Something Else Entirely

14 - I thought I was just getting fat.

"Hey, baby," greeted Sadie, laying out in the hammock on the front porch when I finally returned just before 9 o'clock, just as I promised I would be. Seems kind of ridiculous to be thinking about curfews after what just happened with Lahela, but I know better than to be late home. "How was your run? You must have gone a fair distance."

I smiled and tried not to blush as I answered her. "My run was the best run I've ever had."

She eyed me curiously, and I had to wonder whether she knew what happened with Lahela because she seems to have a sixth sense about these things. She knew the night I came home after I first slept with my ex Leighton. Must be a mum thing.

"Well, you're looking a lot happier now, so I'm grateful for wherever this run took you," she said, leaving me still not entirely convinced that she didn't know.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked, eager to direct this conversation anywhere else.

"Ruby actually went for a run, and Madden is in bed reading," she answered. "I'm surprised you didn't run into your dad while he was out actually. He was going to look for you." God, I really hope he didn't see me with Lahela. If I didn't see him, hopefully that means he didn't see me. My fingers were crossed that he ran in the exact opposite direction.

"Oh, no kidding. I didn't bump into him," I said, taking a seat next to her on the beach lounge. It wasn't a hammock, but it wasn't bad. "Have you guys had dinner yet?"

"Yeah, we were getting hungry waiting for you to come back so we ended up having something. Sorry, baby. There's still food in there, though I'm not sure whether you should eat it. I think your dad's lost his touch since cooking in different kitchens to ours back home. Something is definitely not sitting well with me. I've felt off for weeks, but it's definitely worsened since coming here."

I want to talk to her about it. To find out whether she knows and if she does, what she plans on doing about it. But is it my place? I don't know that it is. I'm not even a woman to be able to claim I know about these things, but I think I paid enough attention in Sex Ed to be able to talk about it at least.

"You've been feeling sick a lot lately, Sade," I said, hoping to ease my way into it. "And tired all the time. Are you sure there's not actually something wrong with you?"

"Kid, you are such a worry wart. I told you before, I promise I'm okay. There's nothing wrong with me," she said, brushing off my queries. Either she has no idea, or she has been taking secret acting lessons because she's never usually this good at hiding things from me.

"I am not a worry wart. Also, how old are you? 'Worry wart'? That's something my Nan would have said. Act your age, woman," I joked, pushing her gently on the hammock.

"Firstly, ha ha. You're hilarious as always. And secondly," she grabbed my hand, which was still holding onto the hammock's edge, and tried to still the movements of the swaying material holding her in place. "Please don't do that. I'm already feeling nauseated enough as it is without this wondrous contraption swinging any more violently."

I chuckled and held the hammock still again. "It was hardly moving, Sade. But seriously, I think you should go to a doctor. This isn't normal for you."

"Jet, we're in America. People actually have to pay to go to the doctors in this country. I can't afford that kind of shit."

"If I begged you to go, would you?" I didn't need to ask. I knew she would.

She looked at me suspiciously, her head cocked to one side where she lay. "What's going on, Jet? Why are you being weird?"