Cody: “Where did you go?”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Seth: “You vanished for a week and a half.”
Cody: “We thought you might be dead…”
Seth: “But mom and dad wouldn’t hear any of it…”
Cody: “Mom kept saying that if you were dead…”
Seth: “It was your own fault…”
Cody: “‘Cause you probably ODed on whatever drug you do…”
Seth: “So it wasn’t our problem yet…”
Cody: “And Aaron wouldn’t let us hit her…”
Seth: “‘Cause she’s our mom and all…”
Me: “Can you guys not finish each others sentences? It freaks me out.”
Seth and Cody: “Sorry.”
Me: “She thinks I do drugs?”
Seth: “They both do. They think that you sleep around and do drugs and skip school and all that shit.”
Me: “You’re kidding, right?”
Cody: “Afraid not.”
Seth: “Sorry, Lia.”
Me: “I fucking hate them.”
Seth and Cody: “We know.”
Cody: “So where were you?”
Me: “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Hell yeah, they wouldn’t.
Seth and Cody: “Try us.”
Me: “Alright. I was trapped in an underground science lab having wings grafted onto my back against my will. Then, for the next three days I underwent vicious physical and psychological tortures to push me past my breaking point in an effort to create the perfect living weapon.”
Seth: “Seriously, Lia. Where were you?”
Of course they wouldn’t believe me.
Me: “I was just out. I needed some time to think.”
Cody: “You needed a week and a half to think?”
Me: “Yeah. I had a lot to think about.”
Seth: “You know that mom and dad love you, right?”
Me: “If they really loved me they wouldn’t keep trying to make me into this perfect person like all of you guys.”
Cody: “You think that we’re perfect?”
Me: “Is that really all of that sentence that you heard?”
Seth and Cody: “Yes.”
Me: “Airheads.”
Seth: “Lia do you want to fight me? Because I will fight you. Right here. Right now.”
Me: “Seth I could beat your ass into the ground six times over.”
Seth: “Stupid karate.”
Cody: “You’re not as good as Max.”
Me: “Don’t you think mom has told me that enough times?”
Cody: “Sorry.”
Me: “Whatever. It just… It kinda sucks knowing that you’re the least favorite child, y’know?”
Seth: “I can imagine.”
Cody: “We wouldn’t know because…”
Seth and Cody: “Mom loves us.”
Me: “Losers.”
Seth: “How did you come up with the wing thing?”
Me: “Huh?”
Seth: “You said you were held in a lab and had wings sewn into your back.”
Me: “Just a nightmare I had last week.”
Cody: “Pretty creative.”
Me: “Not like you are.”
Cody: “Well, obviously.”
Me: “Y’know, you guys could pretend to be humble. Maybe, like, once? You’ll never get girlfriends if you act so dickie.”
Seth: “Dickie?”
Me: “Look it up, douche.”
Seth: “Will do, loser.”
Cody: “I don’t think you have to worry about either of us getting girls, Lia.”
Seth: “Nail and bail! Nice!”
Me: “Oh, ew. God, guys I’m your sister I don’t need to know.”
Seth: “Prude.”
Cody: “Virgin.”
Me: “Not quite…”
I was lying.
Seth and Cody: “Aw ew. Lia!”
Me: “Deal with it.”
Seth: “You know that we love you, right?”
Me: “Of course”
Cody: “Then can you promise us something, Li?”
Me: “Maybe. Depends on what I’m promising.”
Seth: “Next time you wanna disappear…”
Cody: “Don’t.”
Seth: “Come talk to us…”
Cody: “Or something.”
Seth: “Please don’t shut us out again.”
I’m sorry. It wasn’t my decision.
Me: “I promise.”
I just hope I’ll be able to keep that promise.
YOU ARE READING
The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)
Teen FictionI am not special. I am not extraordinary or unique. Everyone in the world faces hardships. Everyone suffers, at one point or another. I am not unusual. Neglect is common. Abuse, unfortunately, is common. Poverty is common. Five different people, fiv...
