"You've never asked to be excused before," my father grumbled. He seemed to be the only one recognizing my slick remarks. They've flown over the heads of everybody else at the dinner table so far. But then again, maybe my mother's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch me into the kitchen and beat me with one of her ceramic pans that came with her expansive set.
"My stomach's not feeling well," I said in a dead tone. "Fine," my father snapped, angrily forking up his airfried pork chops and gravy. I kissed my mother on the forehead before leaving the eating area, heading up to my room- no sorry, me and Janela's room.
A box of her things was on her side of the room. I had pushed all of my extra things upstairs into our attic, and made do with my side of the room. I plopped down on my bed, pulling out my phone and staring at my short list of Message conversations.
No real friends to talk to during a moment of distress. No one to take as my partner to my mother's event. And no one to go with me to taste test food, amongst other things. What have I really accomplished for the day? Absolutely nothing.
I heard a soft knock on my door.
"Come in," I grumbled.
"Hey," Janela peeked her head in.
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Janela was a lot of inches shorter than me, with a nice curtain of hair, and a tomboyish style to her that made me question what label she was, or if she even had one at all.
"Hey," I replied dryly.
Janela closed the bedroom door behind herself quietly, coming to sit on the edge of my bed without my permission. First you take my room, now you're just completely evading my space?
"Your parents told me about how you felt concerning your room. You know, as far as me being in here and all that," she began. "And I'm sorry that I'm kind of stealing your space for awhile, but I promise I won't bother you while I'm here. My dad and I are just waiting for our new house out here to renovate."
"Why can't you sleep with him?" I asked bluntly.
Janela looked down at her lap. "I don't want to talk about it. Just know I won't be in your hair that long," she stood up, giving me a small smile.
"What's your baby's name?" I switched topics.
I felt bad for being so rude. Maybe I could give Janela a chance. "Well...initially we were gonna go with Margaret," Janela started to babble, "but then I found the name..."
How would I have known that after this bonding conversation my cousin and I shared, that things would slowly start to go to shit between me and her soon after?
