Allison
Sally stood up, slapped my hand off her collar aggressively, and walked away to her bedroom.
“Hey! I’m not done talking to you! Come back here!” I shouted, but Sally ignored me.
I wiped away the tears streaming down my face, took a deep breath, and tried to compose myself. Then, I headed to my mother’s bedroom. I knocked on the door, and she told me to enter after a few seconds.
As I walked in, I forced a smile. “Mom, you didn’t go to the store today?”
But her face wasn’t happy; she really looked upset.
I quickly walked to her side and held her hand. “Mom, it’s not what you think. Let me explain. I don’t know what Sally told you, but please hear my side of the story.”
My mother’s expression turned incredulous. “What side of the story, for goodness’ sake, Allison?” she shouted, snatching her hand away from mine.
“Mom, please… just hear me out this once,” I begged.
“What’s there to hear, Allison?” she shouted again, her eyes blazing with fury. “What the heck is your problem?”
Now, as far as I remember, my mom was someone who rarely used vulgar words. She was beginning to scare me, and I noticed that I was already shivering like a leaf now.
Defeated, I steeled myself for my mom’s lecture, prepared to listen to her yells and screams. But instead, she burst into tears and grasped my face.
“How long, Allison? How long has this been going on?” she asked, her voice trembling.
I looked up at her, half confused. “What do you mean, Mom? I can explain-”
But she cut me off. “How long have you been bullied, sweetie?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern.
The room fell silent. I struggled to comprehend what my mom was saying.
“Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean?” I asked, feeling a sense of dread.
My mom’s frown deepened. “Sally told me everything. She said you’ve been getting bullied lately by someone. She was crying so much when she explained everything to me. Tell me, Allison. Should I come to school and do something about it?”
I felt a lump form in my throat as I realized that I’d blamed Sally for something else. I guess she had been holding it in for too long, and it all came pouring out to Mom.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to process my emotions.
My mom’s expression softened, and her next words encouraged me, “Allison, if there’s something bothering you, please always tell me. Your father and I will definitely do something about it.”
I burst into tears, shaking my head. “Mom, please, just let me handle it. If it gets too much, I’ll let you know, but for now, it’s for me to control, please.”
“Oh goodness, Allison,” she sighed.
We hugged each other tightly, both of us crying. After a few moments, we composed ourselves and started talking and laughing together, catching up like a normal mother-daughter duo.
Mom asked about school, and we chatted about everyday things. Then, she brought up therapy again. “You know, Allison, That therapist Sally mentioned… Are you ready to see her?”
I pressed my lips together, thinking for a moment. “Just give me a few days, Mom, okay?”
“Alright,” she nodded.
“I want to go see Sally, by the way,” I said softly. “Would love to talk to her.”
“Go, sweetie,” she said. “She’s been worried about you.”
I stood up, waved, and headed out to make amends with Sally. Goodness! I’d done so much to her, and I felt like the villain now.
I approached Sally’s door and tried to open it, but it was locked. I knocked, and when she didn’t respond, I knocked again. “Sally, I’m outside. Can you please open the door for me?” I asked.
After a few minutes, she opened the door. Her eyes were red, and her face was wet, as if she had been crying.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
Sally nodded, and I entered.
Sitting on the bed, I looked at her and signed, “I’m really sorry for acting like a fool back then, and thank you for not telling mom concerning that day.”
Sally nodded before asking via hand gestures, “So, when are you going to confront Yvonne?”
I replied with hand signs, “Just leave it to me, please. You guys should leave it to me, and don’t worry about it anymore. Just finish your suspension, go back to school, and act like Yvonne’s not there. You only have a few months left before you graduate. Please don’t mess this up.”
“Ok,” she signed cutely with a smile.
I couldn’t help but return the smile. Then,
I stood up, saying, “I should head to my room. Looks like I’ll be staying over for the weekend.”
Sally simply nodded, still wearing the smile.
Before I left, I turned to Sally, still sitting on the bed, and signed, “Look, Sally, I don’t hate you, okay? I actually love you so much, and that’s why I’m doing all this. I’m scared you’ll end up like Francesca.”
I continued, “I know I’m selfish, but that’s what you do when you truly love someone.”
Sally nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, she signed, “I love you too, little sister. I’ll always be there to protect you.”
A tear escaped my left eye, and I quickly wiped it away with a warm smile. I nodded, feeling grateful.
Then, I left her room and went to mine, lying down on the bed. I couldn’t appreciate Sally more for being such an amazing sister.
As I lay there, lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. I checked the screen and hesitated, wondering whether to answer the call or not. It was Jayden, and he’d better know that he was calling at the wrong time.
Just as I was about to answer the call, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Sally standing there with a smile, holding two bottles of soda.
Her eyes scanned down and caught sight of my phone screen, noticing the incoming call. Sally’s expression changed, and she looked at me with concern.
“Look, I can explain,” I said quickly. “It’s nothing much. We’re not doing anything. It’s just a normal call, okay?” I reassured her.