Lori Born Evil

Five: Affairs

Age ten:

School is getting boring. I have made no friends in the six years I’ve been here.

What is the point of this? I’m at the top of my class. I don’t need any more knowledge.

Mama pays more attention to Grace than me. It makes me happy. I hate her nagging me. I hate her babying me.

But I have accomplished something. Mama and Papa are fighting. It’s all my doing.

“How was your day, sweetie?” Papa asked as I color on a Saturday afternoon.

“Lonely,” I sigh not looking up from my drawing.

“Lonely? How? Mommy and Grace were with you.”

“Only Grace. Mama went out with her friend,” I said and then gasped, putting my hand to mouth, dropping my crayon. I’m acting of course.

“What friend?” Papa sounds angry now.

I look at him with tears in my eyes, “Please don’t tell. Mama said I wasn’t supposed to tell!” I hold his hand with mine.

“I won’t tell her. What friend. Lori, please just tell me.”

“Her friend…. James…. She went out with him. I watched Grace all by myself. I did good…”

Papa was angry and kissed me on the forehead. I set it up perfectly. Mama talks to our neighbor, James. Of course she never left us alone. But Papa believes it.

The day later Mama is sad. They argued a lot that night. Papa slept in the guest room.

Mama braided my hair and asked me what I told Papa. I told her he questioned me about what she does every day, and that I told him about out neighbor, and he took it the wrong way.

 Mama is shocked that Papa questions their own daughter about what she does all day. But he doesn’t.

Then I finish my drawing and show it to her.

She asks why she is blonde. I say that’s not you that’s Bella, Papa’s special friend.

Oh my! This is going perfectly.

I hear Mama cry on the phone to Grandmamma. She says he is so paranoid about her because he’s the one having the affair.

I’m so excited! So happy!

Grace said her first word today!

I taught it to her, too!

“Kill!”