Everyone Wears a Mask

Untitled Part 2

 I've never hated my birthday as much as I did this year. I had forgotten about it completely until someone asked me what I wanted as a present. It's just a day. There shouldn't be a need for celebration. I just wanted to have a small cake or something and get some money, but what I wanted never mattered before so why would it now? My grandparents came down, and of course, I'm expected to work around their schedule and do whatever they want.

"They're your grandparents! You should spend time with them! They came all this way to see you!" My dad says.

I didn't ask them to come. I don't even like them. Grandma cries over everything, and grandpa just sits there watching tv. Grandpa is the only one I like. He knows how to stay out of the drama. They wanted to take me shopping. But no way in hell am I going anywhere with them alone. So I convinced them to do it the next day, with my sister, so I wouldn't have to go by myself.

That conversation alone took two hours, because my dad wanted to have a celebration and a lunch, and needed to have total control over everything, with a complete timetable. He ended up getting so frustrated he left the room, only to say he wasn't coming back and acted like a child. Grandma of course cried. Didn't even want to go shopping, but everyone else did, so of course, that's still happening.

But none of that matters anymore.

I don't hate my grandma. I don't, really. But she never knows when to just stay out of it. Grandmas are supposed to spoil, to defend from parents. I woke up today and spoke to her at breakfast, everything was fine. But she said the curse words. The words I'd been fighting with my dad over for the last week. "Get a job."

She waited for my response, looking at me with a hopeful glimpse in her eyes. "Don't. I don't want to fight you like I fight dad, but I will if you make me."

"I'm not trying to fight with you, Alice. I just want to know― "

"No. I'm not doing this with you."

"But I just want to understna―"

"You don't have to understand. It's not your business. I don't want to fight with you over this but I will. Just leave it alone."

"But Alice, don't you think..." I zoned out after that. I just stared at the space in front of me, my grandpa reading and not getting involved. He's smart like that, it's why I like him. She kept talking, asking Grandpa for help.

"Shirley she shut down, she's not even listening." Right on grandpa, you know it.

After that, I just left them alone and went back to my room.

My sister came home from school, and that was nice for a bit. I used to have a horrible relationship with my sister, Alexis, but when I went to college I really missed her since we never saw each other. Now we actually love each other, even if we fight when we spend more than a few hours in the same room together.

I talked to her about how I feel, she's worried but she thinks I should just suck it up. She's younger than me by 18 months, but she's the star child. 6 Ap classes, straight A's her whole life, about 8 clubs or so, in all the cabinets.

I think I joined one club in High School, and I only showed up once. Never got straight A's and failed all my AP's. I'm proud of her, even if she's setting the bar way too high. She's a genius, and she's going far. I guess I'm lucky if I make it to 30.