Saving Joelle

Chapter One

"Boarding school?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, Joelle. A Catholic boarding school." My aunt Coral explained calmly.  How can she be so calm when I'm freaking out? She always does that! Lays down earth shattering news and acts like she's just talking about the weather.

"I don't understand! What did I do?" I demanded, pacing back and forth. She has to explain this, I won't take her usual vague explanations for something this big.

"Oh, Elle, you know what you've done wrong. I shouldn't have to explain it to you." She replied, finally showing a little glimpse of emotion, annoyance, disappointment, anger in her blue eyes that everyone in this family seems to have.

"Please, just explain it to me!" I screamed. "I have that right if you're going to do this to me."

Aunt Coral sighed, picking up her cup of coffee, while my Uncle John sat there reading his paper, like he always did. It always seemed like whatever drama was going on in the house my Aunt was the only one who seemed to care, but I knew better. He sits there nonchalantly, sipping his own coffee and reading his paper, pretending he doesn't hear everything when I know for a fact he does. Most of the time it's him telling my Aunt what he wants behind closed doors. This was probably his idea! He's wanted me gone since the moment I moved in.

"You should be so lucky we're spending the money to get you this help. They'll give you a good education and good values, all paid for out of our pocket." She said, taking another sip of her coffee.

"You still haven't answered my question." I stated, refusing to let it go.

"Drugs, sex, sneaking out, breaking curfew, shall I go on?" My cousin, Darren, said walking into the room.

"No one asked you Darren!" I screamed in his direction. Like he has any right to say any of those things. Apart from the sex, he's been doing all those things with me, most of the time them being his idea, but does he get in trouble for it? Apparently not. All he has to do is glare his blue eyes in his mothers direction and she clams up, no punishment being given.

"Darren, be quiet, I'm handling this." My Aunt snapped at Darren.

"I think me explaining what she does is perfectly in my right." He rebutted, sitting at the table with his own coffee. His hairs was messy and in need of a haircut. He had clearly just woken up and it was almost three in the afternoon. He has no job, isn't going to school, but is aloud to lay about the house without getting shit. He just gets to sit there, sipping his coffee like the rest of them.

This damn family and their fucking coffee. They're all addicts.

"Yeah, Darren, you do, but do explain to your mother how you know everything I've done." I egged him on to tell the truth for once.

"Oh, Joelle, everyone in this house knows what you do. You can't keep your mouth shut about it, always boasting about all the bad things you've done." He answered, with a perfect poker face. I glared at him.

Emotionless. That's the best way I can describe my cousin Darren. He used to be a fun, smiley person, then a couple years ago he had a girl break his heart and he turned stone cold, manipulative, and - believe me when I say this is an insult - he turned into his father.

"I do not boast!" I screamed back at his harsh remark. He always said I bragged about the "bad" things I've done. I never bragged, it just always came out wrong. I never meant it to, I just can't control how I say things at times.

"Enough you two." My Aunt finally speaks up. "Darren, I am very aware that you have been breaking rules as well and you will be dealt with."

Darren rolled his blue eyes while I scoffed. We both knew very well that nothing would be happening to Darren. He's never punished for any of his indiscretions, which are plenty.