Page 38 of Hooking Up
They're a lot more understanding than I am.
"Walker." She folds and unfolds her legs. "It's been a while, huh?"
No. I dragged her to rehab two fucking weeks ago.
"I know you're pissed I checked out early. But I couldn't take any more group therapy. Those people have problems. I just…"
"Show me your arms."
She pushes her sleeve up her left arm. Then the right.
She has bad scars on her left arm, right in her elbow crook. From injecting at the same place over and over again.
But her arms are clean.
No track marks.
"I stopped shooting up a long time ago." She says it like it's an accomplishment.
Is it?
I don't have a fucking compass when it comes to my sister. Sabrina. Bree. I never know what to call her. Bree was my nickname for her as a kid. It feels too much like she's someone I can trust. But calling her Sabrina… that's too much the other way.
She's been putting me through the ringer forever. She started using in high school. It was bad for a few years. Then our parents threatened to kick her out and cut her off.
She went through her first rehab stint. She tried to stay clean for a while.
She slipped.
I get that. Life is hard. Temptation is everywhere.
But when she bailed on her second rehab stint?
Got back with her lowlife dealer ex?
Refused to go to her weekly therapy sessions?
Got in the driver's seat wasted and landed a DUI?
Addiction is one thing.
Telling everyone offering you help to go fuck themselves is another.
"Walker." Her voice gets soft. That same tone she used when we were kids. To reassure me when Mom and Dad were fighting.
She's my big sister.
She's supposed to protect me from this shit.
Not show up at my place with more excuses.
I run my hand through my hair. "You can stay."
Her eyes light up. She claps her hands together. "Thank you. I love you. I'll make dinner. You don't have anything in your fridge. But you're close to that market. Is it a Safeway or something else?"
"You can stayifyou tell me why you checked yourself out."
"Do you have any idea what it's like being locked away from the world?"
