There’s something wrong with me…I’m not quite sure what it is. I mean, I look healthy, but I can hardly hold down my food half the time. I get dizzy really easily too. My mom thinks it’s because of all the malnourishment from when I was with Edgar. I think it might be more serious. I hope it’s nothing I should be worrying about…
At least I’ve gained all the weight I lost from being starved half to death. The hospital used an IV to get me nutrients half the time. I guess that’s why I didn’t throw up there. And when I do eat, though, I can hardly finish anything! It’s really annoying because I’m still hungry. My stomach has shrunk I guess, from eating so little for so long.
God, I miss Aidan so much! I want to see him! But does he want to see me? Eric was right when he said that Aidan would have come to see me if he wanted to. My parents would have told me if he came, right? I’m not even sure anymore. I don’t think I can really trust them anymore. I’m so confused! I wish Aidan was here to help me make sense of things!
At night I can’t sleep because he’s not there, and I’m so afraid to close my eyes. I realized the other day that I’ve been sleeping with my arms above my head, just a bit. I’ll have to get used to not having the chains too. My wrists are still purple and sore from them, and the cut on my face is still healing, although I don’t think it’s infected anymore. That’s good at least. I’m almost back to the way I used to be. Only now I’m somehow worse. Aidan isn’t here anymore, I won’t wake up to find him next to me. Even if we were kidnapped, it was so nice to wake up and already have someone there for you. I don’t know why, but I felt like he actually cared about me. It was like he was genuine, and not just pretending. Or was he pretending? What if he doesn’t want to see me again…?
Saige quickly slammed her diary shut, not wanting to entertain that though for any longer. There was no way Aidan could actually hate her…was there? She shook her head clear of the idea and stood up. Almost immediately she felt dizzy and she had to steady herself on her desk.
“Got up to fast…” She muttered, waiting until her head cleared to continue on her way to the kitchen for a late-night snack. She picked out an apple from the fridge – it was one of the few things she could eat without bringing it back up – and took a big bite. She listened to her mother talking to someone on the phone, it sounded like the police or reporters again. She was answering a lot of dumb questions. Saige was glad that at least her mother always complied with her request to not talk to anyone from the news.
Saige finished her apple and walked back to her bedroom. She pulled her covers over her and admired her dark yellow walls for a moment before she switched off the lights and went to sleep.
The morning came far too quickly for Saige, and her mother insisted on getting her up at eight, even though it was now officially summer vacation. As the sheets were pulled off of her and she was sat up in bed, she felt a wave of nausea come over her and she bolted for the bathroom. But Eric was already in there. She nearly cried in frustration, and ran to the kitchen.
For some reason her mother tired to stop her and ask her what was wrong, but Saige pushed her out of the way and heaved into the sink.
“Saige?” Jessica called as she came into the kitchen. Saige just moaned in response. “Saige honey, what’s wrong?”
“I feel sick,” Saige muttered.
“Oh, do you want me to take you to the doctor’s?”
“No!” Saige cried. “No doctors. I’ll just take some Advil and lie down.”
“Okay, will you be alright by yourself for a while then? Eric is going to work and I need to pick up some groceries.”
Saige nodded.
“Oh, and do you need anything?” Jessica asked , her voice hushed, “Tampons or anything…?”
“No mom, I haven’t…” Saige broke off suddenly. She fell silent as her mind searched her memory for some vital information.
“What?” Jessica urged.
“I haven’t…” When was the last time she’d had her period anyway? She could remember spotting a bit while she was captured… but that was getting close to a month ago. After that there was nothing…
“Oh God…” She whimpered.
“WHAT!” Jessica cried, extremely confused by her daughter’s sudden outburst.
“Mom I have to come with you.”
“Um…okay…” Jessica scratched her head. Saige hated grocery shopping.
“Make a stop at the drug store.” Saige ordered. “There’s something we need to pick up.”
“You really miss her, don’t you?” Zeke asked, sitting down next to his best friend under the Willow tree.
Aidan nodded numbly, “More than you could imagine. I don’t even know if she’s okay…”
“Relax,” Zeke smiled, patting his back, “You’ll see her again. I’ll make sure of it.”
Aidan looked up and blinked at him, “How?”
Zeke grinned and rubbed his fingernails on his shirt, “I have a lot of contacts in this town.”
Aidan laughed, “Yeah right, Zeke.”
“What? I do! Don’t you believe me?”
Aidan just shook his head as he laughed and doubled over. “Sure, like your ‘contact’ who was supposed to get us into that club…”
Zeke blushed, “That was different.”
“Or the guy who could get us into modelling!” Aidan rolled on the ground in laughter. “Or even your contact who knew Walt Disney.”
“Okay, Aidan, I get the point.” Zeke grumbled.
“Or the fake ID’s, and the military general, or the international smugglers…”
“Okay!”
“I still haven’t seen my cut from that ‘big heist’…”
“How can you bring that one up? I was twelve!”
“And your friend who was in a the mafia…”
“Hey knock it off!” Zeke cried, throwing a tin can he found on the ground at Aidan’s head.
“Hey!” Aidan protested.
“Ok, so maybe I don’t have contacts. But I could still find some.”
“No thanks, I’d rather find her on my own. I don’t need a repeat of that cheese fiasco.” Aidan said as he got up.
“Hey! That squirrel had it coming!” Zeke quickly ran after him. “C’mon Aidan! I want to help you! You’re my best friend!”
“How?” Aidan questioned.
“Well…we could always get her phone number.”
“Tried that, they’re unlisted.”
“You’re not trying hard enough,” Zeke frowned, “I know this guy…” Aidan cut him off with a sharp glare.
“Alright! Alright! No friends this time. We’ll find some other way…”
“I sure hope so,” Aidan sighed.
“Now you know how I feel when Lacy is gone.”
“This is different.”
“How? I mean sure your girlfriend is a bit farther away…”
”Well for one, she’s not my girlfriend.” Aidan grumbled. “For another, I don’t want to see her for the same reasons you go to see Lacy.”
“Kinky sex?”
Aidan wrinkled his nose at his friend. “Eww…”
Zeke chuckled and helped Aidan back up to his feet. “Tell ya what, tomorrow morning we hack into the phone company. And the next day we hitchhike into Hamilton, okay?”
Aidan smiled, “Okay.”
“In the meantime,” Zeke continued, “You look like you could use some fun. What do ya say? We could pick up Lacy on the way. It’ll be just like old times!”
Aidan laughed, “Only if you promise not to try and swallow her face before ten o’clock.”
“Great! Let’s go!”
It took a lot of begging and clever avoidance of the subject, but Saige eventually managed to get her mother off her back long enough to run into the drugstore and get what she needed, and safely hide it from her mother on the way home.
“What do you have there?” Jessica insisted. “Saige…what is it? Why are you hiding this from me? SIAGE! Are you doing something you shouldn’t be?”
“No…” Saige sighed, “I just…”
Her mother gave her a stern look, “Saige…”
“Mom! Just leave me alone, okay? It’s non of your business!”
Jessica was insulted at her remark, but shrugged it off as some side effect of being kidnapped. They rode the rest of the way home in silence.
