Dirty Little Secrets

Chapter 13

*15 YEARS LATER*

"Mom, Jason took my iron without asking again!" I heard my oldest daughter, Jenelle, yell from upstairs.

"I did not! Mom, she's lying!" I looked at my youngest, sitting at the kitchen table.

   Jenelle and Jason are my oldest two. They both looked like their father. Jenelle is older than her brother by five minutes. Two years later, we had our daughter, Demitria, who turned out to look like my mom. The next year, our youngest, Demitrious, came along. He ended up the combination of both me and Jason, but he has my hair and eyes.

"Whatcha drawin' there, Demitri?" I looked at his notebook.

   He's the only that turned out to be like me. He rarely speaks, and when he does, it's only to me. When it was Jason or the other three, it was through text. He always said I'm the only one that understands how he feels. Jason tried talking to him, but all her did was text him.

"It's not done ye," he slid his notebook towards me.

   All I got out of the picture was a bloody head and an axe. He never had his notebook out around Jason. All three of us knew it made him worry deeply about him.

"Mom, can you please keep this in your room? Dad's checking my room, and I don't want him to see it."

"Okay," I looked back at the drawing. "Is this suppose to be Dad or your brother?"

"Jenelle," he whispered.

"Jenelle? why Jenelle?"

"I asked her if I could borrow her flat iron, and she burned me with it."

"What happened to yours?"

"Jason tried to take it from me while I was using it, and he broke it."

"why didn't you ask if you could use mine?"

"You were using it."

"Demitri I can stop using it long enough for you to use it."

   He flipped his hair in front of his eyes. I immediately knew one of the other three were in the room. he covered both eyes, which meant either Jenelle or Jason was in the room.

"Mom you have got to get Jason his own straightener," Jenelle said.

"Jenelle, give Demitri yours. You're not allowed to have one anymore."

"Why?"

"You burned him."

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did. I saw you," Demitira was standing behind Jenelle. "There's a mark on his arm. You burned him. Jenelle."

"Okay, fine. I did. He does not need to use mine. He has his own."

"He said Jason broke it."

"He did," Demitria confirmed.

"It's not fair that you always believe him over me and Jason," she turned to her sister. "And you need to keep your mouth shut. No wonder Jason and I always get in trouble."

"Jenelle Amanda Todd!"

"Mom! you and Dad pay more attention to him than any of the three of us! If he hadn't been born, maybe you'd have time for the three of us," she went upstairs.

"Demi, go upstairs. As soon as your father gets home, I want you three in the living room," she nodded, and started up the stairs. "Demi?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Thank you for watching out for your brother."

"Someone has to, and they won't do it, " I turned to see Demitri's eyes filled with tears.

"Do you and Dad wish I was never born?"

"No. Jenelle and Jason don't understand what you're going through. Your father only knows how to act because he's been my best friend my whole life, and I was the same way you are since I was six."

   I never thought I would have to tell any of my kids what happened. Right now, the way I see it, Demitri is the only one that will know. Maybe he's better off being the only that does know."