Confessions of a Problem Child

After boarding the plane to Cali, Lacey looked around at her surroundings. She seemed to be the only one in her row.

“Please buckle your seat belts, we are ready for departure.” A voice sounded over the system. As she looked out the window to her right, the jet began backing out of its gate. Three minutes later they were speeding down the runway, and taking off from the one place she wished she would never return.

It was a little more than fifteen minutes into the flight when Lacey leaned down to pull out her bag from the seat in front of her; getting out her iPod and trying to make herself comfy.

She leaned her head to the side of the window and thought back to this past week. With school being out she was at home, and with no ‘schoolwork’ to do her parents almost never allowed her to be alone in her room. No more chances to release all that pain. It was after one particular fight though, she got her chance.

* *

Her father violently pushed back his chair from the table.

“What – did you just say to me young lady?” his eyes narrowing.

“I said I don’t want to.”

“Well whether you want to or not isn’t a choice. Now get your ass over there and start cleaning.” He pointed. “Do it or you’re grounded.”

“Do it or you’re grounded” she mimicked, slowly shuffling away.

“Don’t fucking mock me!” her stormed over and threatened to slam her against the wall. He had never laid a hand on her. He laughed as she ran away.

She sprinted up the stairs to her room and locked the door behind her. It wasn’t more than a second later when her dad pounded on the door.

“Wait until you’re mother comes home! I’ll tell her all about your little scene. If you didn’t think you were in trouble before… Perfect child my ass.” Lacey heard the retreating sound of his footsteps going back down the stairs.

She was scared, her breath coming in short gasps which burned her throat. Stumbling to her bathroom
she pulled out the old razor and sat on the floor.

Slice. One slit on her wrist, the blood starting to ooze out.

Slice. Another where she could still feel the grip from his fingers.

Slice. She began to feel relief, it was trickling down to the floor.

Slice. One more as she saw her dad’s fuming face in her mind.

She knew she should stop, so she put the razor down and just sit there for a few minutes; the blood gathering in a small puddle.

Sitting up, she grabbed the bleach from the cabinet and began to erase the evidence.

With the scarlet liquid no longer on the tile, she cleaned her wounds to make sure they didn’t get infected. Just a few cotton balls would take care of it. She looked at herself in the mirror.

For once her dad had been right about her not being perfect. But little did he know, he was more right than he could imagine.

* *

A flood of relief came over her when the plane finally landed. She walked out of the terminal and scouted the room for her brother. Instead of just Tommy, her aunt was there too, with her bright warm smile.

That was one of the things she liked best about her. Aunt Colleen was caring, but not too much like her parents who were basically restrictive. She never pried into Lacey’s life, so she wasn’t worried about her finding out about her secret.

She hurried over to them and gave her brother a humungous bear hug.

“Hey sweat pea!” Colleen said to her, embracing them both. “I’ve missed you a ton, what do you say we go and catch up over a nice lunch at Pete’s?”

“That sounds good” she smiled.

As they walked out of the airport, a bright sun and a slight breeze greeted her.

“How’s that for weather? I don’t know how you can show up wearing long sleeved shirts and pants. I’m here in shorts and I’m hot as a desert!” she waved down a cab as the two of them got in while her brother loaded her bags in the trunk.

“Oh I don’t know. I’m usually just cold at home I guess.” She lied. If she did start wearing shorter sleeves, not only would she have to find somewhere else to start cutting, but her secret might get out too.

It doesn’t really matter though she thought. Hopefully she wouldn’t have any problems while she was here; only when she felt pain inside was when she felt the need to cut.

Whatever the case, she knew that life was going to be a hell of a lot easier without her parents.