Chapter 9: Sable
I never noticed it before, but Tom's eyes were dazzling. Maybe it was the black mask around them that made them stand out, but if that was the case, why hadn't I seen them before? They were a warm and deep brown that sparkled when he smiled (which, to my confusion, made my heart thump). His eyes aren't only attractive, but they seem to change with his actions. When reads or studies something, his eyes become focused and serious. When he's listening, they grow soft and attentive. His ears kinda twitch a little too. It's helplessly adorable.
Tom told me to order anything I wanted on the menu, so I settled for a platter of clams. I winced at the price, knowing that this would be a complete luxury in my home, but Tom shrugged it off; it's like this beautiful, lavish restaurant was his average diner. Tom ordered an 8 oz steak, medium-rare, and handed the waiter our menus.
He sighed happily, his eyes locking on mine. I felt weak in the knees, even though I was sitting. Those eyes. They hold some type of magic behind them.
"You like the water?" he asked suddenly. "You know, seafood, boats, stuff like that."
I remembered we were on a boat. "Yeah, I guess; boats are nice and stuff. Every summer I used to go upstate with my family to the lake. It was fun. You?"
Tom looked to the window, mesmerized by the other, smaller ships leaving port. "Oh, I love the water. I'd like to have a sailboat one day."
"Really?" I asked. "You don't seem like the type to...ah, well, I guess we're still learning about each other, right?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. Sometimes I wish I could hop on one of those boats out there-" he gestured to window again- "and sail away from it all. Y'know what I mean?"
"Life at home stresses you too?" I asked hopefully, aching to know I wasn't alone.
"Oh, yeah. I probably told you my dad's an annoying lunatic and a control freak...have I?"
I stifled a laugh. "No, you didn't go into it much."
"Well, my dad's always telling me to work hard so I can run a business one day, and don't get me wrong, I'd love to follow in his footsteps. But a lot of the times it's work. He tests me a lot and makes me work at his store. It's so annoying. Ugh. But..."
"But what?"
"What if I'm being hypnotized? What if I only think I want to be an entrepreneur one day?"
"I'm sure that's not true," I said reassuringly. "The problem is, Tom," and I said this earnestly, "we are being forced to grow up too fast. We're still in high school; why do we need to think about our careers already? Isn't it too soon?"
"But-"
"But nothing, Tom! I'm running a shop on my own because my parents are dead. The life of my sister depends on me because I need to supply a roof over our heads. I never wanted this, I never asked for it. But I was forced into it. And you? Your dad's in such a hurry to have you be successful and all grown up, he forgot that you are still a kid. We are still kids. It seems our childhood has been chipping away by the minutes, all because we are being forced to mature too soon."
I took a breath. Wow. Why did I just babble on like that? What was wrong with me today?
Tom just stared at me. I began to panic that I might have made no sense during my rant or that I may have spoken too loud, but he didn't look perplexed. And no one else in the restaurant seemed to be looking our way.
"Sable," Tom finally said. "You said sister."
I rolled my eyes. "I know, Tom, I have a sister."
"There! You did it again." He leaned forward in his seat. I must have still been looking lost, because he quickly gave a quick explanation.
"Sister. As in singular," he said. My heart stopped. He was right.
"B-but I didn't mean it li-" I stammered, but Tom interrupted me.
"Sable, it's okay. I know where your head is. It's not your fault, you didn't mean it."
My mouth was agape. "Yes. I suppose you're right. But still..." It still felt like a sin; a complete and horrible sin. I'm sorry, Labelle, I thought. I'm so sorry.
My phone buzzed from my clutch. I was on a date, and normally I would not answer the phone, but something stirred inside me anxiously. I peeked at the screen and noticed it was a city number.
"Excuse me," I said to Tom, getting up from my seat. "This is from the city."
He didn't say anything; he nodded and his body stiffened.
"Hello?" I said when I reached the bathroom.
A prim voice replied, "May I speak to Sable?"
"Um, speaking." My heart thudded with every breath I took, every word I said.
"This is Gracie the designer from GracieGrace," the woman implied. "Your sister, Labelle, ran to me the other week and told me her dream."
I dropped to my knees. "Y-yes? What happened? Is she okay?"
"Oh, she's doing fabulous. She told me she learned tailoring from you, you know. This girl's got talent. Talent I haven't seen in a long while."
Anger consumed me. "Why didn't you send her back home? She had me worried sick!"
"I just received your number now. Labelle told me she...had been abused back home, so I didn't send her back." Gracie's voice was unsteady.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. "She told you what? You didn't call the police! You didn't ask for my number! You have a little girl on your hands and you didn't even take care of her!"
"Sable?" Labelle's voice whispered through the phone. "Sis?"
"I don't believe this. You come home right now! Are you crazy? You lied! You lied about everything! You're being so foolish!" And then I was sad. "Wasn't I a good sister?" My face was soaked in tears.
"Oh, Sis," Labelle sighed. "You were the best. What I did was so, so wrong, and I'll never do it again. I swear, Sable. But Gracie let me move into her apartment above the store. She had an extra room. I'm fine. She even let me be her apprentice."
At this point I ran out of words, so I just cried into the phone.
"Oh, Sis. Please don't cry. I'm safe. I always was. My dream is coming true. I'll be back soon. I'll visit sometime."
"Don't bother," I croaked. "You're not welcome in our house anymore. You don't know how worried Mabel and I were. I couldn't sleep at night. Mabel cried and cried. And what was I supposed to tell her? That her own sister ran our on us because she needed her dream fulfilled? Your dream was more important than your family, you made it seem. I don't ever want to see you again. Don't bother calling again."
Click.
The phone snapped shut.
"Sable?" a soft voice whispered.
Tom? How did he get in here?
"Come on, I know you're in there." He tapped lightly on the door. "Open up."
The door creaked open to reveal me, broken and tear-stained, sitting on the floor.
"Get up," he said. He extended a paw and I gripped it tightly. He pulled me into a hug.
"I told her I never wanted to see her again," I cried into his shirt. "I'm so horrible."
He squeezed me. "No, you're not. It's not your fault. However..." I looked into his eyes. "She might need a friend right now. A sister, perhaps.
"Forget it," I grumbled. "She has Gracie now. She doesn't need me."
"Sometimes it feels that way," Tom whispered into my quills. "But you know better. I know you do."
I probably did. But I was not touching the phone again.
(Sorry for being so late! The holidays were so busy and I haven't been able to write, but this will be updated more often nowadays, so check again soon for another update!)
