From Yours Truly, Edie

Chapter Thirty: Religion

November 2004

Edie was sitting at the kitchen table, pretending to pay attention and be interested to the two men who were leading a bible study. They were in their mid thirties, and were considered to be studmuffins. At least they were in the eyes of Leslie. But they gave Edie the creeps - not only did she not like them, but the fact that they both still lived with their parents did not help a bit in their favour. She thought men their age should be out living on their own, and not with their mothers and fathers. Edie also just did not like them.

"Edythe, are you listening? If you want to live in the Paradise of Our Heavenly Father, it is important you pay close attention." The man to her left placed a hand on her shoulder and she tried not to push him away in disgust. The fact that he had distracted her from more interesting thoughts annoyed her quite a bit.

"Will you be there?" She asked in a falsely cheerful tone.

He smiled, "Well I'd like to think so."

"Then in that case I will pass on going to your imaginary happy place with loads of dead zombie people. Now if you'll excuse me, I have loads of homework that needs to be finished." She stood up in a hurry, her chair scraping against the hardwood floor noisily.

"Edythe Rosemary. Sit your little behind down. Now." Leslie shot her daughter a warning glare, to which she ignored and ran to her room. "I'm so sorry for her misbehaviour. Moving so far away from her friends has been very hard on her."

"That's to be expected. The poor girl." The other man shook his head morosely, and they continued on with what they had originally been discussing.

/:\

Pulling out a math worksheet, Edie completed it with ease and started an art project due the next day; she had to make a photo collage of people who were important to her. She liked putting off homework until the last possible second, as if it made her work better if she waited last minute and she was proved right. She worked much better under pressure and it gave her a much higher chance at getting high grades. Higher grades made her mother happy and when Leslie was happy, she was not as likely to become emotionally unstable which led to bad choices and acts of desperation.

"They're gone now." Mel walked into their room and set her bible on top of the dresser they shared. "I really like them and Mom seems to as well. They're nice."

"Yeah well you said nearly the same thing about Derrick. Remember how that one turned out?" Edie bit back a harsh laugh.

"Oh you're such a Negative Nancy. You are hardly happy anymore, about anything except getting letters from your friends. Oh and a couple days ago I overheard Mom talking to the school councillor. They think something is wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me! The fact that Dad chose himself, and drugs, over us, over his family, is wrong! We'll probably never see him again either and that is wrong." Edie shoved her books into her school bag and tossed it to the floor. "I'm absolutely fine and I just wish certain people could wrap what I just said around their tiny little brains and accept it. Also, your new favourite little religion is a cult and I really want nothing to do with it. All they do is use fear and guilt to control whoever is dumb enough to join them.."

"Edie, you best take that back or you won't make it to Paradise! You're lying and that's a sin!" Mel whispered in complete shock.

"Paradise does not and will never exist. People don't live forever as vegetarians, all peaceful and whatever. The sooner you realize that, the better it'll be for you. Now move away from the door so I can go for a run." Edie snatched a black sweater out of the closet and stormed out.