The Switch

chapter 26

Aria

I went through the rest of the day sort of on autopilot. Sitting with friends at lunch, nodding when they talked, pretending to listen to teachers during class, or that I was actually planning on doing the assignment they had handed out. Then I rode the bus home and said I'd be upstairs doing homework. Not sure who I said it too since my mother wasn't down stairs when I came in, and neither Georgie or Emory where in the living room, but non the less, I still yelled it out as I ran up the stairs. Turned out Emory was upstairs in our room, quietly working on her laptop. She seemed just as disinterested in me as I was in her. I didn't have to pretend to make conversation with her, which I was glad about, not that I've really been good at conversing with her up to this point. After I got my text books out though, once again I just stared, I had been too distracted by what Erin had told me that I couldn't really put too much effort into anything without bursting and spitting out the words that would turn my family's life upside down once again, and reopen all of the wounds that just seemed to start healing.

Even though I hate that Emory is here, my parents do seem happier and almost back to themselves from before Evelyn died. I had to admit, I did kind of like them this way. Mom was going back to teaching, and dad seemed to smile more. Sometimes during dinner and I would never tell anyone this, but I'd close my eyes and pretend that everything was normal again, and nothing bad had ever happened. Now however, no one could pretend. This news would bring everyone crashing down. Mom might go back to laying in bed all day, depressed, dad would go back to working to avoid being at home, Georgie would learn the way I did that sometimes parents don't go away, but they change so much, you almost think they did. Even Emorys life might be affected by this news, she would now have someone else living in her life the same way she was living in Evelyns. I'd go back to being that girl at school kids felt bad for but didn't want to talk to because they didn't know what to say, or worst, they'd ask highly  insensative questions. 

I just feel extremely  frustrated because I don't know what to do, keep this secret that Erin was probably going to let out of the bag to someone else, and suffer knowing. Or tell and ruin everyones lives? Out of frustration I throw my book across the room hitting the wall across from my bed. This causes Emory to look up, slight concern and fear in her eyes. I can't help but think, "I did that, I made her afraid of me," I close my eyes and groan as I lean back against the wall.

"Ar-" I hear her start to talk and look over but she just shakes her head and goes back to her laptop. Now she doesn't even want to speak to me, and I can't tell if that's a good thing or bad thing

I was about to say something, probably not nice, when we hear our mother yell for us. "Girls, Georgie, come down stairs please."  Emory frowns when we hear this, and I get the feeling she knows what's about to happen.

Following my siblings down stairs, I sit down at the dinning room table as directed by our parents. There's no food, so it's odd that they want us all here. Dad starts first by clearing his throat. "We have to talk about behavior," then he looks at Emory and me, "and how it can be very impressionable on others." What is he talking about, and why do both Emory and Georgie look guilty, what happened while I was at school today?

"To start off," my mother looks directly at me, "we want all of you to start getting along, especially you two girls. Your brother has been watching you two and mimicking it at school."

At first I'm confused, then I'm angry, how was it fair they were blaming me for Georgie misbehaving. Then I remember what Erin said and I feel guilty, so I just nod. "We also think that you two should watch what you say to him, it's very obvious sometimes he doesn't know what's a joke and what isn't."