Trembling With the Strings
Angels Shouldn't Lie
No one bothered me the rest of the day and Marcy was gone for the whole day. I just sat on her bed, talking to my oldest brother on the phone that Marcy had left behind for me. John and Marty were out shopping with mom and Marcus was the only one who had stayed behind, so I figured he could help me through this. I told him the whole story and I managed not to cry out of frustration.
“So have you even met him yet?” Marc asked. I could hear the clicking of some kind of remote and the distant sound of animated explosions. I smiled: mom had used some of the money to get Marc what he had wanted for so long—a Super Nintendo.
“Well, he doesn’t know that I’m what he’s getting for his birthday, but I’ve met him. He’s a possessive freak. But there’s this guy here, Lyndell, and he’s really something, but I’m not sure if he’s a good something. Dante told me to stay away from him or Darius would beat Lynn up the second Darius found out I was ‘his property’. It really sucks.”
“It sounds like it, sis. Gracie, promise you’ll see us soon?”
“Yeah.” I smiled softly. “Of course I will. I’ll have you come over even if I have to kick Darius where the sun doesn’t shine!”
“Oh, Grace, you have no idea how bad that hurts!” I could almost hear him grinning. I know it sounds crazy, but I knew he was smiling. “They’re treating you alright, right?”
“Yeah, they are, I swear. How about mom and dad? How are they treating you guys?” I was really worried for them and I hated how I couldn’t be there.
“It’s gotten…better. Mom doesn’t get drunk so much and she doesn’t yell.”
“And dad?”
“Grace, they’re home. I have to go. I love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
I sighed as I hung up the phone. He’d lied to me. Obviously dad hadn’t gotten any better and now Marcus was the one taking all the beatings. I wiped my eyes before a single tear could form and curled up in a ball on the bed. Lynn hadn’t come up after me and the whole day had gone by. Since I’d been crying, I hadn’t felt hungry. I hadn’t eaten at all that day, but I was used to going a few days without food. That was one of the reasons I was so skinny and scrawny. I almost looked anorexic and I hated it, but you can’t have everything you want.
I honestly expected someone to come up and check on me, but midnight came around and I was still all alone, so I decided to call it a night. It didn’t take me long at all to fall asleep.
“So have you even met him yet?” Marc asked. I could hear the clicking of some kind of remote and the distant sound of animated explosions. I smiled: mom had used some of the money to get Marc what he had wanted for so long—a Super Nintendo.
“Well, he doesn’t know that I’m what he’s getting for his birthday, but I’ve met him. He’s a possessive freak. But there’s this guy here, Lyndell, and he’s really something, but I’m not sure if he’s a good something. Dante told me to stay away from him or Darius would beat Lynn up the second Darius found out I was ‘his property’. It really sucks.”
“It sounds like it, sis. Gracie, promise you’ll see us soon?”
“Yeah.” I smiled softly. “Of course I will. I’ll have you come over even if I have to kick Darius where the sun doesn’t shine!”
“Oh, Grace, you have no idea how bad that hurts!” I could almost hear him grinning. I know it sounds crazy, but I knew he was smiling. “They’re treating you alright, right?”
“Yeah, they are, I swear. How about mom and dad? How are they treating you guys?” I was really worried for them and I hated how I couldn’t be there.
“It’s gotten…better. Mom doesn’t get drunk so much and she doesn’t yell.”
“And dad?”
“Grace, they’re home. I have to go. I love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
I sighed as I hung up the phone. He’d lied to me. Obviously dad hadn’t gotten any better and now Marcus was the one taking all the beatings. I wiped my eyes before a single tear could form and curled up in a ball on the bed. Lynn hadn’t come up after me and the whole day had gone by. Since I’d been crying, I hadn’t felt hungry. I hadn’t eaten at all that day, but I was used to going a few days without food. That was one of the reasons I was so skinny and scrawny. I almost looked anorexic and I hated it, but you can’t have everything you want.
I honestly expected someone to come up and check on me, but midnight came around and I was still all alone, so I decided to call it a night. It didn’t take me long at all to fall asleep.