Colleen: The Sister Who Forgave the Unforgivable

Overview

Colleen appears in Laura Clery’s memoir Idiots as the older sister who endures some of Laura’s most destructive behavior yet remains a constant, forgiving presence. She is introduced through a single shocking act—Laura secretly doses her with GHB at a dinner to honor their grandmother—and later surfaces in a harrowing escape from a predatory man in Miami. Colleen functions as both a victim of Laura’s addiction and an anchor who helps Laura survive. Her character illustrates the resilience of sibling bonds and the possibility of forgiveness even after profound betrayal.

Plot Role and Appearances

Colleen appears in [/books/idiots/chapter-6/](Chapter 6), the chapter Laura titles “Me Too, Though,” which collects stories she had been too ashamed to tell in her first book. Three key episodes involve Colleen:

1. The drugged dinner – While mourning their grandmother Alice, Laura and Colleen go out with two men. Laura, already drunk and eager to try GHB (“Gamma for Gramma”), agrees to slip some into Colleen’s champagne. Colleen drinks it, feels tired, and asks to go home. She later goes out with a friend and reports having a “fucking great night.”
2. The Miami escape – In their early twenties, Laura and Colleen fly to Miami with a wealthy Frenchman they met at a party. When he becomes sexually aggressive, Colleen and Laura sneak out of his penthouse with a bottle of Dom Pérignon and find refuge with younger men.
3. The fake‑cancer incident – While partying with those young men, Laura disappears with Jason, who claims he has terminal cancer and a nine‑year‑old daughter. Colleen calls Laura frantically and locates her in Jason’s hotel room, where Laura is crying and reports that “his dick is out.” Colleen’s call helps Laura snap out of a dangerous situation.

These episodes are the only direct appearances in the narrative, but Colleen is also mentioned in passing when Laura recalls childhood events and her mother’s “chaotic but loving” parenting style. The memoir’s photographs chapter includes family pictures of Laura with her sisters, reinforcing Colleen’s presence throughout Laura’s life.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Interpretation of Colleen’s character must be drawn from her actions rather than internal monologue, because the memoir is told entirely from Laura’s first‑person perspective.

• Forgiveness and loyalty – After learning that Laura drugged her, Colleen does not cut off contact. She continues living with Laura and later agrees to the risky Miami trip, saying “alright” when Laura insists on going. Her willingness to stay with Laura despite knowing Laura’s impulsiveness shows deep loyalty.
• Protectiveness – In Miami, Colleen keeps an eye on Laura. When Laura goes missing with Jason, Colleen calls frantically and pushes Laura to explain what is happening. Her urgency suggests she senses danger and wants to keep her sister safe.
• Resilience – Colleen is repeatedly put in compromising situations because of Laura’s choices, yet she does not collapse. She goes out dancing after the drugging, and she manages to escape the Frenchman’s penthouse with Laura. She supports herself as a waitress while Laura is unemployed and high.
• Pragmatism – In Miami, when Laura suggests escaping, Colleen points out the practical problem: they have no money to get back to Los Angeles. She thinks about logistics even in a crisis.

Chronological Arc

Colleen’s arc in the memoir is not linear; she appears as a supporting character in a few discrete moments that span Laura’s late teens to early twenties. The timeline:

1. Age 18–19 – Laura and Colleen live together in Los Angeles. Colleen works as a waitress and supports Laura. The drugged dinner occurs shortly after their grandmother’s death.
2. Early twenties – The Miami trip happens. Laura is still deep in addiction, and Colleen is still trying to keep them afloat.
3. Later years – The memoir does not show Colleen again in the main narrative, but the photograph chapter implies they remain close. Laura credits Colleen’s forgiveness with giving her the courage to include the drugging story in Idiots: “I don’t hate you, Laura, and I’m the one you drugged.”

Colleen’s arc is one of steady presence. She does not change dramatically because the story is not hers; she serves as a constant that highlights Laura’s transformation from reckless addict to accountable adult.

Relationships

Colleen and Laura

The central relationship is that of older sister and younger sister. Laura describes Colleen as the one who worked hard while Laura was “too high to get a job.” The power imbalance is clear: Laura’s addiction makes her unreliable and dangerous, yet Colleen remains. Laura’s drugging of Colleen represents the ultimate betrayal of trust, but Colleen’s response—“I don’t hate you”—opens the door for Laura’s honesty in the book. Colleen’s forgiveness is a model of the grace that Laura later learns to extend to her husband Stephen during his infidelity (see [/books/idiots/themes/addiction-and-recovery/](Addiction and Recovery)).

Colleen and Laura’s mother

The outline mentions that Laura’s mother lied to get Laura away from an abusive partner, showing the family’s protective instinct. Colleen likely inherits this same protectiveness, though the memoir does not detail their mother–Colleen dynamic directly.

Colleen and the predatory men

Colleen interacts with the same men who exploit Laura—Jared, the Frenchman, Jason—but she never becomes their victim. She avoids the GHB because she declines the initial offer, and she sees through the Frenchman’s intentions before Laura does. Her judgment is sounder than Laura’s, a contrast that emphasizes how addiction clouded Laura’s decision‑making.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Themes and Symbolism

Colleen threads through several of the book’s core themes, explored in depth on the themes pages:

• Family bonds and forgiveness – Colleen’s forgiveness is the emotional engine of Chapter 6. It shows that families can survive even the worst betrayals, a lesson Laura applies to her own marriage.
• Sexual trauma and #MeToo – Colleen is present during two of Laura’s traumatic encounters (the drugged dinner and the Miami trip). Her solidarity during the Miami escape reinforces the theme that women survive by sticking together, a key idea in [/books/idiots/themes/sexual-trauma-and-metoo/](Sexual Trauma and #MeToo).
• Addiction and recovery – Colleen is a witness to Laura’s active addiction. Her quiet support contrasts with Laura’s chaotic behavior, and her forgiveness mirrors the amends process that Laura later undertakes in sobriety.
• Neurodiversity and acceptance – While Colleen is not neurodivergent herself, she appears in a story about Laura’s ADHD and impulsivity. Laura’s inability to foresee the consequences of drugging her sister can be read through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD.
• Work‑life balance and creative authenticity – Colleen’s steady work as a waitress represents the “normal” life that Laura rejects. Laura’s eventual success as a comedian and author comes partly from learning to tell the truth about her past, a truth Colleen helped her face.

Symbolically, Colleen acts as a mirror. She reflects the person Laura could have been without addiction: responsible, grounded, and protective. She also represents the “witness” that many survivors need—someone who sees the worst and still loves.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Laura drug her own sister Colleen?

Laura drugs Colleen because she is addicted to substances and believes GHB will make Colleen feel as good as she does. She does not know it is a date‑rape drug; in her addict mind, she thinks she is doing Colleen a favor, like introducing her to a fun experience. This shows how addiction warps judgment even toward loved ones.

2. How does Colleen react when she finds out she was drugged?

When Laura or Jared tells her that her drink was spiked, she “almost too casually” shakes her head and goes inside. Later she goes out dancing and has a great night. She does not express anger, and years later she tells Laura, “I don’t hate you, Laura, and I’m the one you drugged.” Her reaction is one of striking forgiveness, which Laura interprets as evidence that Colleen was not shocked by Laura’s behavior.

3. What role does Colleen play in the Miami escape?

Colleen is the pragmatic one. She notices the Frenchman’s sexual aggression, and when Laura panics, Colleen asks the practical question: “How the fuck do you suppose we get back to L.A.?” She helps Laura grab their bags, steal a bottle of champagne, and sprint out of the penthouse. Together they find refuge with other young people.

4. How does Colleen’s forgiveness affect Laura’s decision to write Chapter 6?

Laura originally left the drugging story out of her first book because of shame. When she tells Colleen how nerve‑racking it is to share intimate stories, Colleen points out that Laura omitted the time she drugged her. Colleen’s lack of hatred gives Laura permission to include the story, saying, “That was all I needed to hear.” This forgiveness becomes the catalyst for Laura’s radical honesty in the chapter.

5. What does Colleen reveal about Laura’s character in the early years?

Colleen’s presence exposes Laura’s reckless, impulsive, and dangerous behavior during her addiction. Laura is jobless, always high, and willing to put her sister at risk for free drinks and drugs. At the same time, Colleen’s loyalty reveals that Laura is capable of inspiring deep love—otherwise Colleen would have left long before. The contrast between Laura’s actions and Colleen’s steadfastness underscores the central tension of the memoir: the struggle between the addicted self and the loved self.

For further reading, see the [/books/idiots/ending-explained/](ending explained) page and the full /books/idiots/ summary.