Read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes for Free Online

Sometimes I wish I could have religion their way. You know, no responsibilities in life but to cut down people who don’t think the way you do.” He waves a hand. “Aaahh. It’s not worth talking about. But we burned him, didn’t we? I knew we could get him. He’s such a leech he couldn’t check out his own body to figure out we were doin’ him in.” He pounded the steering wheel. “God, I love justice.” He looks over at me. “Goin’ up to see your friend?”
    I nod.
    â€œYou like her.” It isn’t a question.
    I nod again.
    He starts to say more, but doesn’t, and we ride over the silent snow-covered streets to my house, chuckling every once in awhile when one or the other of us pictures Brittain’s face the moment he realized he’d been duped.
    At home, I grab Mom’s car to negotiate the icy streets across the South Hill to Sacred Heart, thinkingof those days long ago when I held onto Sarah Byrnes like the only life raft in truly tempestuous, treacherous seas. She pushed her scars directly into our tormentors’ faces, while I disappeared into my cottage cheese carcass like a scared turtle in a soft shell, watching her wage our war of the outcasts alone. It’s really hard to imagine how afraid I was then; how I pulled the covers over my head at night and prayed to hurry up and get older so I wouldn’t care so much. It’s also hard to imagine how I ate as much as I did.
    The population of the Child and Adolescent unit is down on weekends. There are no classes and no therapy groups going, and a few older kids sit reading while others quietly play games. Younger kids trail nurses and counselors like pull toys from spot to spot.
    Sarah Byrnes sits on the same spot on the same couch where I left her. Laurel isn’t here, but a big, young guy named Sam is taking her place, and he approaches as I sit making conversation with myself in hopes Sarah Byrnes will latch on to something she wants to talk about.
    He says, “You must be Eric.”
    I nod, shaking his extended hand. “Anything different? Has she been on this couch since yesterday?”
    Sam smiles and shakes his head. “No. She sits in onall the activities. She just isn’t talking, that’s all. We know she hears and understands because she does whatever we’re doing.”
    â€œShe eating okay?”
    Sam nods. “Weight is good. She doesn’t eat a lot, but then she’s not burning a lot of energy.” He squats beside us next to the couch. “Was there an event that set this off?”
    â€œNot that I know of. She was sitting in American Government class and just tripped out. When the bell rang, she didn’t move. It couldn’t have been in response to anything we were talking about because we were answering the questions at the end of the chapter.”
    Sam nods, then grimaces. “Well, if you think of something, or if you know anyone who might shed some light on this, let us know. I’m told you’re her best friend. You should know the more you come and talk, the better chance she has of coming out. Talk about old times, you know, familiar things.” He pauses. “What do you know about her father?”
    I look sideways at Sarah Byrnes and say, “I’ve known Sarah Byrnes since grade school, but she’s only invited me to her house three times, and her dad was never home. He’s mean, though, I’ll tell you that. Mean big time. I know for a fact he wouldn’t let them repairher face when she first got burned. He seems awful proud of how tough she is.”
    â€œWhat does she say about him?”
    I remember her threatening me with her fists when I tried to talk about her father in junior high. “Not much.”
    Sam scratches his head. “That fits what we’ve seen. He’s come up twice—didn’t stay more than ten minutes either time. Does she have any other close