Separated

One

Chapter1

"Emma, how's it going?"

I stepped into Ms. Carter's office and shut the door behind me. "Well my parents are still getting a divorce."

She stood up and tucked her chin-length blonde hair behind her ears. Her black skirt was ironed to perfection and hugged her curves in a way that looked good but not too much. Her white shirt was tucked into her waistband and brightened up her face. She was a pretty woman but I wasn't sure she knew it. "Tell me what happened."

I sighed and sat down, dumping my purse beside the chair. Over the few weeks since my parents announced they were getting a divorce, I'd been seeing Ms. Carter, the guidance counselor, and telling her all my problems. It was more out of habit than anything now. Since I didn't have many friends, a professional would have to do.

"Sam said she wants to live with my dad and my mom practically had a breakdown. She was on the couch, crying, all weekend. It was so pathetic."

"How would you feel if that happened to you?" Ms. Carter sat down in her chair and wrote something on the calendar that sat on her desk. It was almost as big as the desk was.

"Maybe I'd be upset. But Sam's a lot of work. I'd be glad to get rid of her."

Ms. Carter narrowed her eyes at me. "Emma, she has just as many good qualities as she does bad."

"Yeah, you just have to dig deep to find them."

"Have you ever wondered if Sam feels the same way about you?"

"Of course she does. She's my sister." My sister and I went at it at least twice a week, if not more. Getting away from her was a miracle and I was glad for any time that she wasn't around me.

"If she went to live with your father and you lived with your mother, you'd miss her."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd be glad to get rid of her."

"Emma-"

"Look, I didn't come in here for a lecture, okay? I just needed someone to talk to."

She leaned back in her seat and held my gaze. "I'm not lecturing you, Emma. I just don't want you to see both sides of things."

I brushed a strand of brown hair from my face. "Do you think my parents would be mad if I chose one over the other?"

"Have you thought about that?"

I shrugged. "I sort of have to, don't I?"

"Well, one of your parents could get sole custody over you and your sister so you wouldn't have to decide. But I think since you and your sister are older and capable of making your own decisions, the judge may rule that it's up to you."

"I don't want my parents to think I hate them." Both my parents had good qualities – and bad ones. Finding the best quality would seem selfish on my part. Plus, it'd give the other parent ammunition to use. And I didn't want to feed the fire.

"They won't, Emma. They may be upset but they won't think that."

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. "This is too big of a decision. I wish they weren't getting separated."

"They can't pretend that they're happy when they aren't."

"I know. I just wish they were." It was stupid to want them to stay together and just keep fighting. Being separated would give them a chance to break away from being with someone all the time. But I really wanted my parents to be together and happy and love each other like they had before.

Ms. Carter peeled a piece of paper from her notepad and handed it to me. Running the length of the paper was a giraffe. Sometimes it was hard to take her seriously.

There were tips on how to get over a divorce and I wondered how long she'd been holding onto it. I also wondered how long it took her to make the list.

"Keep this with you and use it when you need it."

I sighed. "You feel more like a shrink than a guidance counselor sometimes."

She laughed. "I'm just here to help. The label you use is up to you."

"Can you just be my friend?" I looked up at her.

"If that's what you want, then yes. We're friends."

I nodded and got to my feet just as the bell rang for first period. "I'm gonna head to class."

"Good luck. And keep those tips in mind, Emma."

I stepped out of her office and sighed. It was so pathetic going to the guidance counselor because I didn't have anyone else to talk to. I had a few friends but none I could tell my sad stories to. None of them would care.

I walked to my locker and grabbed my books for my first class. Already, I was wishing it was the end of the day and I didn't have to be at school. Though going home wasn't a fun experience either.

"The girls aren't yours to keep, Lori. We both raised them." Dad yelled.

"You hardly seem concerned about anything they do. They need someone to be there for them." Mom shot back.

I shut the door softly behind me and kept my movements quiet. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a fight. I hated their fake happiness when they caught me.

"They need a parent, not a friend. They need discipline."

"You don't think I'm disciplining them enough? Maybe you should pay more attention."

"I'm done arguing over this." Dad's footsteps grew louder and louder until he was standing right in front of me. He held my gaze, silent, for a few minutes before he went past me into the kitchen.

Neither of us said anything.

I went upstairs, not being quiet now that my parents knew I was home, and shut my bedroom door behind me. I dropped my backpack on the floor and flopped down on my bed. I was tired of fighting. Tired of my parents fighting, tired of fighting my own battles, tired of it all.

I slowly drifted off to sleep, all my problems subsiding for a while. Sometimes all I wanted was to forget that I existed.

Please give me feedback on what you think! If anything needs fixed, let me know and I'll do it. I really want to work on making this story great :)