One Of The 4400 Part 1 & 2

Chapter 10

"So...you're telling me you're taking it?" I asked, trying hard to be so excited for Holly. To tell you the truth. I couldn't be.

I had just come back no less than a few weeks ago and now this is how life wanted to deal me?

I'm stuck in my twenties, Vance and Holly had been married for an x amount of years, I have a little brother who is my age, Laney and Matt were born.

And I'm supposed to deal with it?

I can't even sleep well at night due to my nightmares...

"Well...maybe...I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet..." Holly said, her face crashing a bit at my words. Her latest triumph was going to be bittersweet in 4...3...2...1...

"Sure you have." I said sarcastically. God knows I didn't mean to but something in me caused me to say them. I was hurt and hurting bad.

"Vera!" Ma chimed in. She was upset.

"Well, you can't tell me she hasn't thought about it!" I said, looking at Ma.

"Vera...you can't do this to your sister..." Dad said in his low voice.

"Why not? I just came back and she..." I started to say. I looked at my parent's withered faces, realizing slowly that I had been robbed of everything that I thought a twenty year old was entitled to...

I wasn't even allowed to act it out; the slight temper tantrums, the motions of college, and especially feel the unfairness of a situation.

I looked at Holly. Her expression was one that was saddened and a bit ashamed. She looked down at her feet, away from my gaze.

"Forget it..." I bitterly said. I got up from the chair and walked away from everyone. I walked to my bedroom and closed the door, locking the door. Tears in my eyes came streaming down.

Life, I was beginning to realize, was no fair. Especially when technically I couldn't 'actually' grow up.

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"Vera, it's me Vance..." I heard Vance say after knocking on my door.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice was hoarse.

"To talk..." He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"To talk to you about what's going on, V. You know that..." He answered.

"Why should I let you in?" I asked, the sadness returning. Tears, once again, were planning to appear.

"Because...I always made you feel better, V. You always said that to me." He replied.

I wiped away the tears and got up from my bed and unlocked the door, pausing briefly at the door to tell him that he could come in, and walked back to the foot of my bed to sit down.

Vance opened the door and walked in, sitting on the computer chair, sighing as he sat down. He still had his uniform on from work.

"I heard everything from them, their stories about what happened, but I want to hear what's bugging you, V..." He said.

I let out a sigh. "I...I just feel it is unfair...if she takes it...the job position, Van... I mean...I just got back, sure I'm frozen in age and I could pass for your daughter but..." I said. I was feeling that it was hard to explain myself.

"Go on..." Vance said softly, urging me on.

"Vance, I don't think I can..." I muttered, my hand going to my forehead to rub against it. I didn't have a headache yet but I could feel it. I felt that what I wanted to say was in dangerous territory, very dangerous territory, especially when he was now married to Holly.