Forbidden

Scars

I went to school as if it were a regular day. I walked half-way there and then met up with Liam. I decided that I wouldn't tell him about last night because...well because this means we're half-siblings.

This was a lot to take in.

I've been kissing my half-brother.

When we got close to school, he turned to me sadly. I frowned.

"Morgan, there's something I think you should know..."

Wow. He told me everything I already knew. He told me that his mother told him about my father last night. I nodded, but I didn't want to say anything just yet.

"Morgan, you know what this means, right?"

At that question, I turned away. No. No. No. No.

I sniffed. "Yeah," I choked out.

He sighed. "My mom wants your family to come over for dinner so that...I don't know. I guess she wants to get to know you."

I looked up with a disgusted face. "Bethany Hester is my mother. Not her."

Liam got defensive. "Whether or not you like it, this is the way things are. So I suggest you get over it before it hurts you."

Would I really slap him? I wanted to. But I loved him.

"It already hurts," I said, studying his face. "I choose my family. You and your mother are not my family."

"Fine," he said without emotion. Then he walked away.

I watched him go. So what was I going to do? Go inside that school? No, not with him in half of my classes. So, I ditched. Walking casually away, I knew my parents would find out that I skipped school but I didn't care. Felisha, my best friend, was at home sick while her parents were at work all day. Maybe I could spend the day there. I definitely wasn't going home.

"Hey, Morgan," Felisha said weakly. She was still in her PJs and looked like a wreck. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting away. Guess what?"

I told her everything. From start to finish without stopping for about ten minutes, rambling on and on. When I ended the tragic story, her eyes were wide.

"So...that means that you and Liam are..." she trailed off so as not to say what I knew she was thinking.

"Yes."

"That's...terrible, babe I'm so sorry." She rested her hand on my back.

I closed my eyes. "It's not all that bad. I-" my voice cracked and I covered my face with my hands.

Silence followed my words, my voice hanging in the air like mist or like a bell still ringing in your ears. It could've been a few hours, a few minutes, I didn't know but I did know that the room was getting darker.

"Do you want something to eat?" Felisha said after a while.

I smiled. "You're sick. If anything, I should be taking care of you. Not the other way around."

Felisha snorted. "Yeah, okay. Well, how bout we take care of each other?"

Agreeing, I smiled even wider. At least there are still some people you could count on.