You Don't Know Me

After that horrible encounter with the counselor and Luke I was free to go home. My insides were shaking from the anxiety of them finding out. How could I let myself be so careless? I fainted! The next thing I know everyone turns against me! Thankfully the counselor was too stupid to realize I was lying through my nose, and Luke didn’t push it. Which was weird…I kind of expected him to argue and yell at me for being so careless about myself, but he didn’t say a word the entire time we were in there. And the even weirder thing is, is that it made me almost sad. It disturbed me to see him almost give up, and I guess…I guess I’m scared that he gave up on me. I’m scared because he was the only person who tried. And he gave up.
What was I supposed to do now?
I got home frazzled from the afternoon and soar still from the fall. My mind was somewhere else when I walked through the front doors, which was why I didn’t hear my father call for me.
“Nahla!” he finally yelled, getting up from the antique sofa in the foyer. His face was red.
I froze. My throat was too dry to speak, so I waited.
“We need to talk.”
“I have a lot of home-”
“Now. In my study.” He started walking to the study so I followed behind him, hesitant. Did Mr. Ruben call him and tell him? Did the nurse? Oh no…not him, he couldn’t find out. The last thing I need is my father watching me.
When we got to his study, a large room filled with bookshelves and a large oak desk and very few windows, he sat down in his chair behind the desk and I stood there, still waiting.
“The nurse at your school called me today and told me what happened.”
Avoiding his glare, I looked at his nameplate on the desk, which had his name etched in gold.
“I hope that doesn’t happen again,” he said firmly. “I can’t have my only daughter be abnormal and mental. There are people who expect a certain kind of achievement from us, and you must understand that. There is no time for me to plan a funeral right now, with the wedding and business taking up all my time. Do I make myself clear?”
I still didn’t look up, but I nodded and mumbled a quick ‘yes’.
“I can’t stand this foolishness with you. There is no room for imperfection in this family. You may leave now.” He clicked his pen and began to sort through papers, proceeding through his daily routine. I left the study and closed the door gently behind me. My eyes were beginning to sting and cold drops of salt water leaked from the crevices, but I pushed them away. I will be strong. There is no room for imperfection. I must be strong.

“Timber!” Caden shouted as he walked through the living room where I was trying to do my homework. “I heard you fainted at school today.” His voice wasn’t mean, but he held no pity in it either.
I didn’t say anything; I just concentrated on working on my math problems.
He sat down next to me and there was another body to the other side of me. It was Kyle. Were they ever separated?
“Wanna talk about it?” Kyle asked, smiling a little from Caden’s joke.
I still didn’t speak.
“You’re boring,” Caden declared and got up, walking out already. “You coming?” he motioned to Kyle, but Kyle shook his head. “Fine, be that way, I’ll be in my room.” He left and Kyle scooted towards me more.
“What are you working on?”
“Homework.”
“Fun. Math?”
“Yup.”
“Wanna get some dinner with me? It’s almost seven o’clock.” He looked at his phone and back at me, waiting for my answer.
“I already ate.”
He was silent for a few minutes just watching me do my homework. I must have bored him to death, but if I did he never showed it. Finally, though, he said something.
“How are you and Luke doing?”
I shrugged.
He crossed his eyebrows. “Not so well?”
“I don’t know.” That actually wasn’t far from the truth. Luke and I were probably over now. He’s tired of me.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I didn’t mean it was my fault, I just meant that I’m sorry you guys aren’t doing so well because he really loves you. It’s a shame it couldn’t work out.” There was no hint of joy in his voice or triumph that Luke had lost in the battle for my heart. He just sounded sad.
“He doesn’t love me anymore.”
This surprised him, “Of course he does. If you’re that in love with someone it won’t end that quickly. Maybe you guys need some time.”
“You’re always so optimistic,” I looked at him.
“Someone’s gotta be,” he stared back at me with his brilliant eyes. “How ‘bout we do something?”
“Get another dog?”
“Ha,” he looked down as his shook his head smiling. “No-”
Someone walked in the room abruptly, interrupting what Kyle was going to say.
Luke stood there, breathing hard and frowning.
“Mr. Davis would like to talk to you, Miss Reece!” Lucy tried to inform me. She ran in behind him, a moment late, her breathing scattered too.
“What-What do you want?” I stared blankly up at him. I felt Kyle’s weight on the couch shift towards me.
Luke glared at Kyle before he spoke. “I wanna talk to you.” His voice was forceful.
I sighed and got up from the couch slowly. Repeating this afternoon’s events wouldn’t be high on my list of fun activities. “What do you want to say to me?” my hands were on my hips and I tried to make my voice come off as harsh as his sounded, but it broke twice and was too raspy.
“How you’re basically killing yourself.” His words stung with every syllable they spoke.
My face turned red, I’m sure, but I kept my temper. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but-”
“Yes you do. The counselor dismiss you that easily, but I sure as hell won’t.”
“Oh really? Then what was all that talk about, huh? Did you forget to speak or something at that meeting?”
“If I said anything to him while you were there, you would never trust me anymore. You’d never forgive. And I need your trust and forgiveness.”
“Ha! You need my trust…you know what you need? You need a nice surveillance camera, that’s what you need.”
“Oh come on Nahla, Miranda means nothing to me.”
I shook my head and looked down.
“Nahla…” he moved closer to me and tilted my chin up. “I love you.”
I shook my chin from under his grasp and moved away. “Sometimes you have a weird of showing it.”
“I know,” he sighed, “I’m sorry I’ve been acting weird. There’s a reason though.”
“It better be good.”
“It is.” He walked towards me. “I hung around Miranda so I would understand you more.”
My jaw dropped, “understand me more? I’m not like her! She’s a bitch and a freak and selfish and messed up!”
“But she has problems just like you, and I thought that if I maybe hung around her more and talked to her I would understand why she’s like that and how she got better…”
“Got better? She’s not better.”
“She’s better than you are.”
I paused, my mouth open slightly in awe. I can’t believe he’s taking her side.
“I mean she’s getting better at coping with it. You seem…”
“What? I seem…what?”
“Emaciated.” He sighed and sat down on the couch. I stood where I was.
The air seemed to stand still, like it was waiting for a stir of emotions again. Nothing happened. Time stood still. The ticking of the clock stopped, the second finger pausing before it hit the twelve. “I can’t be with you if you’re friends with her.”
“I don’t understand. I won’t until you tell me-”
“I can’t.” I looked at him, hiding behind a shield of hair. I pushed it from my face and looked down, trying my hardest not to cry. “All I can tell you is that she isn’t my friend.”
“Okay then, fine.”
We both stopped talking for a few minutes. I couldn’t tell him what he wanted to know, and he couldn’t tell me he wasn’t going to be friends with her.
In the middle of our silent conversation Reece walked in, carrying a large box filled with envelopes. “Oh, hi guys! Luke, have you gotten a tux yet for the wedding? It’s coming up!” she squealed in excitement and tried to balance the heavy box on her thigh. “Nahla, your dress just came in, I put it on your bed. When you get a chance just try it on to make sure it fits. Everything’s gotta be perfect for the big day!”
I forced a smile and nodded, while Luke cleared his throat and sat up.
“Yes, I’m very much looking forward to this weekend. And my tux is fitted.”
“Perfect. Nahla, why don’t you try on the dress now so we can see? You’re not busy.”
I frowned. I did not want to try on the dress with these bandages on. “I’ll do it later, I need to do homework now. Luke was just leaving anyway.”
She looked disappointed, but shrugged and walked off to plan more for Saturday. It was four days away. Four days until my father made a huge mistake. Four days until my mothers heart is broken.
“Well, I guess I’m going.” Luke started to head off.
“You know the way out.” I folded my arms and looked away so he couldn’t see my eyes.