.”

She was sobbing into her sister’s pillow for what seemed like an eternity and then felt something hard when she placed the pillow back into its former position. She pulled a book out from inside her pillowcase and found that it was Isla’s Diary. “Oh dear, I shouldn’t” she said aloud, but she felt herself pulling open the clasp and reading the last page of the diary anyways against her own will.

May 24

Dear Diary,

I have been invited to Gideon Grey’s infamous END OF THE YEAR PARTY. I had to decline the invitation though seeming like my dad had yelled his disapproval of the party. Josie said that she would try to talk Elenora to take us anyways. Miss Josephine Alexandria Randolph can be quite persuasive she has assured me. Besides Josie doesn’t go anywhere without Elenora and Elenora won’t go anywhere without me, so she must prevail she has said. I will let you know the outcome of her persuasions.

…..

It would seem as though Josie has succeeded in convincing my big sis to attend the party unbeknownst to our father. We will sneak out after he has left for his shift at the fire department around 7 or so. It would also come to my attention that I have acquired a certain very good-looking older senior’s affection. They have asked for me to meet them at the party.

Isla E. Quinn

Nora was left gaping at the diary. “Wait who was the senior she had a thing for?” She now had an objective. Something that could hopefully take her closer to finding her sister. Maybe he knew where she was, or she was with him, and they ran away together. She put the diary back where she found it. She went to sleep that night with so many questions.

Nora and Josie came staggering back up through the woods. Drinks and conversation had been flowing between the group down at the docks and when they made it back up to the party Nora was searching for Isla, but she was nowhere to be found. She saw Delilah and ran to her.

“Where is Isla?”

“Oh um, I seem to have lost track of her. I’m sure she will show up eventually.”

“You are probably right. if you see her, will you let her know that I am probably going to head out. I am starting to get a headache.”

“Of course, be careful getting home.”

As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out. Sleep felt like it just hit her when her dad startled her awake…

“Where is Isla?”

“What do you mean? Is she not home?”

“No, she is not. I am worried its noon and I have not heard anything from her. Where were you guys' last night? I tried to call her, but no one answered.”

“Ok, don’t get mad but we went to Gideon’s party last night.”

“You what?”

“I said don't get mad.”

“We will discuss this after we find your sister.”

“I’ll call some people from the party dad I am sure she is fine. Probably just drunk and passed out somewhere. We will find her.”

After calling everyone she could remember being at the party and no one knowing her whereabouts, panic started to set in.

“Anything?”

“No, dad I tried everyone.”

“I called the hospitals and police stations. None of the hospitals in east TN have anyone matching her description and the police stations say we have to wait 24 hours before we can report her missing and have a search party look for her.”

“I am so sorry dad. I never would have left if I knew she wasn’t coming home.”

“Was there any boys she could have gone home with?”

“She hadn’t told me anything of the sort of dad. I don’t know of anyone she is interested in.”

She woke up in a cold sweat, the reality that her sister has been missing for 3 months setting in. The dread that she may dream every night of her sister and feel the guilt of leaving without her for the rest of her life. The fact that her sister had not told her that she liked a boy was unsettling. They told each other everything. Had Isla felt comfortable enough to tell her then she would have been found by now.