She stands in the doorway of her sister's room. The room is illuminated by a single bulb from a lamp sitting on the bedside stand. She clears her throat, but the lump lying beneath the covers doesn't move. She doesn't even acknowledge her presence. Daphne takes a deep breath, and crosses the threshold. She closes the door, and crosses the room. She peels the covers away from their resting spot against Bay's face.
She climbs into the bed on top of the covers. Bay just looks at her in silence. Daphne reaches out, and takes her hand. She squeezes it, reassuring her that she's here for her. She sighs, and decides that it is time to give her sister a tiny nudge.
"Bay you have to leave this room at some point."
"I have."
"You have barely moved in days. I am worried about you," Daphne explains.
"I know."
"I thought that you were starting to feel better."
"I was."
"What happened?"
She kicks the covers off her body, and shifts into a sitting position. She leans against the headboard. She draws her knees to her chest.
"Bay it's been over a month. You've barely left this house in the last six weeks since all of this happened. You need to get out of the house."
"I do."
"You have to do more than just go to community service. Bay you have shut yourself off from the entire world. That isn't okay. You barely say two words to any of us. You hardly leave this room. We can barely get you to eat. Bay I know that this has caused you to question everything that you know, but you can't just give up on life. You have to move on."
"I don't know how to move on. I don't know if I can ever move on. I wouldn't know where to start."
"At the beginning," Daphne suggests.
"That is easier said than done."
"Maybe you should try working on your painting. I think it would be…"
"I get that it can be therapeutic, but right now I the only color I want to use is black. I feel as if I have been sucked into this big black hole that I am never going to be able to climb out of."
"You can't do it alone. Let us help you."
"You can't help me," she insists on the verge of tears, "No one can help me."
"Why would you even say that?"
"Because it's true," her voice cracks as the tears start to flow from her eyes.
Daphne looks to her right. She doesn't see any tissues on the bedside stand.
"Bay where are the tissues?"
"I used them all."
"Okay," Daphne nods as she slides out of the bed. She heads into the bathroom, and flips on the light. She heads to the counter, but there aren't any tissues. As she stares at the surface of the counter her heart sinks. She takes a deep breath.
"Bay come in here!"
Fully aware that Daphne can't hear her protest. She sighs heavily, and crawls out of bed. She joins Daphne in the bathroom. Daphne sits on a rug on the bathroom floor, in front of the cabinet, with her legs stretched out in front of her. Bay doesn't say a word. She lowers herself onto the floor. She lies down on the cold floor on her side. She lays her head in Daphne's lap. Daphne runs her fingers through her hair.
"Bay say something," she begs.
Bay doesn't respond. Daphne reaches for the unopened box sitting next to her.
"Bay," she repeats.
Bay shifts into a sitting position. She draws her knees to her chest, and sits close to her sister's side. Daphne reaches her arm around her shoulder, and hugs her tightly.
"Bay why didn't you tell me?"
"It isn't exactly an easy topic of conversation."
"You should have said something," Daphne insists.
"And then what? What would you do? You can't do anything about it. You can't take back the past. You can't erase what happened. I screwed up, and now…" she trails off.
"This was not your fault."
Bay shakes her head, "And right now it doesn't really matter whose fault it was."
"When did you buy this?" Daphne questions as she holds out the box.
"About a week ago."
"What made you buy it? Please tell me that it is just some unreasonable paranoia," Daphne begs.
"It's not," she shakes her head.
"Are you sure?"
"Do you think that this is what I wanted? Do you think that I wanted any of this? I don't. I wish that I could take it all back."
"Please answer my question," Daphne begs.
"I thought that it was all just in my head at first. You know? I mean I have had so much anxiety that it only makes sense that I feel completely nauseated. Then I was late. At first I convinced myself that it was just because I was under so much stress. I thought that if I just waited it would come."
"It didn't?"
"By the time that I realized how long I had waited I realized that I completely missed my period, twice," she swallows hard.
"Bay are you sure? Maybe you are just stressed…"
Bay cuts her off, "I don't think so."
"Why haven't you taken it, yet?"
"I'm scared. What am I going to do if the test comes out positive? How am I supposed to make that kind of life changing decision? We are eighteen years old. I have no idea what I want for my life."
"You're never going to know if you don't take this test," Daphne points out.
"You're right," she nods in agreement.
"I'll stay right here, and wait with you if you want."
"Okay."
Bay vacates her seat on the floor. Daphne turns herself towards the door so that Bay can have some semblance of privacy. As she faces the door she curses herself for not being able to hear. She feels the vibration of the plumbing as the toilet flushes. Bay appears next to her. She hands her the box as she takes a seat next to her on the floor.
"It takes three minutes," Daphne informs her.
