Façade 🎈

2. Grounded

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During my walk home, all I could think about is what my parents would feel about my disapppointing results.

Of course, who wouldn't be disappointed with an F? That is the worst results anyone could ever get and that shows I am not coping well with my studies.

That's not the only reason why my parents would be mad at my results. It's because our family has a reputation to uphold which is basically being perfect.

Families look up to ours as a model family, parents admire us for excelling in school and their kids are friends with us.

Dad works as a lawyer at a nearby law firm and at the same time, he also owns a small restaurant which he says is getting big. Mom, on the hand, volunteers at the town's recreation center where she and some of the mothers in town run those charity events.  Our job, Harry and I, is to become outstanding students in school so that they look up to us. Harry is my twin brother who is an hour older than me.

The house was quiet when I came home. Quiet house means that no one is home. Great, I don't have to tell mom about my test results right now. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I really hope I could survive dinner.

*

Dinner came way faster than I was supposed to. And it went well. Not.

Everyone was focusing on their food when mom started the conversation.

"Harry, how's school today?"

Harry set down his utensils on the plate and gave my mom a smile. "It's great! I got an A for physics, as usual, and coach told me earlier that there will be scouts coming to the game this Friday."

"That's great, son. I'm proud of you." Dad patted his shoulder.

"Great? Honey, that's really wonderful! I'm glad that you're the only child who did well in school." Mom commented.

I knew Harry was trying to communicate with me using his body language, yeah we've been doing that for as long as I could remember, but I looked down at my food to avoid eye contact with him.

"What are you talking about?" Dad asked mom.

"Helena didn't tell you? Well, I'm not surprised. I got a call from Mr Brooke earlier and he told me that she got an F for her History test." Mom explained.

"Is that true?" I slowly looked up to dad's stern gaze. I nodded.

"How did you flunk your history?" Dad asked me.

I was about to answer but mom interrupted me. "Obviously she did not study for the test, otherwise she wouldn't have failed so badly."

"Mom, maybe Helena has a good reason as to why she didn't do well for her test, right Helena?" Harry defended me.

Mom waved him off. "Nonsense, there can never be a good reason as to why you fail. You failed, and that means you failed. No excuses."

"Mom, I wasn't feeling well that day so I couldn't study. Besides, I don't understand the topic to revise on my own." I spoke quickly in case mom interrupts me.

She took a a long sip of her red wine before she replied. "Then you should have asked Mr Brooke to clarify the topic after school. Helena, you're grounded."

"Beth, don't you think it's a little too harsh? I'm not saying that it's okay to fail but this is her first time. I'm pretty sure she'll learn from her mistake." Dad persuaded mom but she ignored him.

"No, she knows damn well that all I want for my children is to score an A for all their subjects. If Harry can do it, why can't she? Besides, if I don't punish her right now, she'll continue performing badly and what will others think? Unless you can make sure she performs well for her next test, don't tell me how to discipline our child."

Mom wiped the ends of her lips with a napkin. "This discussing is making me lose my appetite. I'm done eating." Mom pushed her plate away from her. She barely even touched her food.

Good night." She raised her glass at us before retreating back to her room.

The three of us continued eating our meal in silence, no one brought up about school matter. Of course, mom should have listened when they say that school and work is a taboo subject at dinner or things won't turn out like this.

Dad finished his dinner a few minutes after mom went inside the room. Unlike mom, he finished his meal and cleared his and mom's plate.

"You kids okay clearing the table?" He asked us. We nodded. "Good, in that case I'm going to bed now. Helena, I won't stop you from using your priveleges but promise me that you'll perform really well for the next test?"

"Promise, dad." I promised.

He nodded in approval. "Good night kids."

"Night." Harry and I replied.

Harry and I talked about his upcoming football match while eating, without talking about my result. After we're done eating, Harry cleared the table while I wash the dishes. Within a few minutes, we were done with cleaning up.

"I'm beat. Good night, Harry." I started walking up the stairs when Harry called me.

"Yeah?"

"Uh... I, um, your results... Wanna talk about it?" Harry asked me.

I smiled. I'm glad that he is trying to comfort me but I don't really have anything to say.

"I wish I could have done better." I sighed.

Harry walked up to me and pulled me into a hug. "You can and you will do well, I'm sure."

"I hope so."

"I know you will, I believe in you."

I smiled. "Thanks." We pulled away from the hug.

"Uh... Go to bed, bye." Harry waved me off which made me laugh.

Harry entered his room before I entered mine. I quickly changed my clothes to my Pikachu-printed pajamas and I was about to close my eyes when I heard a knock.

These two chapters might be really boring because it explains the outcome of Helena's failure. Maybe the future chapters will be more entertaining for you, it all depends if you get my humor.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading x

- Adriana