Calling Dr.Smiles

Ⅱ.Ⅲ

→ "You can't leave me on seen in real life, I'll keep bothering you."

"I just saw you chug a half cup of wine, and you said your nineteen?" Dr.smiles asks and Iris chuckles at his comment. While I was on the verge of dying from whatever was in that bottle.

"Yup, but I regret it. It takes like old wrinkly grape juice." I spluttered out, while watering down my tongue with the water on the table. I knew what wine tasted like, but in all my years it never taste like prune juice mixed with tequila.

"Well, when my sister's not chugging wine she's in Brooklyn getting an education can you believe it?" Iris taunts me and Dr.smiles laughs along with her. They were getting along well.

Soon enough, Rosalie came back with Barbra, and my mother came in with Aidan. It was just in time for brunch as they say, and soon Kurt came blasting from his room. I was seated next to Rosalie and Kurt, Iris was across from me with Dr.smiles and the adults were near the heads of the table.

My mother took my father's seat. I think some part of her knew I was going to go ballistic is anyone else sat there. Especially Aidan.

And so, dinner went. And went. 

Until I got asked a question about my father. By Barbra nonetheless I though she would have known. It also didn't help that I had been sneaking wine for the last few minutes. Whoops.

"So, Anna your doing what you and your pops always talked about? Living the dream?" She bopped her shoulders to the dream part. I wasn't exactly living the dream, not without him.

"Yea, I'm gonna go, I've got to call my roommate. She's been sick recently." I gestured to the stairs and finally excused myself.

I practically ran up the steps, and to my room. I didn't have to call Nissi for anything, or she'd make me go back down there and speak with my family. I don't want anything to do with that conversation. Nothing.

I close the door behind me and slid down the wood door like any other teenager does when they have their feelings bottled up. Except I didn't know what feelings to have, because of the lack of information my mother has provided me.

I can understand her not telling Iris or Kurt, but me?

He called me his favorite. We had secret names for one another, when I was going though a bad day I'd go to him. When he had a rough day he'd come to me. I just don't understand why she would hold out on me. What did I have to do?

I knew I wasn't her favorite, but I was his. I want to know what happened.

"Anna, can I get your charger mine's not working!" I hear Kurt bustle though my door, as he comes in without knocking and just swings me to the side.

He walks right in and looks around for the charge before looking for me and finding me and sitting next to me.

"Is your charger really not working?" I asked patiently, and he rewarded me with a slow shake of his head. I knew it.

"I had to come and check on you, after what mom's friend said." He let out a small sigh himself and looked over to me with his big brown eyes. Just like dad..

"Do you know what this is about?" As soon as I asked him he went back to looking at anywhere but my eyes. He knew everything in this house, he probably knew what mother didn't want me to know.

"Dad, and how he's gone." After he says it, theres a long pause. "Anna, why did he leave us?"

I was the last one to answer this question. I was just as surprised when it happened. And then to get into the flow of things without him was just tormenting. I don't know his reasons for leaving, all I know is he did. 

"It wasn't because of us, if that's what your thinking. When you get older, you can ask mom. She'll let you know." I informed him as he looked at me wildly confused. I know, I was confused too.

"She didn't tell you yet, did she?" He questioned and I nodded my head quietly. There's another longer pause before he speaks up again. "I sometimes forget him. What he sounds like, looks like."

"He has eyes like yours, and he loves strawberry ice cream like you too. Your so much like him, I'll never let you forget." I take a peek at my brother and he looks like he's pleased. Oh, thank the saints, I didn't know if I was gonna get through this without crying. I ruffled his hair and he started laughing.

"Okay! Anna! Alright!" He shouted as he tried to get away from me, eventually crawling away from me and walking out my room with a big goofy smile on his face.

Truth was, I was too scared to ask. And I was angry about not knowing. But it's what she said that night when she was out of it. She was going on and on about how he left us, and how it was somehow his own fault. She constantly said it wasn't ours, and that "he's probably got someone waiting for him, some other family."

That hit hard. We used to be this big family that had their own family day and we'd trust each other to so many secrets. But years down the line and we're more divided than magnets. 

But I can't keep thinking that way. I'm here because mother called us all back for something, whatever it was. I'll be here for two months and then I'll be back to my life. Doesn't matter what happens here, I'll still be the same old Anna.

I picked myself up from the ground slowly and walked over to my bed. I face planted right onto it and let out a huge breath. This was going to be a long two months, back home.

"I hope theres enough wine for me to digest tonight."