Chapter 76

Lindsay's heart seemed to race as she made her way down the Kankers hallway, eventually coming to rest in front of the red panel door that acted as the entry way to Lee's bedroom. As she stood outside, pondering her thoughts, Lee sat inside on the edge of her bed. She had once again retrieved the red photo album from underneath her bed, and was currently using a pink pen to write a few words onto one of the pages.

Outside, Lindsay took a deep breath at which point she reached both of her hands into the air. She proceeded to knock on the door in a highly specific pattern, at one point using both of her hands to create a small rhythm at machine guns pace.

Lee immediately ceased her task at hand and turned her attention to the door with surprise. While she had not heard that particular knocking pattern in over ten years, she instinctively replied to the "L&L" knock using the "secret code phrase", while simultaneously hiding her project under the bed.

"Unless you're a specter, go ahead and enter!" yelled Lee, in manner that matched the rhythm of the knocking pattern.

Lee had finally realized the implications of hearing the characteristic knock, as well as the reply when the door began to slowly open with a long, drawn out creek, revealing Lindsay behind it. As Lindsay stood in the doorway, frozen as still as a statue, Lee followed suit, sitting on the edge of the bed; staring into Lindsay's eyes as if she were an animal caught in a pair of headlights.

Eventually, Lee finally broke out of her trance and turned towards the window. As a scowl appeared on her face, she decided to begin a conversation.

"What the hell are you doing here?," asked Lee, "I told my mom no visitors, and of all the people she let's in it has to be you."

"Yeah, I guess," said Lindsay, "I just wanted stop by and let you know I went to the dance, and won the winter ball crown."

"Yippee," said Lee, "It ain't enough for ya to win, you gotta pay a special trip to my house to tell me."

"No, it's not that," said Lindsay, "I just..."

Lindsay stumbled over her words as she reached into her handbag, pulling out the crown she had won around an hour ago.

"I just thought you should have it," said Lindsay, "If you showed up, you would have won fair and square. It was obvious from the beginning."

Lindsay held the crown out to Lee, her hand shaking in a nervous manner. The girls continued to stare at each other with confused expressions, after which Lindsay's nerves got the best of her. She proceeded to adopt her typical scowl, in addition to her false 'mean girl' persona.

"I mean, it's not like I need it," said Lindsay, "I already win everything else, so why not let you have this one for once."

Lindsay placed the crown on the bed next to Lee, at which point she turned around and began walking towards the door; however, she had barely taken two steps when Lee decided to interject.

"Can the fake bullshit Lindsay," said Lee, "I'm not taking this crown, for your sake I know you can't afford to lose this one. It's really her crown, is it not?"

Lindsay refused to respond, and stood completely still as she stood with her back towards Lee, remaining focused on the door. Lee decided to continue speaking her mind.

"Lindsay," said Lee in a rather stern manner, "Why did you tear up our drawing and end our friendship all those years ago? I don't care if we never speak again, or if we we keep fighting like we've been all of these years, I want the truth. The real story, so I can finally sleep at night knowing what actually happened."

Lindsay refused to respond, prompting Lee to continue.

"I know she isn't just screaming at you," said Lee, "People just don't suddenly change like you did, and they definitely don't wind up in the same bunk room at a camp for children who are victims of child abuse and self harm. I know somethings up, and you aren't leaving this room until you tell me."

There was a long pause, after which Lindsay emitted a long drawn out sigh.

"Okay Annalee," said Lindsay, "I'll give you what you want, but I have to warn you..."

Lindsay turned to face Lee, displaying an expression of sadness.

"It's a very long story." said Lindsay.

"I've got all night," said Lee, at which point she moved over slightly as if to make sitting space. She then patted the bed with her palm, as if to signal Lindsay to sit down. Lindsay obliged, nervously making her way towards the bed. She placed her handbag onto the floor as she took a seat on the soft surface, crossing her legs as she folded her arms on her knees.

"Before I tell you what happened that day," said Lindsay, "There are some other things I have to get off of my chest beforehand. It's all part of the story anyway, so why not."

Lindsay emitted a long drawn out sigh. At the conclusion of the action, she suddenly turned towards Lee.

"Annalee," said Lindsay, "Where did you get your height from?"

Lee paused slightly, surprised at Lindsay's seemingly unrelated question. Nevertheless, Lee decided to reply.

"My biological father was 6'7" tall," said Lee, "That and the fact that my Grandfather on my moms side was 6'4" is probably why I'm so tall. That kind of explains why Marie and May aren't, because they didn't get my biological fathers half of the genes."

"Interesting," said Lindsay as she continued to stare forward. Lee decided to pose a question of her own, while adding a slight joke into the mix.

"So fellow Amazon woman," said Lee, "I couldn't help but notice that you were always way taller than all the other girls in school. Where'd you get your height from?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Lindsay.

At that point Lindsay lifted her right hand into the air.

"Do you remember how you thought it was so cool that I could do this?" asked Lindsay as she folded her right thumb over her palm, and proceeded to curl her long fingers over top of it. Interestingly, in lieu of being hidden as usual, the distal end of her thumb protruded out from behind her pinky, completely exposing it's long pink nail.

"Yeah," said Lee, "That and the fact that you were double-jointed pretty much everywhere else in your body."

Lindsay giggled slightly, after which she continued.

"This is called Steinberg's sign," said Lindsay, "Here's another one for you."

At that point, Lindsay lifted her left hand and proceeded to grip her right wrist with her thumb and little finger. To Lee's surprise, Lindsay's little finger managed to overlap her thumb, a feat which is typically impossible.

"That one is called Walkers sign," said Lindsay, "They are two key signs of Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the bodies connective tissues. It often results in eye problems, like nearsightedness and lens dislocation, dental problems, like crowded teeth, overbite, and issues with the hard plate, and cardiovascular issues, like a dilated aorta, undue fatigue, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Most notably, the condition affects the skeletal system, and results in above average height and disproportionately long limbs."

Lee sat shocked as Lindsay turned towards her with a sly grin.

"Surprise surprise," said Lindsay, "My height is due to my Marfan syndrome!"

"Holy shit Lindsay," said Lee, "I had no idea..."

"Yep," said Lindsay as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "About 15–30% of cases, or about roughly about one in 20,000 births are due to random genetic mutations, but more commonly, the condition is passed on from a parent, with a 50-50 shot of the child having the condition."

Lindsay turned towards Lee.

"That's how I got mine." said Lindsay.

"Wow," said Lee with surprise, "So you got it from your dad?"

"Nope." said Lindsay, "I got it from my mother."

"Really?," asked Lee, "But Ive seen your mom, and she doesn't seem to be anything but average in terms of height."

Lindsay giggled slightly.

"Time for secret number two," said Lindsay, "Edyta Babik is not my mom, it would be a disgrace for me to even think about comparing her to my mother. For all intents and purpose, let's just say she's something more of a step-mother."

Lindsay paused as she refolded her hands.

"My mother passed away fourteen years ago." said Lindsay, "Her name was Tiffany O'Leary, and she too had Marfan Syndrome, but hers was the result of a random genetic mutation, because my neither my Grandmom and Grandpop have it."

Lindsay turned towards a surprised Lee with a neutral expression.

"Sorry I never got a chance to tell you before." said Lindsay.

"Jesus Christ," said Lee, "I always thought you and Edyta didn't look anything alike, and now it all makes sense. That and the fact that no real mother would be able to drag her daughter the way I saw her drag you away from us that day."

There was a slight pause, after which Lee decided to pose another question.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Lee, "How did your mom pass, and how did you wind up with that piss poor excuse of a stepmother?"

Lindsay sighed.

"Like I said," said Lindsay, "It's a long story. I guess I should start by telling you about my mom."

Lindsay took a deep breath, and proceeded to begin her story.

"My mom grew up in the city," said Lindsay, "She was a very awkward girl; like me, she was always over a head taller than any of the other girls she knew. She was also really skinny, my Dad always said her best friend in high school used to playfully say she was built 'like a bread stick in tennis shoes', a statement which she eventually took ownership of. She had really bad spinal curvature, which required her to wear a daunting back brace for most of her childhood and early teenage years. On top of that, she had really bad nearsightedness, for which she wore thick glasses throughout her life, and had to have numerous back teeth removed due to her mouth being overcrowded. Because of that, the teeth she did have were severely crooked, and she was forced to wear a large orthodontic appliance that my Dad jokingly called her 'apparatus'. Of course, all of this was a result of her Marfan syndrome, and while the red flags were there, no diagnosis was ever made. The syndrome often goes undiagnosed, and everyone, including the doctors, just thought she was tall and naturally awkward.

Lindsay reached into her handbag and retrieved a small photograph.

"This is my mom when she was in eight grade," said Lindsay as she held the picture out to Lee.

Lee retrieved her glasses from the nightstand, unfolded the arms, and placed the black frames on her face. She then retrieved the photograph for observation. The picture consisted of a headshot of a teenage girl, the face of whom was the exact same shape as Lindsay's. Her hair was blonde and wavy, just as Lindsay's was, however in lieu of hanging loose, it was parted into two high ponytails. Most notably, around the girls head was a brown strap, attached to which were several metal rods extending into the air like a spiders legs. The rods served as an orthodontic appliance, commonly referred to as "headgear" and served as anchor points for several metal wires. These wires were attached to the girls braces, which adorned her severely maloccluded teeth.

"Wow," said Lee, "That head gears even worse than that little wierdos down the street. I hope that at least helped her out in the end."

"Believe me," said Lindsay, "It only took couple thousand dollars, but all that dental work eventually did the trick."

Lindsay retrieved the photograph from Lee, and placed it back into her handbag prior to continuing her story.

"My mom was able to get that headgear removed after eighth grade, just as she entered high school" said Lindsay, "Getting rid of that junk improved her self confidence, and she finally got the nerve to finally ask my dad out on a date. They lived down the street from each other when they were kids, and my mom my had a crush on him ever since she got her headgear stuck in a chain link fence and he helped her get out. My Dad told me he always had a crush on her too, but he was too scared to ask her out because he thought she was too cool for him."

Lindsay giggled.

"Anyway, in addition to getting her braces off, my moms friend recruited her to join the schools girls basketball team," said Lindsay, "Due to their height and their disproportionately long limbs, people with Marfan Syndrome are often selected as athletes, and my mother was no exception."

Lindsay turned towards Lee.

"My mom entered ninth grade at a height of 6'0," said Lindsay, "She graduated high school at a height of 6'6", and remained at that height for the rest of her life. Obviously her height was perfect for the sport, but my mom had never touched a ball before in her life, preferring video games and accounting instead of physical activity. But with the encouragement of my dad and her best friend, as well as her physical therapist for what they saw as therapy for her joint pain, she started practicing. Lo and behold it became one of her favorite hobbies. She was a natural, becoming an instant school celebrity, and leading the school basketball team to several championships."

Lindsay caught her breath.

"My dad always says my mom was larger than life, literally and figuratively," said Lindsay, "She was active on the debate team, the young republicans club, and the junior investment club. He said everybody loved her, she just had this natural charisma about her that brightened everyone's day. But she never embraced her popularity, and always remained humble, keeping only two close acquaintances, her best friend from childhood, and her boyfriend, my Dad."

Lindsay paused briefly as she adjusted her coat, as well as her legs, switching the order of their crossing.

"Anyway, after graduation, many colleges tried to recruit my mom for basketball, but she ultimately decided to go to the same university as my dad," said Lindsay, "My mom loved sports, but her biggest passion in life was business and investment. She went to school for finance, and my Dad went to school for nuclear engineering. I always joke with my dad about him being such a nerd, but he really is the smartest guy I know. He can fix anything, and do all kinds of crazy math I never even heard of, just like you. That got him an accelerated degree, and he eventually graduated with a pHd in six years, his final research project being a new type of cooling system for MRI medical machines. Of course, his patents provided him with the perfect opportunity to go into business, and he and my mom decided to start building their own corporation from the bottom up: Charles-Tiffany Imaging Science International. My dad handled all of the engineering, my mom handled all of the finance and the business. It was amazing."

"Well now we know where you got those insane skills with money from," said Lee, "Not to mention those charismatic skills."

"I suppose," said Lindsay, "My Dad says he see's my mom in me everyday, in looks and in personality. Although I don't always agree, my mom would at least stand up for herself instead of submitting to be a mindless puppet."

There was a slight pause.

"Anyway, to get to the point, and to prevent Kilted from getting slack for world building," said Lindsay, "My mom and dad worked well together, got married and eventually decided that they wanted to have a baby. My Dad said I'm a very special baby, because my mom and dad had a lot of trouble conceiving, but after multiple tries, they finally managed to create me."

Lindsay swallowed slightly as her eyes became somewhat glassy.

"My Dad said they were so excited about finally having a little girl," said Lindsay, "He hired a team of accountants for my mom to train so she could take some time off when she had me, and spent everyday fixing up our old house and making me all kinds of toys that I would eventually play with. Eventually, the time came, and my mom was admitted to the hospital with my Dad at her side."

Lindsay wiped her right eye, and took a deep breath prior to continuing.

"My moms labor was quite difficult," said Lindsay, "But after a few hours, I arrived safe and sound with one final push. Unfortunately, while that push ushered in the beginning of my life on this earth, it spelled the end of my mothers."

Lindsay turned toward Lee.

"People with Marfan syndrome often have weakening of the aorta, the large blood vessel that acts as the main line from the heart to the rest of the body," said Lindsay, "For that reason, afflicted individuals such as myself are supposed to have routine scans to ensure that their aorta is holding up, and are prescribed beta blockers to keep their blood pressures at safe levels. Unfortunately, due to never being diagnosed, my mom was never monitored, and her aorta ruptured from the blood pressure spike."

"Lindsay..." said Lee softly as she placed her hand over her mouth.

"My dad doesn't like to talk about it," said Lindsay, "But from what he has told me, I know he was rushed out to the waiting room while my mom was rushed into emergency surgery. That was the last time he saw her alive, and while I technically knew my mom for nine months, I never got to meet her."

There was a pause as a tear began to slowly trickle down Lindsay's face. Lee watching in sadness, reached out and grabbed Lindsay's hand in hers, squeezing it gently for a few minutes. However, upon realizing the two were sharing an emotional moment, they pulled their hands away from each other; both girls feeling awkward doing so as they were technically still "fighting".

"Wow," said Lee, "That was a doozy. I didn't think there was much I didn't know about you, but that surely proved me wrong."

Lee turned toward Lindsay with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

"That also explained why you came up as Tiffany when we were in camp together" said Lee, "I thought those over excited jackasses they call counsellors got hit over the head with too many pine cones."

The two girls shared a laugh, after which Lee decided to continue.

"That leads me to my next question," said Lee, "Why do you go by Lindsay, instead of Tiffany."

"Lindsay is my middle name," said Lindsay, "It's my grandmother on my dads sides first name."

"So hold on," said Lee in a playful manner, "Where'd this Elizabeth bullshit come from?"

"It's my confirmation name goofball!" said Lindsay, "So my name is Tiffany Lindsay Elizabeth Statorowski. I always went by Lindsay because I thought it sounded cooler, but sometimes I wish I would have got used to calling myself Tiffany to honor my mother."

Lindsay paused as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"My Dad, my Baba, and my moms parents are the only people on this planet that call me Tiffany," said Lindsay, "When I was born, my mom became Tiff and I was Tiffany to avoid confusion. What's funny is my moms nickname in high school was Big T, something she hated at first, but then she learned to love. My dad sometimes calls me Little T as a nickname, to pay homage to my moms nickname."

At that moment, Lindsay adopted a serious expression.

"My dad introduced me as Tiffany to Edyta when I first met her," said Lindsay, "She calls me Tiffany when in front of my dad, but calls me Lindsay otherwise."

Lindsay turned towards Lee.

"Well that's a perfect segue into the next part of my story, and the end of the easy part," said Lindsay, "Now that you have the background, let me finally explain why I was forced to do what I did all those years ago. You probably already figured it out, but let me just warn you upfront, it's definitely not a fairy tail."

"That's okay," said Lee, as she rose up from the bed, "My life's no fairy tail either, that's for sure."

Lee began walking towards the bedroom door, at which point she turned around to face Lindsay.

"Before we share the stories of our depressing childhoods," said Lee, "How about we take a break and go brew up some tea? This chapters getting pretty long anyway. My moms cupcakes should be done too, I'll bring some up."

"Sure," said Lindsay, "Nothing like a bunch of sweetness to balance out all the sourness, huh LeeLee."

At the conclusion of her statement, Lindsay's mouth suddenly clammed up as if she had engaged in taboo. Her cherished nickname for her best friend had not been used out loud in years, and the sudden slip-up surprised both girls.

A few moments passed, at which point Lee proceeded to open the door.

"Alright then," said Lee, "I'll be right back."

"Okay," said Lindsay, at which point Lee made her exit, on the way to the kitchen to retrieve some refreshments.