What to do now. *book two*

Getting the blame.

"Hope, what are you talking about?"
"I just want to be known as Hazel. It's what my friends call me, so why can't you call me Hazel?"
"What's wrong with Hope?"
"It's nothing, I just-"
"Is it nothing?"

She says nothing.

"What's wrong with your name, Hope?"

She frowns.

"What's so wrong with it, that I don't seem to understand?"

"YOU PICKED IT!!" She screams.
"Oh, so you have a problem with me!? Not the fucking name!? What have I done, other than love and cherish you!?"
"You prefer Lucy! I know you do! He's your favourite, he always has been!!"
"I don't favour any of you over the other, you know that!"

"JUST SHUT UP!!!" She screams at me before running off upstairs.

I sit down and lie face down on the sofa, and I want to cry.

I hear the front door open, and then someone puts their hand on my shoulder, "Damien, Honey, what's wrong?"

I sigh, "hope said that she wanted me to call her Hazel instead of Hope, because all of her friends call her Hazel and I asked her what was wrong with her name and she said it was because I picked it."
"I'll go talk to her."

He kisses my head, ruffles my hair and then goes upstairs.

Soon, he comes back down, "she says she never said anything about name changing."
"What?" I sit up, "I'm not lying! Kes, you know I'd never lie!"
"I know, I know."
"She screamed at me!"
"I'll go and see if she's changed her answer."

He goes back upstairs and when he comes back down, he sighs, "she still says the same thing, so you've got to be lying."
"Ugh!!"

I stamp my foot, and go into the bathroom and kick the door.

I lock it as well.

"Damien, can you please tell me the truth?"
"I was telling the truth!! She is lying!!"
"Well I keep asking her, and her answer isn't changing."

I glare at the floor, hot, angry tears streaming down my face.

"Damien?"

I don't answer.

"Can I come in please?"

I still don't answer.

"Look, I know you aren't dead in there, because you can't die, so you've no other reason to ignore me."
"I know I can't die, but there's no reason for you to be so shallow about it!"
"It wasn't intentional."
"It got my attention though, didn't it? Why can't I die anyway? This whole important for life to go on thing is fucking stupid! I just want to die and no one will let me! And now hope is lying about screaming at me and you think I'm the one who's lying! I'm not lying!"

He's silent.

"I don't care which of us you believe, I am not lying! I never lie unless I'm saying I'm fine!"

He sighs, "guess I'll go ask her again then..."

I hear him walk away and then I hear laughing and so I leave the bathroom and go upstairs.

I stand outside Hopes bedroom door.

"You should have heard them talk as a teen! They could barely speak, their stutter was that bad!"
"That crazy! I never knew they used to have a stutter!"
"Well, they take a while to open up to people, but when they do, you can see all the beautiful cracks in them."
"Why would cracks be beautiful?"
"Because them they trust you with their deepest secrets and darkest memories, and it's... it's amazing."
"I don't see how negative things can be beautiful. It doesn't make sense to me."
"Are you saying Damien isn't beautiful?"
"Well... I don't know?"
"They're literally the most beautiful person you'll ever meet!"
"Eh... yeah... maybe if you were blind?"
"Hey, don't be rude, that's your parent you're talking about!"
"Uh huh..."
"Hazel, don't be rude about them, they've done a lot for you."
"Wait, I never told you-"
"Did you tell Damien that's what you wanted them to call you?"
"I-"
"I've caught you off guard now, haven't I?"