My younger sister Mandy and I sat on a blanket chatting about the usual things: school, friends, homework, her leukemia. My sister has cancer. She used to have beautiful long blonde hair but now she's got a pageboy haircut that she normally keeps tucked into a hat.
I ask her about one of her homework assignments but she isn't paying attention. She's looking at two girls, one with long, flowing, dark brown hair that touches the ground when she sits down, and the other with shoulder length ,wavy, blonde hair. It takes me a moment to realize who they are, then I recognize them as Mandy's best friends: Mary Kay and Kaitlin.
Soon my sister looks away, but I know she's not happy and it's because they told her they had "homework" to catch up on so they couldn't come to the park. It infuriated me and as soon as I made up my mind to go talk to them my sister put on her jacket and stood, indicating she wanted to leave.
So I fold up the blanket and we head back, me still steaming about Mary Kay and Kaitlin.
When we get home I sit on the couch with Mandy and text my friend Jenna on my iPad.
My sister closes her eyes, leaning against the couch no doubt thinking about her friends.
I look over at her but she is gone. I think she must be down in our room. So I head down to talk to her.
When I come in she is sitting on her bed, eyes clothes, silently crying.
But when I step farther into the room she opens her eyes and wipes her tears away quickly trying to look fine, but I know otherwise. "Mandy..." I say trailing off not being able to think of anything that will cheer her up even the slightest bit.
She pulls her hat down looking away. I just don't know how to to cheer her up so I sigh and sit down on the floor by our bed.
Then I think of how my friends ditched me once because I had just gone through my cancer treatment, they acted like I was contaminated though I had just survived cancer, they didn't seem to care, so I found new friends. I start talking about it and she pulls her hat up looking at me now.
When I finish she says" I get what you're saying but..." She trails off.
"But what?" I ask.
"They're my only friends." Mandy finishes. What my sister says then makes me irate. I decide then that I am going to go give them a piece of my mind, and I stand up sliding my shoes on and starting outside. I am doing this., and it's not up for discussion.
Then I leave, I am going to make them pay for hurting my sister.
Don't go away...stay tuned for the next parts of Stray Hearts and Stray Dogs.
Luv Ya, Raspberry
