Envious // Leo Howard

•13•

Everyone surrounded me, looking concerned. I pulled Bubba into my lap, leaning into Leo's shoulder, which happened to be the closest thing to me besides my new pit bull pup. "This started a while ago. Probably when I was 5 or so," I began.

—•••—

Being a younger sibling, or in this case cousin, has its advantages. For instance, you get more attention, more toys, more money is spent on you, all that good stuff. But, of course, there's the older sibling/cousin's end where jealousy is their number one emotion.

That was the relationship between me and Nicole before. Nicole was jealous I was everything to my mom and Aunt Cherry. Nicole did everything she could to get their attention, including biting other kids, kicking teachers' shins, and writing hate notes on other kids' desks.

The only attention she received was annoyed and unimpressed attention. My mom and Aunt Cherry would always scold and berate her for being so immature and irresponsible. Because of that, I was the angel child, the one they'd compare her to all the time. Of course that would get on her nerves. This is how it all started. Because of envy.

I was skipping down the sidewalk, hand in hand with my mom and Aunt Cherry. Nicole, my one year older cousin, was walking behind us. I was humming to a fun upbeat tune, as 5 year olds do, as we crossed the street. "Mama!" I heard Nicole scream as a car, that wasn't supposed to be there, rushed by.

Nicole was crying her eyes out as she lay there, blood gushing out of her leg. My mom and Aunt Cherry rushed to her aid, carrying her bridal style away from the street. "What happened, baby?" Aunt Cherry asked, on the brink of tears as me and my mom followed her and Nicole to a nearby hospital.

"I was crossing the street, like you were, but I need to tie my shoe. So, I stopped to tie it, but that big red car ran me over!" she wailed as we entered the hospital. "You probably would've noticed me if you weren't paying attention to Sasha. Then I wouldn't be in pain!"

My mom and Aunt Cherry glared at me harshly. As a five year old, you don't really know what happens around you much, but a glare as harsh as theirs, even a three year old would know they were mad at you. "Don't worry, Nicole. We'll make sure this never happens again," my mom assured.

Aunt Cherry signed Nicole into the ER, waiting anxiously as a nurse came by with a rolling chair. I got up to sit in it, considering it looked quite similar to my stroller, just for my mom to harshly push me out of it. Aunt Cherry picked up Nicole again, setting her down in the wheelchair.

I assumed they wanted Nicole to sit down first, then me on her lap. Much to my displeasure, Aunt Cherry shoved me back into the plastic chair in the waiting room just as I stood up. "Sit still you little idiot," she sneered. Her gaze softened as they landed on Nicole.

Once Nicole was released from the hospital, she was pestered with attention and new toys, just like how I had been. Whenever I went to play with her toys, she'd slap my hands away from them, glaring harshly. I'd always send pleading looks to my mom and Aunt Cherry, but they were already looking at me with disappointment. They didn't see me as an angel anymore. They saw me as a devil.

So they treated me like one. Yelling profanities no five year old should hear every minute of everyday.

A year passed and Nicole was all better. My little brain thought that meant everything would go back to how it used to, me being the angel and her, well I never really knew what she did. Unfortunately, it didn't. I was continuously berated and neglected.

One day, when I was coloring in my coloring book, Nicole ran up to my mom and Aunt Cherry with a big smile on her face. "Look Aunt Kristy! Look mom! I got the lead in my school play! I'm gonna be Wendy from Peter Pan!" she cheered. "Eventually, I'll make it to the big shots. I'll be the most famousest actress in the whole wide world!"

"I know you will, sweetie!" my mom nodded.

"You have the looks and talent after all. Both of which you get from your momma," Aunt Cherry agreed.

"I wanna make it in the big shots too!" I smiled, walking up to the others. "Or an artist! Look at my unicorn! Isn't it pretty?"

"Ugh. Do you not know how to color inside the lines?" Aunt Cherry groaned.

"And in what world is a unicorn green?" my mom added. Tears pricked my eyes as I ran to my room, crying myself to sleep.

A year later I was able to nail the role of Annie in the school's play Annie. Nicole was livid. She went crying to my mom and Aunt Cherry. For the first time in two years, I thought they'd be proud. But I was wrong. Ever since that play, my mom and Aunt Cherry allowed Nicole and her friends to spread rumors about me, lock me in storage closets, and do literally anything she wanted to me.

I never thought that walking across the street would change my life so much.

—•••—

"And that's what happened. That's how Nicole became the spoiled brat she is," I finished, still leaning into Leo's arm. "I consider myself lucky, if I'm being honest."

"How come?" Liv asked, her face showing sympathy.

"Well, think about it. If Nicole hadn't broken her leg that day, I might've ended up just like her. And I don't want that," I shrugged, sniffling a little.

"I'm glad you trust us enough to tell us what's going on in your home life, but why were curled up next to Bubba, crying?" Dylan asked.

"Nicole came in here telling me I was 'an unwanted little bitch'," I sighed.

"We'll fire her," Leo suggested immediately.

"No. I still need a place to live," I joked. "Knowing my situation, I have a feeling they'd kick me out if I got Nicole fired."

"Fine," Mateo groaned. I could tell they all wanted to help, but they were limited because of my restrictions to so many things. "Just remember that we're here for you. No matter what," Mateo promised.

"Thanks, Téo," I smiled, giving him a hug. These guys are the best cast mates ever. Scratch that. Best friends ever.