Invisible

CONFESSION

FOURTH OF JULY WASN’T ANY DIFFERENT. Fireworks, beer, Ethan getting more wasted by the second.

It was pretty funny, actually… Blake wouldn’t stop screaming at him.

I smile as Mark stops in front of Satan’s building. I climb out of my seat, slam the door. Mark actually isn’t working today, and Aiden couldn’t bring me because he had something to do.

“I’ll be back to pick you up,” he says. Then he pulls off and I walk through the front door of the building, into the elevator.

Something about Satan’s lobby is different. It’s still as bright as it usually is, but her assistant isn’t as… cheerful. She just looks up at me, her smile suddenly fading as she calls for Satan, tells her I’m here. After a few moments, she walks out, the evil look on her face slightly worse than it typically should be.

“You can come back,” she says as she leads me into her office. I sit on the loveseat, wait for her to start as she sits at her desk.

“How have things been?” she asks as she opens her clipboard to a new page. I stare at my shirt, completely clean of bloodstains. Then I smile, proud of myself. I haven’t really cut myself since I met with Aiden and his family again. It’s really weird, but I guess it mostly has to do with Ali and how much she actually watches me. Satan waits for me to respond.

“Fine,” I say, “Aiden’s family has been helping out a lot, what with Mark being at work all the time.” I smirk as I study her expression. It doesn’t really change.

“Yes, he’s really sorry about that, and he wants to make it up to you.”

I feel my heart pace. This can’t be good.

“And how is he planning on doing that?”

“He thinks you should stay until you go back to school.”

Then my expression changes, hardens. Her eyes study me the same way they did the first time I came. She thinks the attention whore is on her way.

“What?”

“He doesn’t think you’re improving, really. He thinks you need more time.”

“I don’t need any more time with him. I’m fine.”

“He doesn’t seem to agree, and I can’t really change his mind—”

“What’s he telling you? That I still cut myself?”

“Well, no, but aren’t you?”

“No, I stopped a few weeks ago.”

“Emma, that doesn’t mean you’ve stopped. He wants to be sure you’re okay before he sends you off.”

More like he wants to keep me trapped.

“I would rather not stay there after my eighteenth birthday. I was planning on moving out next week.”

“Well, he really wanted me to talk to you about this.  He says he knows you’re not ready, and spending time with him, Jessie, and Jeremy should—”

Once she says the name, anger pours out of me.

“Well isn’t it your job to help me?” I ask angrily, “Hasn’t it been your job for the past year to help me?”

She doesn’t answer, just a blank stare thrown straight at me. I continue.

“If you aren’t doing your job right, then why am I being punished?”

“No one is trying to punish you. We’re all trying to—”

 “I’ll be eighteen, and last time I checked, it’s the legal age. Is it not?”