Her Dark Shadow

•Chapter Two: Ezrynn•

January 10th:
Hello! The name is Ezrynn. Ezrynn Lea. Tomorrow is my birth brother Ky's birthday. He would have been six, but he never got there.
I am in year ten of our seemingly endless education--aka the seventh grade.
I don't enjoy school, which will genuinely surprise anyone you ask; I'm a straight A student in the honor classes. That's because I love learning. But school is simply an altogether different response. 
If I was the only one who attended that building, school would be glorious. But I'm not. Actually, I'm nowhere close.
You see, there are at best 350 sixth graders, 380 seventh, and about 320 eighth. All of those abouts add up to 1,050 students. This is not counting the office people, the lunch people, the janitors, the teachers, the directors(IE: athletic). Plus all of them, I'm hypothesizing we're way over just me.
But who's complaining?
On an altogether different topic, I was adopted at ten for serious reasons, and by none other than the Leas. I'm thirteen now. Woo-pee.
In my fairly new family, I've gained a sibling, and apparently many others of whom I've only met three.
The one that lives in the same house as me is a brother.
His name is Corbin, and Corbin is older than me.
I want to talk to him, but I find it hard to consider what about. I am not even intelligent of his hobbies.
Nor mine, really.
I think he's been angry with me for the past three years, but I cannot figure out why.
~•Yesterday•~
Corbin walks in, book bag in hand, ready to start on homework, no doubt, but then he sees me. As he starts to turn around, claiming he needs something that's in his room, and that he would 'leave me be,' I stop him.
"Corbin, uh, could you possibly help me with question number..." I look down, "number seven?"
He stares at me, for a long time. And it starts to get awkward. Unbearably awkward.
Suddenly, Dad walks in.
"Are you doing okay, Ezrynn? Do you need any help?"
"No, I think I'm doing quite swell. Thank you, though-"
"She needs help on number seven..." Corbin scratches his head.
"No, I figured that part out, thank you," I correct.
He knits his eyebrows at me. His face gives signs of rage, and my stomach flip-flops. Rage is all too familiar. Then, out of nowhere, he kicks the chair he was to sit in.
I jump.
"YOU KNOW WHAT?! I'M TIRED OF HER! I'M TIRED OF HER GETTING ALL OF THE ATTENTION, THE ADMIRATION! BEFORE SHE GOT HERE, MY B+ WAS EXCEPTIONAL! AND NOW THAT SHE'S HERE, IT'S CRAP! YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S CRAP!" He flips the chair he kicked, throws his book bag at a vase, runs to the front door, and slams it closed as he takes off.
And all I can do is sit in shock, tears running down my face, my body tensed, waiting for a slap, my hair being pulled, someone to push me to the ground and decide what to do with me from there. There is screaming.
I know well enough that it's coming from me.
Dad comes beside me, ready to strike, to shut me up. He puts his hand on my shoulder, and I flinch, falling over the side of my chair, banging my head on the floor with great force.
He rushes over, kneels beside me, and I scoot away from him on the tile using my feet as oars.
"No! NO! NO! OH, PLEASE NO, NO, NO, NO!" I'm screaming at the top of my lungs, terrified to the point of confusion--I'm delirious. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOO!"
"Helen! HELEN! BRING THE PHONE! CALL DOCTOR RICKMAN! HURRY! SHE NEEDS TO BE SEDATED!" All of this is muffled; all I can truly hear are my screams. |
Dad puts is hands out in front of him, in surrender...or to hurt me.
"NO! NO, PLEEEEEASE! NOOOO!"
"Ezrynn, it's okay, I promise! You're okay! It's okay!"
I hesitate, and he must see that as an opportunity. He reaches down, and I kick him god knows where. I kick and slap and bite and scratch, but nothing's working.
He still reaches.
Suddenly, Corbin is helping Dad, grabbing at me.
"NOOO! PLEASE, NO! NO! NO!" I feel the tears that run down my face as I thrash, too preoccupied to wipe them away.
Corbin manages to get my arms, and Dad my legs. I squeeze them together, my legs, hoping that this time the trick will work. Dad looks down, to see what I am doing.
My eyes widen.
I wriggle and wriggle, trying to get out of their grasp.
Corbin is leaning down.
"NOOO!"
He kisses me on the head.
I scream louder than ever.
I see a person in a white lab coat. He is coming close to me, and he has something in his hands. The shiny metal object scares me.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
I get out of the grip the two men had on me, but soon after another man takes their place.
Something goes into my neck.
I struggle, but my limbs work in slow motion. Then I'm still.
As my heart rate decelerates, I begin to feel embarrassed. I haven't had an episode like this in two years. Why must I be so stupid?
I don't say anything; the house is eerily quiet.
"That should do her," the lab coated man says.
He sedated me.
The embarrassment I felt strengthens, and my cheeks flood with blood as I blush.
Everyone stares at me. Mom, Helen, is only visiting for a few days, and she gazes at me with worry. Dad still looks shocked. Corbin looks guilty, and Doctor Rickman satisfied.
"This one lasts ten minutes. You'd better put her on the couch..." The doctor offers.
Dad and Corbin lift me over to the green furniture.
"Thank you, Doctor Rickman. We strongly appreciate it. And the insurance pays for the visit?" Dad wonders.
Doctor Rickman winces.
"I'm afraid not, Sir. Unless you can convince them. But otherwise, I will send you an invoice,"
At Rickman's words, my cheeks flood with a new emotion--guilt. My pointless episode costed money.
"Okay. Thanks again, Doctor Rickman. You have a nice day,"
"Why, thank you. To your family as well, Mr. Lea. Do you wish me stay until she wakes? Make sure everything's moving swiftly?"
"No, thank you, I think we can handle things. Good day to you,"
"Good day, indeed," and with that, he leaves.
As the medicine wares, my body becoming de-numbed, I wiggle my fingers.
Mom looks down. "Are you okay, Ms. Ezrynn?"
"Fine, thank you..." I say hesitantly. "I'm--I'm sorry. I'm sorry," my eyes start to swell up. Corbin grabs my hand.
"No, Ezzie, I am. I didn't mean that; I'm sorry. I like you here. I'm glad you came. I can't say that enough. I have just...showed that in the wrong way these past few years. And I love you," he says this while looking straight into my eyes, his stare intense. He strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. I look down at it, and it is blurry, my eyes watery. I purse my lips, and my body trembles. "Oh, Ezzie," he let's go of my hand and wraps his big arms around me. I feel better in his embrace. I've never...felt this. I've never had a true hug. It's nice.
"We'll come back later, you two," Dad tells us. Mom bends down to kiss my head. Dad does the same once she finishes.
Corbin lets go of me, sits at the arm of the couch, and opens his arms. And I come into them.
I lay in to his side, and he wraps his arms around me. The embrace is awkward at first, but after a few minutes, we both feel comfortable.
I don't cry anymore. Nor scream.
He rocks back and forth, his chin on my forehead, making the "shush"ing noise as a parent does to ensure another meltdown does not occur with their baby.
I soon fall asleep.
~•Today•~
When we awoke from our nap, Corbin gladly did his homework with me. Happily Ever After? Sure, for the rest of the evening.
Corbin is my prince.