Perfectly Imperfect 1

5- Acting

CAL:

I pull up in the driveway and shoulder my backpack. Great, that’s the best first day of school I could have ever hoped for! Thank god it’s my final year! 

The door to the house is still locked. Surprise, surprise. I don’t even know why I expected anybody to bother opening the door for me. It’s not like we’re actually a family or anything. Oh wait, we are, aren’t we?

“I’m home!” I call to no one in particular. And as I expected, no body greets me back.

I dump my backpack on the floor and head into the kitchen. It’s always tickled me so much when ‘dad’ brings his workmates home and all of us pretend to be the perfect family. I swear, each and every member of my family should be nominated for an Oscar! They’re so good they actually have me believing that they care.

“Cal!” comes a shriek before there’s a loud crash.

I smile to myself and take my time getting my coke out of the fridge. I walk over to the staircase nonchalantly and lean against the wall, towering over my sister.

“You’re such a fcuking asshole!” she screams at me, rubbing her knee.

She must have tumbled down all the stairs and landed in a heap. 

“How does your clumsiness have anything to do with me Beth?” I ask her in a bored voice.

“You left your bloody crutches on the stairs again!” she accuses, stabbing a finger in my direction.

“Well, I’m sorry, your majesty, but I actually do need those to get up and down the stairs. Maybe if you stopped looking at yourself at every freaking opportunity, you wouldn’t fall over things,” I hint angrily.

“Mum!” she shrieks, throwing me a gloating smile. “Cal’s being an asshole again!”

“Cal!” my mum reprimands from the living room.

“It wasn’t even my fault! The stupid, fat lump fell on her own accord!” I mutter back.

“He called me fat, mum!” she tattles, sticking her tongue out at me.

Sometimes I forget that she’s only 12. She’s as obnoxious as any high schooler! I’d bet she’d give Amy a run for her money when it comes to being bitchy.

“Aren’t you going to help me up?” she demand after a moment.

“Why would I do that when all you do is try your best to make life difficult for me?” I retort, taking a sip of my drink.

“You’re such an asshole! Is it because people treat you like a douche bag? Huh? I heard you had a sucky first day! It must have been horrible for the middle schoolers to have heard about it. Maybe it would go even worse if I accidentally let it slip that you need those stupid crutches to walk up the stairs, huh, big brother,” she murmurs smugly.

“Cal Cafferty! That’s enough!” mum hisses walking into the hallway.

Her heavily botoxed face has barely any emotion. But I’m assuming from the twitch of her mouth that she’s mad. Obviously her anger is towards me. Why would she ever be angry at my little potty-mouthed little sister Bethany?

“Oh, yeah, because I’m crossing the line, right? It has nothing to do with Beth being a bitch, does it?” I challenge.

“How dare you talk about your sister like that?!” mum shrieks.

“Geez. I’m so sorry for my foul mouth!” I mutter sarcastically.

“This is my house! You will be polite to me!” mum screams, getting up in my face.

“It’s not your house! It’s dad’s!” I shout back.

“Get out!” she hisses, slapping me tightly.

My head whips to the side from the impact and I remain motionless for a couple of moments. Did she really just slap me?! I barely register the huge smirk on my sister’s face.

“Fine,” I mutter, throwing my can on the floor.

I grab my bag, my jacket and my keys and storm out of the house, slamming the door shut behind me. I head back into my car, jam the keys into the ignition and pull out of the driveway recklessly.

I don’t need them! I’ll manage on my own! Even with them, it’s like I’m living alone anyway! I’ll just wear the same shirt to school, nobody will notice. And tomorrow, I’ll find a place to stay. For tonight, I’m just going to keep driving till I run out of gas.

Who needs support?

Who needs friends?

Who needs family?!

Not me!