reaches forward and grabs my hand. My stomach growls at the thought of food. I haven’t eaten anything in five days, and my body is showing the symptoms. To be honest, I’m not sure how much longer I could have made it.
She leads me to a stool. I place both of my hands on top of the bar. My arms buckle as I put my weight on them when I lift myself up on the barstool. I tuck my hair behind my ears, but it’s not an easy task because my hands are shaking so bad.
Sydney is staring at me. I can’t even imagine how I look right now. It’s been a very long time since I’ve looked in the mirror.
I watch her as she walks to the cabinet and takes a glass out of the cupboard, fills it to the top with water, grabs a banana off the basket, then sets both down in front of me before she turns around and busies herself doing something over by the sink.
It’s taking everything in me right now not to grab the banana and cram it in. Grabbing the banana stem, I shakily break it and peel the skin. Unable to resist, I swallow half in one bite. I chew slowly as I take in the taste. I close my eyes, moaning. I want to cry as I swallow and the food hits my empty stomach that hasn’t had anything this good in a year.
Sydney slides a plate with two sandwiches in front of me. I finish off the banana and then take a huge bite out of the sandwich, the thought of going slow flying out the window. Once I get to the second one, my body rejects the food and I run out of the kitchen to the bathroom I spotted when I walked into the house.
I fall down hard onto my knees in front of the toilet, making my knees sting. After I purge up all the food I just ate, I fall back onto my butt, feeling almost as weak as I did when I first got here.
“Braelyn?”
Looking up, I see Sydney standing beside me holding a wet washing cloth. “Thank you,” I whisper and clean my face, feeling grosser by the second. I bite my lip to try to hold back the tears.
“I was starving, Sydney.” My voice hitches.
“I know,” she whispers and opens the cabinet under the sink, pulling out an unopened toothbrush and placing it on the counter. “I will be in the kitchen. I think we need to talk.” She places her hand on my back. I stiffen.
She leaves the room, and I grab the edge of the bathtub to pull myself up. Groaning at my aching bones, I stumble as I walk over to the sink. I open the toothbrush package and squirt toothpaste onto the brush, then lift my arm to my mouth and brace my other hand on the sink.
After scrubbing my teeth for a good five minutes, I finally join Sydney, who is sitting on the couch, waiting for me. I nervously twist the bottom of my ratty shirt with my hands.
“Come and sit down,” Sydney says and pats the couch. I sit down beside her, tucking my feet under me, wanting to get it over with because this is the first time I have ever told anyone. The hole in my heart is already throbbing.
“Remember the party we went to at the end of finals?” She nods her head. I continue. “I was leaning against a table when this guy came up to me and threw off some major creeper vibes. My worst mistake was, I didn’t keep my eyes on my drink after I set it behind me on the table…” I trail off. Tears roll down my face as I explain what happened to me.
Sydney’s face crumbles as she starts sobbing. Her arms wrap around my shoulder, and she sobs into my neck. Gritting my teeth, I hold everything in me not to cry along with her.
“You will stay here with me.” She rubs my back, and I hold her tighter to me. She may not be my blood, but I love her all the same.
I need to tell her the rest. “Two days ago, he found me. I fought him off and jumped onto a bus before he could catch me.” Then I realize the kind of danger I have put her in. I pull away from her. “I didn’t think. You could be in danger,” I cry and start to stand.
“Let me call my brother. He is a cop,” she halts me and leaves me sitting here.
A minute or so later, she
She leads me to a stool. I place both of my hands on top of the bar. My arms buckle as I put my weight on them when I lift myself up on the barstool. I tuck my hair behind my ears, but it’s not an easy task because my hands are shaking so bad.
Sydney is staring at me. I can’t even imagine how I look right now. It’s been a very long time since I’ve looked in the mirror.
I watch her as she walks to the cabinet and takes a glass out of the cupboard, fills it to the top with water, grabs a banana off the basket, then sets both down in front of me before she turns around and busies herself doing something over by the sink.
It’s taking everything in me right now not to grab the banana and cram it in. Grabbing the banana stem, I shakily break it and peel the skin. Unable to resist, I swallow half in one bite. I chew slowly as I take in the taste. I close my eyes, moaning. I want to cry as I swallow and the food hits my empty stomach that hasn’t had anything this good in a year.
Sydney slides a plate with two sandwiches in front of me. I finish off the banana and then take a huge bite out of the sandwich, the thought of going slow flying out the window. Once I get to the second one, my body rejects the food and I run out of the kitchen to the bathroom I spotted when I walked into the house.
I fall down hard onto my knees in front of the toilet, making my knees sting. After I purge up all the food I just ate, I fall back onto my butt, feeling almost as weak as I did when I first got here.
“Braelyn?”
Looking up, I see Sydney standing beside me holding a wet washing cloth. “Thank you,” I whisper and clean my face, feeling grosser by the second. I bite my lip to try to hold back the tears.
“I was starving, Sydney.” My voice hitches.
“I know,” she whispers and opens the cabinet under the sink, pulling out an unopened toothbrush and placing it on the counter. “I will be in the kitchen. I think we need to talk.” She places her hand on my back. I stiffen.
She leaves the room, and I grab the edge of the bathtub to pull myself up. Groaning at my aching bones, I stumble as I walk over to the sink. I open the toothbrush package and squirt toothpaste onto the brush, then lift my arm to my mouth and brace my other hand on the sink.
After scrubbing my teeth for a good five minutes, I finally join Sydney, who is sitting on the couch, waiting for me. I nervously twist the bottom of my ratty shirt with my hands.
“Come and sit down,” Sydney says and pats the couch. I sit down beside her, tucking my feet under me, wanting to get it over with because this is the first time I have ever told anyone. The hole in my heart is already throbbing.
“Remember the party we went to at the end of finals?” She nods her head. I continue. “I was leaning against a table when this guy came up to me and threw off some major creeper vibes. My worst mistake was, I didn’t keep my eyes on my drink after I set it behind me on the table…” I trail off. Tears roll down my face as I explain what happened to me.
Sydney’s face crumbles as she starts sobbing. Her arms wrap around my shoulder, and she sobs into my neck. Gritting my teeth, I hold everything in me not to cry along with her.
“You will stay here with me.” She rubs my back, and I hold her tighter to me. She may not be my blood, but I love her all the same.
I need to tell her the rest. “Two days ago, he found me. I fought him off and jumped onto a bus before he could catch me.” Then I realize the kind of danger I have put her in. I pull away from her. “I didn’t think. You could be in danger,” I cry and start to stand.
“Let me call my brother. He is a cop,” she halts me and leaves me sitting here.
A minute or so later, she
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