My Sister's Keeper

Chapter 2

She ran as fast as she could being blinded by tears. She heard footsteps behind her getting closer and then Josie’s voice telling her to wait. She whipped her head around and saw Josie looking as if she was about to cry too.

“Nora I am so sorry that you had to find out like this. I would have called you yesterday, but I didn’t know that you were home. I tried to call your room in the hospital so many times to talk but you never picked up. I know that you blame me for your sister disappearing and for that I am so sorry. But I can’t live with myself if you thought we couldn’t still be friends.”

“I should have never taken Isla to Gideon’s party. I knew it was a bad idea, but you talked me into it. I have had all summer to accept that if we had just stayed home like dad said then Isla would still be here and none of this would have happened. But we didn’t, we went with you because you convinced us that dad was just being uptight and nothing would happen. But guess what, something did in fact happen and now I have no sister. No team. No body.”

“I am so sorry Nora. So so sorry. I miss Isla so much. But how were we to predict what happened? I mean honestly?”

“I don’t know. I don’t mean to make you take the blame, but God Josie I can’t even look at you without seeing Isla’s face. So right now, for my sanity, please. Please leave me alone.” she said the last part in barely a whisper.

Josie started to plead for Nora to understand. Tears passing between the two girls. But Nora slammed her car door and drove away cutting Josie off.

***

Nora pulled into Cotts State Park. She needed to clear her head, so she got out of the car and started the hike to the Lookout. The Lookout is a 3-mile hiking trail that has gorgeous waterfalls, caves so big that you can camp in them, and at the end a swing that sits on a cliff that overlooks all of Cotts County. It is hers and Isla’s favorite spot and she hadn’t been out here since her sister’s disappearance. She sat on the swing and looked over the scenery. It was so beautiful. She closed her eyes and heard the little creek that can be seen between the rocks down below. She breathed in the scent of pine and lavender.

Feeling a calm wash over her, she decided to talk to her sister.

“Hey sis, I know that if you were here, you would tell me to forgive myself. But surprise I can’t. I miss hearing you ramble on about gossip and makeup and cheer. oh, and speaking of cheer. Guess what? They abandoned us. They swapped me out for Sophia. Yeah, freaking Sophia Benchetti. And then they put Kathrine Vanderbilt and Sadie Johnson in the other spots. Then, told me that I could try for junior varsity. I know, I know. You would probably tell me to forgive them too. That me and you were gone this summer, and they had to fill the spots. But again, I just can’t forgive them. Josie didn’t even tell me, either. Though, I realize she didn’t know that I was home, and I hadn’t answered any of her calls from the hospital, but still. Oh, let me be mad at her, would you? I can feel you judging me from here. From ya know, wherever you are. I miss you so much Isla. Your room is the same, everything is where you left it and looks as perfect as ever. I can feel you rolling your eyes at me. Isla you have to be ok, you just have to be. Life without you is not any life at all and I don’t want to live it without you in it either.” The wind just happened to brush past her, and she felt a peace overtake her.

She started to cry for the life her sister was missing. She took one last look over the rocks and saw some birds fly up into the sky. For some reason she felt like she could go to school tomorrow and give it another go. For her sister and the life that she isn’t able to have.

***

She drove home and saw her dad’s dodge pickup truck in the driveway. She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She did not want to converse with her dad just now. He was not the type for a pep talk. She thought he would still be at the fire department finishing his shift, weird.

“Hey Elenora, I thought I would come home early today.”

“Why?”

“Well honey, we haven’t really gotten to talk since you came home last night. You ate dinner in your room and went to sleep. I was worried about you.”

“I am fine honest. I was just exhausted yesterday from the car ride home. That’s all.”

“Ok, well I made your favorite today, tacos.”

Silence

“How was school?”

“Oh, you know, the team replaced me and Is…” cleared her throat and continued “replaced us on varsity. I saw Josie and I left.”

“Wait you left school? Did you even go in the doors?”

“No dad I didn’t. I left. I wanted to be alone to think.”

“You can’t just leave by yourself, what if something happened?”

“You mean like what happened with Isla?” With that she stomped upstairs and slammed her door.

Whilst in her room the rage that had overtook her in the kitchen had eventually subsided a bit and replaced with guilt. Deep down she knew that her dad was trying his best and she wasn’t making this any easier. To be honest she wasn’t used to all the attention her dad was suddenly bombarding her with. She was used to solitude and privacy, but now it felt like her dad was trying to suffocate her. She plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes.

It’s dark, the subtle glow of the blazing bonfire was the only light illuminating the night. Even though Nora was reluctant to attend at first, she had to admit that having a night of debauchery was liberating. She was starting to appreciate Josie for talking them into coming. Nora was standing with Josie and Isla drinking from their red solo cups and laughing. Josie had said that Remi had tried and utterly failed miserably to ask her out. As if summoned by his name Remi with Ezra in tow had come from the tree line to ask Nora and Josie to go down to the docks with them. Nora looked over to Isla who was in an intense conversation with Delilah. Nora said that she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her sister alone, but Josie had told her that Isla was old enough to take care of herself and that she should stop hovering over her all the time. Hesitantly and sighing within herself because deep down she knew she was right she agreed to accompany them down to the dock. She took one last look at her sister laughing with her friends, not realizing it would be the last time she would see her.

And then Nora awoke screaming, “No don’t go.”

She woke in a puddle of sweat. Her dad came barreling in through the door.

“Elenora, are you OK honey? I heard you screaming.” he plopped down on the edge of the bed next to her and pushed her sweaty hair back from her face.

“Yeah, dad I’m fine, I’m sorry, I just had a bad dream.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Confused Nora looked at her dad, “Why the sudden interest in me?”

A look of hurt and concern formed on her dad’s face, “because I love you, Elenora. You are my daughter, and I worry for you.”

“You were never concerned for me before Isla went missing.”

“Yes, I was Elenora. I am always concerned for you and Isla.”

“You never seemed it before. Isla was always your pick. I am the spare, second best. You never cared about me before, why now?”

“How could you think that? I always have to worry about Isla. I never have to worry about you. You have a good head on your shoulders. Isla is too trusting and sweet. I have to give her more attention to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.” Tears were forming behind both of their eyes. “But I failed. I took that extra shift at work when I didn’t have to. I should have stayed home and look what happened Nora. She is gone. My baby is gone. and it's all my fault.”

“Oh daddy, it isn’t your fault. It’s mine. You told us not to go to that party, and we did anyways. Josie talked us into it. I went into the woods with my friends and left Isla vulnerable and now she is gone. I had one job, to keep her safe. I failed daddy, not you. I failed you and her that night.”

“Oh, Nor Bear, it is not your fault honey. You haven’t failed us. I guess it could have happened to anyone. We will find her. We just have to keep our hopes up that the police department know what they are doing.”

She gave her dad a big hug and said, “I love you daddy.” and he squeezed her in return and said, “I love you too Nor Bear.”

Her dad left the room and Nora feeling like her head was ten times heavier had laid her head on the pillow and fell right to sleep. And as she drifted off, she had no other dreams that night.