Chapter Text
Sarah looked at the clock and realized she had a while before the time the two had agreed upon for the picnic. The house where she used to live and where her family still lived was near the park Mia had chosen, so she decided she'd swing by and visit before the picnic. she threw her wallet into her backpack along with her water bottle, stim toys, and a book.
She would be buying lunch for the two of them from a super tasty place nearby so she didn't need to bring any food. She walks down the stairs and out of the building before getting on a bus.
Sarah arrived at her stop. She walked up the street and across the front yard after a fairly quick ride and knocked. Hailey opened the door and grinned before launching herself into Sarah's arms. Sarah grunted softly and laughed. “You have gotten heavier since I last saw you.”
“Well, it's been a while,” she stared up with sadness in her eyes, “why did you not come for so long?"
“It's only been like 4 months.”
Hailey looked straight into her eyes. “7 months, actually. Also, that's a long time. I'm 11 now! You missed my birthday.”
Sarah's face fell. “Oh shit. I knew I forgot something. I'm so sorry.”
“It's fine. No one came. Didn't expect anyone to.” she shrugged.
“What do you mean no one came?” Sarah furrowed her eyebrows, “Mom and Leo were here at least, right?
Hailey frowned. “No. Leo forgot too, and Mom... promise you won't get mad.”
“Why would I get mad?” Sarah asked quizzically.
“You always do. She was... high. And also drunk, I think. I'm scared of her when she's like that. I'm scared for her too. It could kill her one day.”
Sarah's eyes smouldered as she took in her sister. Hailey looked small and sad while Sarah ranted about their mother. “Would that be such a bad thing? I can't believe her. What does she think she’s doing, behaving like that around a kid who’s not even 12 yet? I understand why she did it to me. I’m the oldest, I can take it. But fucking hell, around you?"
“You said you wouldn't get mad,” Hailey mentioned quietly.
“I said no such thing.”
Hailey sat down on the front steps and motioned for Sarah to sit next to her. Sarah sighed and then sat down. “I'm sorry you had to deal with this.”
“It's okay. Sometimes I just wonder what it would be like if none of them had died,” she muttered.
“Supposedly, you would have found out all the important stuff when you were 18 if our dad hadn't died.” Sarah sighed. “If your bio mom hadn't died, I don't know what would have happened. Maybe it would have been fine. We'll never know.”
They sat in silence for a long time, “That's true,” Hailey whispered, “ I wish I could have met them. Really met them. I didn't know my mom at all and I guess I didn't get to know our dad either.” What felt like hours later, Hailey spoke again. “Next year, I'm coming to your school.”
Sarah looked up in surprise. “What? Why?!"
“I need to get out of this house. This place. You did it. Leo did it.”
“You're younger than we were. I know the school starts with grade 7 but you can wait until high school.” Sarah answered angrily.
“No. I can't. I've already been accepted for a full scholarship. Just like you!” Hailey protested.
Sarah stood up. “I have to go.”
“Because of me going to St. Harold's?”
“No. Because I have a plan with a friend,” she replied, “I'm also going to explode at Mom if I stay here any longer. I'll be back soon. Next weekend maybe.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Hailey wished she could let herself believe it.
“Love you.”
“Love you too. Have fun.” she smiled slightly.
“I will. She's… different,” Sarah glanced at the fence around the side of the house, blocking her view of the backyard that she hadn’t entered again since that day. “ I'll see you again soon.”
And with that, Sarah grabbed her bags and started down the street. She turned to look back but her sister had already gone inside. “Hm. I really do miss you,” she said, to no one in particular.
- - - - - - - - - -
Mia sat in the car, an old Honda Civic. It smelled of dust, and memories. The memories were visible, more so than she expected. A sticker here, a stain there. Good and bad. Were they all bad now? Most of them had gone sour in her head even though they’d been happy at the time. She’d felt happy.
But now all Mia felt was dread. she didn't want to be here. Her father cleared his throat. “We're here sweetheart. Are you going to be alright walking in by yourself? I just have to park.”
“Yeah, I'll be fine,” she answered absentmindedly. She wondered what she’d hear today. They were just getting more tests done today, she'd get the results later. There were always comments though. From nurses, other patients, anxious family members waiting for news. “You don't look sick” or “What do you think is wrong with her?” She didn't ever answer seriously. She'd mumble a response and leave as soon as possible.
“-pose that's why he's mad. Are you going soon? Honey?”
“Sorry. Yes. I'm going. See you in a second.” She got out of the car and walked up the path towards the front door. As soon as she walked in, the smell of hand sanitizer and cold tile flooring overwhelmed her. She glanced down at her phone for the room number and walked towards the elevator. She heard the receptionist talking and realized she should have checked in. She shot her dad a quick text reminding him to, as the elevator doors closed.
She descended two floors and wandered the hallways for about 15 minutes before she found the room. All new nurses and doctors, none of the same people as the ones in the Cancer Ward upstairs. Obviously. She knew that that would be the case. She hated change though.
One of the two nurses smiled as Mia walked in and he patted the chair. “Hello there! You must be Mia. This won't take too long. Lauren here will walk you through what we'll be doing. I'm William!”
Lauren showed a small smile. “Okay. First, we are going to draw some blood. Then we'll do an x-ray of your chest and leg, where we suspect most of the cancer cells are, based on previous tests. Lastly, we’ll need to do a spinal tap to grab some marrow to test and then you'll be on your way home. Got it?”
Mia mumbled her agreement just as her dad walked in. William explained what they'd be doing again and she zoned out. She couldn't seem to focus again. Blood test, then wheeled to x-ray. Then she was laid on her stomach so they could do the spinal tap. It was so painful, and yet she still didn't pay attention. Her dad gently guided her into the elevator once they were done and then out of the building. She zoned back in next to the car. “Dad.”
“Oh! Geez, you scared me. You haven't said a single word since you went in. What do you need?”
“A ride to a park,” Mia smiled slightly, “Wishing Well Park to be exact.”
“A ride? I think we should just go home. It's been a stressful day.” her father quipped.
Mia looked him straight in the eyes. “I need this. I made a plan. With a new friend!”
Franklin sighed. “Fine. No funny business though, got it? Just hang out. Then come home. No parties or whatever. Just call me and I'll come to pick you up.”
“What parties would there be? It's 1:30 on a Sunday.”
He smiled. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. We're just going to hang out,” she promised, “she's bringing food, it's a picnic.”
“Oh! We should have brought food?!” Franklin gasped.
“No, no. It's a long story, but no.”
Her father glanced over at her. “Alright. We're almost there, that park is pretty close to the hospital.”
“Okay. Thanks for bringing me,” she answered. She looked out the window, eyes searching for Sarah.
“No problem. Have fun, okay?”
She grinned as the car pulled to a stop. “I will, I will. Love you.”
“Love you too.” her father called after her.
- - - - - - - - - -
Sarah sat on the blanket she'd brought, thankful for the forethought of grabbing one from a store next to the restaurant. The grass is still damp, so it was smart. The Arabic food in front of her smelled so good, she almost couldn't wait to eat it. Then, she saw Mia get out of the car.
Sarah waved across the field to Mia. She fussed with the blanket and set out the food, wanting it to be perfect. Mia noticed her, “Hey! It's good to see you!”
“Same to you! I hope you like good spicy food. This meal isn't for the weak-stomached!” Sarah joked.
Mia laughed loudly. “Oh thank the gods. I was worried I'd have to eat like a ham and cheese sandwich. And grapes or something. “
Sarah grinned. “Okay well, you don't have to worry about that. I’m allergic to ham, so that’s not an issue. Also, while we eat, I have a plan.”
“Ooh, I'm interested," Mia smirked, “what kind of a plan?”
“Twenty questions. To get to know each other,” Sarah blushed as she explained, “since we don't really know anything right now.”
Mia looked over at Sarah and noticed the way her hair glinted in the sunlight, and how her eyes matched her broad smile. She realized she was staring and pretended to be studying the grass she sat next to. "That's actually... a very good plan. Okay. Do you have the questions?”
Sarah giggled. “Yeah, actually printed them out, haha. Feel free to start eating while I find them.”
“Oh, thanks,” Mia gathered kabobs, saffron rice, and pita on her paper plate, “this looks super good!”
“No problem, my family loves this sort of food. My sister, Hailey, her friend is Lebanese, and he’s always eating this sort of food. It’s so good!” she realized she was rambling and fumbled with the piece of paper she’d pulled out of her bag. “Oh! Found them. Should we just start?”
Mia smiled while lifting her fork to her mouth. “Go for it.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Sarah studied the piece of paper. “Okay, question 1. What’s your birthday?”
Mia looked up. “May 29th, 2004. You?”
“October 17th, 2003. Should we alternate between who asks the questions?”
“Sure, good idea.” Mia smiled, “Question 2, what’s your favourite animal?”
She laughed. “Oh, easy. Sheep. Everyone thinks it's dumb. But with this crush I used to have, we went hiking and we lay down in a field of sheep on the side of the mountain. All these sheep came and ran around us, licked us, and made their little sheep noises while we lay there together. And it was amazing. She was smart, to bring me there.”
“She? Also, ‘little sheep noises’?”
Sarah put her face in her hands. “Yeah, haha. Forgot that I don’t know you that well. I’m lesbian. And fuck off, I don’t know what it’s called.”
“No way.” Mia laughed, “I thought I knew about all the other gay kids in our school! I’m gay too. I’m also going to ignore the rest of that sentence.”
Sarah gave her a nervous smile. “Whatever. That’s a...funny coincidence. Since these are like...friendship hangouts. Right?”
“Right, right.” Mia answered quickly.
“Moving on,” she continued, “what’s your favourite?”
Mia glanced upwards. “Penguins. I don’t know why, really. They’re just cool. What’s question 3?"
“Cool, cool. This one’s weird. Do you have a job?” Sarah inquired. She watched as Mia smiled slightly and pluck a few pieces of grass. Her hair gently moved with the wind as she searched for clovers and answered the question.
“Oh, yeah. That's a bit odd. I do. I work part-time at a convenience store a few blocks away from the school.”
“Cool beans,” she commented, “I work at the Tim Hortons not far from there. Do you have any weird work stories? Cuz I have quite a few.”
Mia laughed. “Oh, for sure,” she lay down on her back and stared at the clouds, “this one time, this old lady came in. She was like, 90. And she ordered 17 family-sized bags of skittles. Where was she going? A bingo party? Oh, and there was this little kid that came in every week with just dimes. And he would buy like two bags of candy with dimes. It was so annoying! We had to count them by hand.”
“Wait. Was the kid like this tall? Short black hair, always had some kind of Marvel merch?” Sarah asked incredulously.
Mia shot up into a sitting position. “Yeah! Yeah, that’s him!”
“You’re kidding! He would come and pay with dimes at the Tim’s too!” Sarah threw herself onto her back, “ugh, he was the worst! Let’s see. What was the weirdest thing that happened at the Tims?”
She paused and locked eyes with Mia as she thought. Her deep brown eyes distracted her temporarily, and she felt a shiver up her spine. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and answered the question.
“Um, probably that time a guy came in without pants on? Like he wasn’t wearing anything but running shoes. It was February! Or maybe the time this 16-year-old girl shouted ‘I just want some dick!’ in the middle of the store. That was...awkward.”
“You’re kidding. I will never be able to get those pictures out of my head,” Mia buried her face into Sarah’s shoulder. “Let’s keep going.”
“Right, right. Of course. I feel like I know you much better already.” Sarah said while blushing profusely at the close contact.
Mia moved away, grinning. “Haha, yeah. Me too! Question 4: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?” she turned her head to the side to look at Sarah, “I’d go to Greece, I've always loved mythology. And the buildings.”
“That's a good choice! I'd like to go to Ireland, I think.” she declared.
Mia giggled. “There sure are a lot of sheep there, you’d have a good time.”
“Haha, very funny. You should be a comedian.” she shook her head, “Question 5: what's your favourite school subject?”
“Probably math. You?” she answered.
Sarah sighed. “English, or history. Don't get how you could like math, but eh. Next one!”
“Maybe you’re just dumb,” Mia countered, “Question 6: Do you have a small or a big family?”
Sarah's face became serious. “Small, I guess. It was bigger before my dad died, kinda. Actually, no. I guess not.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Mia looked worriedly at Sarah, almost expecting tears to come to her eyes. But none came, and her face remained stone cold.
She seemed to zone out for a second, letting out one shaky breath before zoning back in and replying to Mia. “It's fine. Been 7 years now. I've got my mom Sally, my sister Hailey and my brother Leo. Leo's 15, Hailey’s 11. How about you?”
“Big, I guess. My dad Rob, my papa Franklin, my ex-step-mom Anne, my half-brother Nick, and my brother Griffin. I used to have a sister, Sabine.” she looked over at Sarah.
Sarah met her eyes. “Oh shit, is she... gone?”
She nodded. “Yeah. It's been almost four years at this point.”
“Well I guess that's one thing we have in common,” Sarah grimaced even as she said it.
“A dead relative?” Mia inhaled sharply while smiling.
“Yeah, exactly. Sounds a little weird when you put it like that, but yeah,” she glanced down, “do you still miss her?”
“All the time. Do you miss your dad?” Mia inquired.
“For sure. He was a good guy.”
“I'm sure,” Mia placed her hand on Sarah's shoulder, “he was just as great as you.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Sarah blushed and mumbled her thanks. “Okay. Question 7. What genres of music do you like best? I love rock and country.”
Mia smiled at the quick subject change but went with it. “Really? I like pop and folk. Pretty different tastes I guess!”
“Yeah, hah! You should try listening to rock sometime, you might like it.” Sarah prompted.
Mia shook her head wildly. “I doubt it. Question 8. How do you like to spend your free time?”
“I like to talk to my friends and play video games. And read I guess,” Sarah paused, “that kinda sounded like an intro for the first day of school, oddly enough. I guess I’m just that boring. You?”
Mia chuckled. “It did, it really did. Nice to meet you, Ms.Jackson. Anyway, puzzles. I really like puzzles. Also reading, yeah.”
Sarah beamed. “Okay, awesome. What kind of puzzles?”
“Crosswords, sudokus, mazes, riddles. Anything.” Mia replied fervently.
“Cool! Question 9. Are you a morning or night person?” Sarah smiled, “let me guess. Night?
Mia's face lit up. “No, actually. I'm a total morning person! And no one ever believes me!”
“You? No way. I'm a morning person, and there's no way you are,” Sarah smirked, “we're on the same schedule? Seriously?”
“That's crazy. I swear I am! I wake up before 9 every single morning, and I hate sleeping in! It's a waste of the day! Okay, I’m rambling. Keep going!”
- - - - - - - - - -
“It’s okay, I like listening to you talk,” Sarah stopped and her cheeks flushed, “Okay, okay. Question 10. What's your favourite food?”
Mia thought long and hard. “Probably dumplings. They're SO good. How ‘bout you?”
“Hm, maybe kibbeh nayeh? It’s Lebanese and very tasty,” Sarah gazed at the food on the blanket, “Speaking of food. We should just eat for a bit. Before it gets cold.”
Mia nodded her agreement as she shovelled a huge spoonful of rice into her mouth.
She swallowed and answered. “So we'll do questions 11-20 in like 10 minutes?”
“Yeah, sounds good. Enjoy the food, and be careful with that sauce over there. It's spicier than wasabi!” she snickered. “It would’ve been fun to watch you eat it though.
“Well, thanks for the warning, I’m glad you decided not to be evil. What should we talk about? Maybe school. Oh! Wait! How do you feel about Ms. Klopik? She’s… basically an angel on earth.”
“She’s alright I guess. Mr. Tegran on the other hand-”
Mia smiled as she watched Sarah rant about the teachers and students at their school. Maybe life wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. The sunshine glinting off her hair and her eyes lighting up with excitement was enough to make Mia happy again, if only for a little while. She shook her head as if to clear out her distracting thoughts, and focused on Sarah’s talking. Sarah was so amazing, and Mia looked forward to getting to know her.