{Completed}
When we got hurt as children, we went running to our parents, they would scold us and treat the wound until it was cured.
As we became older, we realized that the wounds we showed our parents were the ones that healed quickly because so...
A week had passed since I started to keep my secret. My father's smiling face lured me into telling them but the usual sinister look on Jade's face anytime he asked about it dissuaded me completely.
As we sat on the table this morning, that was the only thing on my mind. As I punched my plate with my fork constantly without taking any food in my mouth, my hands felt sore. The distinct chatter of my siblings that morning made me realize that my mother had suddenly outgrown telling us not to talk on the table.
"So, I've been thinking a lot about June leaving," Jade started to talk.
Hearing my name in the same sentence as leave jerked off all of the drowsiness in my eyes, I suddenly became alert as to what was to come out of Jade's mouth next. She seemed surprised at my sudden involvement in the conversation but she dissuaded it and continued,
"Since you're leaving with Mom for your anniversary this weekend, I've been thinking of calling a few of June's classmates over to celebrate her leaving for college earlier than the rest of the peers," she explained.
My heart rate spiked that moment, there was no telling to that. I put all my faith in my father hoping that he'll definitely reject that suggestion.
"I mean, it's not a bad idea but we've not even heard from the university," he replied her and I let out a small sigh.
"Well this is June we're talking about," Jace chipped in for the first time that morning. The smile on his face as he returned to his food made me quiver in fear as to whether my father would agree or not.
"Yes father, she's not like us," Jade remarked as I noticed both of them smile to each other.
Then I realized that this was a clearly deliberate attempt to get our parents to agree to have them hold a party at our house this weekend. My name was just a prompt because I could count the number of people I knew from my class.
"The school definitely will accept June, let the kids have fun, Pete," my innocent mother persuaded him. "Hopefully, she'll have more friends before she leaves."
"Since you're all into it, why don't we ask June what she thinks?" My father turned to me.
It ached as the attention was now turned to me. This clearly wasn't even about me, I don't know how my parents were not seeing it. I looked at my siblings and realized that if I didn't agree with them, we were going to have so much problems.
But I knew this party was going to even blow things out of proportion when they find out I got rejected by the school in the end.
"I don't really think it's a good idea—" I started to talk, this time trying not to give in to my sibling's desires.
"No June, you need to get out and know more people. You'll need that in college, so try from now." My mother disagreed shaking her head. I immediately turned to my father for support but he only sighed in defeat and continued with his food.
"We celebrate this weekend then." I heard Jade mumble under her breath as she glared at me.
As my parents left home that morning for work, I started to walk back to my room after cleaning up the kitchen where my mother cooked. I knew I had to tell them very soon, I knew I had to.
"You know, I think you should stop trying so hard to be different, Juniper," my sister's voice made me descend the stairs and walk back to her spot in the living room where she used to paint.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her as I scrunched my brows in confusion.
"Exactly what it's supposed to. Everyone knows you're different, you're smart, you're the good child, the career invested one, you don't have to try so hard to make it look like we're going about our own lives the wrong way," she scorned at me as she said those things.
"I don't do the things I do to make you look bad, you know that," I shook my head in defense.
"Then why are you scared of a party? Because you don't know anyone? Or because you aren't getting accepted into the university?" She asked me, her head tilting as if to study my reaction and I was working hard on not giving her any reaction.
"If I don't know anything in the world, I know June is definitely getting into that school," Jace walked up the stairs to join in on the conversation.
Clearly, you know nothing in the world then.
"You can have the stupid party for all I care, just don't do it on my account," I blurted as the tears pricking my eyeballs totally gave out the reaction I didn't want to give.
"Whatever, I won't say anything about the mail, I'm just going to party, on your account." Jade replied me.
As she said those words, I knew there was something totally wrong. I turned to her and sent her an expression that asked what the hell she meant by not saying anything about the mail.
What mail?
"Yeah, I saw the mail before the morning," she mentioned.
Screwed.
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