Not Broken, Just Bent: The Band Perry Sister Story

Chapter 6: Not The Same

I looked up at my siblings. Their faces were pale and their eyes were wide.

"What," I said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Kimberly simply demanded.

"Nothing." I still wasn't ready to tell them.

"You can't just say nothing, because obviously it's something. We know you, and something's wrong because you wouldn't be acting like this," Reid said. In a sense, he was right. They did know me.. At one point in my life. I'm not really the same as I was 9 months ago.

"So just tell us," Kimberly added, "We're not going to get mad. We just want to know so we can change it and try to make it better."

Uh that's the thing with them. They think they can just come in here and make everything better. They think things can just change and I'll be perfectly fine.. But it's not that easy.

I looked up at Kimberly, Reid, and Neil who were all standing before me. You could tell by the look on their faces that they weren't leaving my room without an answer.

"I can't tell you," I mumbled.

"Why not? We're your siblings. You can tell us anything!" Neil said, compassionately.

Kimberly came over and to me and sat down next to me on my bed.

"We're not leaving, until you tell us what's going on." I heard her say next to me.

I looked down at the floor. I didn't want to face them now. I was scared. After pretending like I didn't need them and shutting them out all year, they probably think I hate them. I was just so angry with them for leaving me and not even caring. I kind of thought, if they didn't care about me.. why should I care about them? But, now that they are here and I've spent some time with them... I realize I need them, and I miss them. But for some reason I just can't bring myself to tell them that. I feel like I have to be strong. I can't be the one who needs them. Plus, what if they leave me again after this trip? Then I will have to go through the pain I went through last year all over again.

I glanced up, all eyes were on me.

"Why have you been ignoring us this whole vacation Caitlin? Is it something we did?" Reid asked, as if he was trying to prompt me to say something.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself to say something, "I just... Don't feel as close to y'all anymore. And I'm older now... That's all. So I don't really need y'all as much. So maybe that's why it seems like I'm ignoring you."

I looked up finally to study their faces. They each had looks of contentment. As if they actually believed me. What I said was half true- half a lie. I mean, I can honestly say that we're not as close as we used to be!

"Caitlin, we're so sorry. It's just this past year has been crazy," Reid explained, "And honey, we know you're-"

"No," I stopped him, "You don't know anything about me. I've changed this past year... Without you." I said letting the words roll out like bullets from a gun. I knew it probably hurt them to hear that.

My siblings all had surprised expressions on their faces. I know they didn't expect me to say that. I didn't even expect to say that!

"Can y'all just go...please?" I quietly begged.

They're expressions stayed the same. I knew they were trying to process what just happened. They thought they would come in here and try to talk to me and make things better. But instead we're just back to square one.

Neil finally spoke up, "Yeah, we'll leave you alone."

They all got up and quietly started to file out of the room.

Once Kimberly, who was last, reached the door she turned around and smirked at me, "You think we don't know you?" You could tell by her voice that she was extreamly hurt by my words, "That song you just wrote," she said motioning towards my guitar, "It's good. I wish you would have told us about it sooner."

She then turned around and exited the room, leaving with those words haunting me. Who was I to think I could ignore them all vacation and keep secrets from them? I'm sharing a freaking room with Kimberly! I'm in way too deep now. I'm sure the truth will come out eventually. And eventually I'll have to tell them everything.

--

The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn. 6:30 to be exact. Micheal, Liz, and I had all planned to go snorkling at a beach a few miles away. I was dying to go for a few reasons. First of all, I wasn't going to stick around here all day and be with my family. Second, Micheal and Liz are actually so nice and I wanted to get to know them better. Also, like who doesn't want to go snorkling!?

I snuck into the bathroom and changed into a swimsuit and then I put clothes on over it, extra careful to not wake Kimberly.

Once I was done getting ready I went to the kitchen to grab something to eat before I left. As I walked in I found someone sitting at the table. Crap. 

My dad was reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. I hadn't exactly told anyone I was leaving in the morning. I just kind of planned on dropping it on them and then leaving.

My dad looked up as I came in, "Oh hey Caitlin. I didn't expect you to be up this early,"

"Yeah.. Well I'm actually going to go hang out with my friends today," 

He gave me a lost expression, as if he missed something.

"I'll be back by dinner!" I quickly added.

"Um well ok. I guess so. Are you going with those kids from the other night?"

I nodded, "Yup! Hey I think they are here so I gotta go!" I said starting to run out before my dad could second guess himself.

"Bye dad! Love you!" I said running out the door and jumping into Micheal's car, that had just pulled in seconds before. 

--

*Back At the Perry House*

It was 9:30am and everyone in the Perry house had just made their way into the kitchen. They were all gathered around the table talking and eating their breakfast.

"So is Caitlin still in bed?" Neil asked as he stuffed his face with cereal.

"No, when I woke up she wasn't in bed," Kimberly reported, "I thought she was around here somewhere?"

"Well if she's not here and she's not sleeping, then were is she?!" Reid asked with a growing concern.

"She left," Steve said. Everyone turned to look at their dad, who was still in the same spot as he was when Caitlin had came down this morning.

"Where?!" Kimberly asked.

"Umm she said something about going snorkling with her friends this morning. I don't remember exactly what she said because it was at like 6:45 this morning."

"You let her go out with strangers, Dad?" Kimberly asked concered.

"Yeah," He then perked up a little, "Should I not have?!"

"Well, I'm not the boss of her or anything but I don't think I would have."

"Speaking of being the boss and you kids," Marie said speaking up for the first time. Everyoene turned towards her focusing all of their attention on her, "Your father and I have something to tell you...."