The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)

81. I Will Endure

Of course, I knew that spending time with Jaeb, while surprisingly fun, was only delaying the inevitable screaming match that would ensue as soon as a I got home. I walked through the front door resigned to my fate.

Immediately, Aaron was in front of me, furious.

“Why did you just leave like that?!” He demanded. “Why the fuck would you do that?! You put my future at risk.”

“You can take that future and shove it up your ass,” I growled. “Like I care.”

“Could you be anymore selfish?!” Aaron screamed at my back as I walked away. I could see my parents glaring at me with disapproval, hatred. Seth and Cody were pitying me. Lucy had no idea what was going on, and I was sick of it.

“Shut up,” I snarled. “Shut your fucking mouth. You have no right to criticize me.”

“Oh, please,” now my mother entered the fray, drink in hand. Maybe it was my enhanced senses, but it didn’t smell like water. It smelled like vodka. “We have every right to criticize you.”

“Lucy go upstairs,” I told her, hands curling into fists. I waited until she had run up the carpeted steps, blanket trailing behind her, before whirling on my mother. “You really think you can judge me when you do such a crappy job yourself?”

“What are you talking about?” She scoffed, and I growled.

“Last July. Where was I?” I planted my hands on my hips. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cody and Seth look at each other, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. This had been building for so long.

“You were home,” my mother waved her hand. “Screwing guys and stinking up our attic with drugs.” Then she squinted at me, eyes narrowing on my colored braid. “Or maybe it was girls.”

“No,” I snapped. “I was underground at Aaron’s fucking science lab getting cut open.”

There was a moment of silence, and then my parents and oldest two brothers were laughing, nearly crying with mirth.

“Are you high?” Max demanded snidely, crossing his arms. I growled and unzipped my jacket, ready to show them.

But then Cody and Seth were dragging my away, pulling me up the stairs and I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t fight and I couldn’t hate anymore. There was no room inside my heart for such a petty, unlasting thing as hate.

“What do I do?” I whimpered, reaching out for the two brothers who still loved me. Seth took my face between his hands and frowned at me.

“You do what you’ve always done, Lia,” he spoke softly. “You endure. You survive, because you’re so much stronger than they realize.”

“They think that they’ve won,” Cody shook his head and snickered. “Prove them wrong, Angel.”

“How?” I cried. “How can I win?!”

Seth smirked. “They think you’re a terrible,”

“Immoral,” Cody continued.

“Selfish,” Seth grinned even wider.

“Horrible person,” Cody finished.

“So show them differently.” Seth patted my cheek, and then the twins walked away.

Prove them wrong? I guess I could do that. Be a good person.

Well, now I had a goal.

I always had loved challenges.