Just Remember to Breathe (Thompson Sisters)

face. “How dare you?” she demanded, sounding at that moment exactly like my mother.
    “I knew she was lying to us in the car. And then I saw her call history. She was calling you instead of Kelly.”
    “So you just come and eavesdrop? Is that why you and Sarah have been at each other’s throats? Because you’ve lost all sense of decency?”
    “Jessica,” I gasped. “You can’t say anything to Mom and Dad about this.”
    She closed the door, and pulled the chair out from my desk and sat down. “I won’t. Of course I won’t. I can’t speak for Sarah, of course. But I want to know what happened. You and Dylan are back together? And Randy Brewer raped someone? What have you been doing in college, Alex?”
    I started to laugh and cry at the same time, uncontrollably, and then, before I knew it, I spilled the entire story.
    All three of us heard the creak of the stairs at the same moment. Quickly I wiped my face, then dived under my covers. Carrie and Jessica were still arranging themselves when there was a knock on the door, and then it opened.
    It was my mom.
    “Alex, I brought you some soup… oh! ” she said, surprised to find my sisters with me. She recovered quickly, and set the soup on my desk. “This might help you feel a little better. I see your sisters are taking care of you?”
    She phrased it like a question, but what she meant was, I see you and your sisters are gossiping? or something similar.
    Carrie stood, straightened her blouse, and said, “We’ve got her all taken care of, mother. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
    “Well, then,” my mother said, looking a little nonplussed. “I’m so glad to see at least some of you are getting along. Do you think you’ll be up for dinner tonight, Alexandra? Your sister Julia and her horrid boyfriend won’t be in town until tomorrow night, so it’s just the six of us. I can’t imagine why they aren’t staying here, we have plenty of room.”
    Carrie gave our mother a level look. “He’s her husband , mother.”
    Mom gave a quick, insincere smile, as if to dismiss Carrie, and said, “One can always hope.”
    Carrie responded with a sniff, and said, “You’re right, Mother. I can’t possibly imagine why they wouldn’t want to stay here with us.”
    My mother stiffened her back and looked at Carrie imperiously. “You are impertinent. If you’re going to take that tone with me, I’ll just go downstairs. Perhaps Sarah would like some company.”
    Jessica rolled her eyes and said, “Like that will happen. Good luck with her, Mom.”
    My mother left in a huff.
    Carrie took a deep breath, as if shaking off something, after mom left. Then she turned to Jessica and said, “All right, spill it. What’s going on between you and Sarah? You two are usually inseparable.”
    Jessica frowned. “She’s gone bipolar I think. Or schizophrenic. Wearing black always, like some goth girl. And … God, I hate her! She kissed Mark Wilson, when she knew I wanted to go out with him. I heard she let him feel her up. At school! I could kill her.”
    Carrie’s jaw dropped. “When did all this happen?”
    “She’s been like this since school started.”
    “Wow. I bet it’s been pretty tense around here, with you two at each other’s throats.”
    “It’s not my fault.”
    “Well, whatever is going on with you and Sarah, you can’t say a word about Alex and Dylan to anyone. You understand? This is serious.”
    Jessica turned to me.
    “Do you love him? Dylan?”
    I nodded. “Of course. I… I always have.”
    She looked serious. “Then I’ll do whatever I can to help. It might not be much, but I promise.”
    I smiled at her, and said, “Thank you.”

    What Happens Next? (Dylan)
    “So what happens next?” I asked.
    Ben Cross, my lawyer, said, “Well, we go in there. The DA will tell the judge they’re dropping the charges and why. Then the judge will dismiss the case.”
    “And that’s the end? I get my bail money back and we’re done?”
    “It’ll probably take a couple of days to get the money back.”
    “And no more travel restrictions?”
    “No more anything, Dylan. Look… it was one thing for them to prosecute you for assault when there were no other witnesses to the sexual assault on Alex. But after this? The DA knows exactly what will happen to him if they proceed to try a wounded combat vet who stopped a rape, when the police let the rapist go. I mean, seriously. This was as bad a case of negligence as I think