NEPO BBY

13

After Mum's wedding, Lily left the house. Mum and Lily had recently been arguing because Lily wanted to pursue acting - follow in dad's footsteps and Mum was against it. But Lily was always stubborn and she was bound and determined to do whatever it was she wanted - I think Mum knew that. So it wasn't a surprise when Lily left for Dad's in the middle of the night.

"What are you doing?" I asked Lily as she packed a suitcase. We stood in her room. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious, Jack."

"Lily, you hate Amber. How do you think it's going to go if you go live with her and Dad?"

Lily stopped packing and looked at me, "I may hate Amber but I can't stand Mum either."

"Why? Because she doesn't want you to pursue this career? Maybe she knows things you don't and she's trying to protect you."

"No, she's not. She resents dad and everything he is - so she doesn't want me to be anything like him. And I am. I am like him. I want to be like him."

"She doesn't resent dad."

"Yes she does, Jack!"

"One day you're going to regret your actions."

"Yeah, maybe I will," she said zipping up her luggage. "But today I'm just fine with my decision to leave."

"Good luck!" I said back sarcastically. "Break a leg!"

"Ha! Ha! Very funny! How original, Jack," she rolled her eyes at me. I smirked and shrugged.

By the time Mum woke up, she found out Lily was gone. I could hear her on the phone with Dad in the kitchen as I made my way through the house.

"Johnny, you need to send her back!"

"I don't care! She's a child. She thinks she knows what's best for her and she doesn't!"

"Good morning," I said approaching the table where Benoit sat flipping through a magazine.

"Morning, Jack," he grinned up at me.

"Did you know you sister was planning to leave in the middle of the night?" Mum spun around on her heels to face me. I just looked at her - my face answered for me. "Seriously? You didn't think to come tell me?"

Benoit sighed and stood up, walked over to Mum and messaged her tense shoulders, "You can't blame Jack."

Mum sighed and nodded, "You're right. I'm sorry, Jack."

"It's no problem."

Mum walked over and smiled looking me over, "How did we still end up with one perfect child?"

"I wouldn't call myself perfect."

Mum chuckled softly and caressed my now slightly stumbled face, "You're such a great son. I don't know how I got so lucky that I got to be your mother." I gave her a smile and a quick peak on the cheek.

"I love you, Mum."

"I love you, Jackie boy."

The problem was - or was soon to be - that everyone in my life pegged me as the "good one" "the smart one" "the normal one" "the responsible one" and I lived up to those expectations my entire life because I had no choice. But I always felt this pit in stomach - and I knew someday I would just lose it - and rebel.

I was on the fast track to graduate and head to college. I had no idea what I would study but I was going because I thought that was what I was suppose to do - and my girlfriend at the time was going so I thought I'd follow behind her.

Her name was Marie and I met her in my science class. We were partners for a project and then afterwards I asked her out on a date. She was a nice girl - shy, reserved, and quiet. She was smart and had aspirations to go to medical school in Switzerland. She was kind of nerdy and hadn't quite grown into herself yet. But I liked that about her. She often came over to my house and Mum and Benoit liked her. I went to her house too. But only occasionally because I got the feeling her parents didn't quite care for me. For some reason - eventually I would find out why but that time hadn't come yet. She was from a good family - upper class two parent household. She was the only child so she was a bit spoiled.

Lily soon found out she hated Amber more than she'd thought and couldn't bare to live with her.

"She's terrible, Jack," Lily told me over a phone call. "I mean she's psychotic and evil. She's terrible to dad."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she threw a wine glass at him. It didn't hit him thankfully but she was aiming in his direction."

That was the first time I began to see the red flags more clearly. But it wouldn't be the last.

Lily lasted a week before she moved out and moved into the LA home dad had first bought for Mum. It had long been deserted since Mum moved us to France. But Lily made it into her own quickly - and her career took off faster than any of us anticipated. Mum was so happy to see her front cover of her favorite fashion magazines. Lily hadn't spoken to Mum much since she'd left - but mum was always bragging to everyone about Lily.