Boyfriend

Chapter 5

Envious Errands

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Lily, get up."

I rolled over and avoided the fingers digging mercilessly into my shoulders.

"Lily," the voice insisted. "I am in no mood for this, nor do I have the time."

I cautiously peeked my eyes open at the person who was swatting me incessantly and tugging at my hair. Petunia. Wonderful.

"Go away," I moaned grumpily.

"That's what I'm trying to do," she huffed angrily.

"Well, do it faster," I replied as I aimed a kick at her.

"God, Lily, you are so horrible sometimes!"

I sighed. Is it weird that I thought she was right? I mean, on the surface, I was the perfect child. I never did anything wrong, I'd never received a detention, and I'd never even skipped a homework assignment. I only had two piercings, one for each ear, and I'd never had anything tattooed. Yet, I always felt this nagging sense that I just wasn't a good person. Maybe it was the witch thing. I never really felt the same way since I found out I was different. I was raised to be normal, and according to most religions, I was an abomination. Even though my parents loved me and seemed perfectly happy about my real nature, I still wondered what life would have been like if I just could have been normal for them. My relationship with Petunia would have been different. That much, I was sure.

I groaned. Merlin, I should not think in the mornings. I started trying to find logic in Petunia's words.

"Well, so are you!" I replied lamely and far too late.

"Ugh," she grumbled. "I'm spending the day with Vernon. Mother wants you to go grocery shopping because she and Dad won't be back until late tonight. You're on your own for dinner. Your boyfriend is reading my newspaper downstairs in the kitchen," added Petunia, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

"You hate reading the newspaper. You hate reading!" I reminded her as I begrudgingly forced my carcass up into an attempt at a sitting position.

Petunia clicked her tongue angrily. "Yeah, well, I would still like the option!" she defended herself prissily as she tugged on her blonde hair.

"Wait," I realized. "If James is downstairs, why didn't you just tell him all of this!"

Petunia grimaced. "Like I would voluntarily talk to a freak!"

"You call me a freak all the time, and you're talking to me," I pointed out to her rationally.

I smiled as I watched her blue eyes bulge and her mouth turn into a frown. Her eyes narrowed, and I knew I had managed to outsmart my older sister even in my early morning stupor.

"Yeah, well, you're my ruddy sister!" she huffed dramatically. "I'm going to be with Vernon," she declared before storming out of my room and slamming the door behind her.

Grabbing my pillow and inhaling its wonderful just-out-of-the-dryer scent, I laughed as I heard her heels clank as she raced down the stairs angrily.

Day three of this whole façade was turning out to be an interesting day.

No longer able to neither sleep nor ignore the grumbling of my stomach, I wrapped my robe around my tank top and shorts and sauntered downstairs. When I entered the kitchen, I found James sipping coffee and examining the paper.

"Morning," he greeted me from over his mug. "There's more coffee in the pot."

I nodded and poured myself some.