About A Girl

Chapter 3 - I Would Recognize Those Legs Anywhere

"We act like it's all okay,
Broken and keep it that way.
We play pretend and just descend
Into these endless cycles.
Engulfed in lies so deep,
Don't recognize me - no control.

They're all complacent with their own issues.
They're all just liars, and that's alright with me.
If they're all liars, what does that make mе?
Just a liar? Another liar?"
- The Ghost Club

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I wake up the next morning to shouting downstairs.

Guess Mom and Dad are home.

In case it wasn't clear, no, my family isn't exactly what you'd call functional.

My parents... Let's just say, the way they treat each other, it's a wonder I was ever even born.

I'm guessing they must still think I'm asleep, otherwise, there's no way they'd be going at it the way they are right now.

And I don't mean going at it in the fun way.

Don't get me wrong, it's not always like this. Oh no, sometimes the shouting and name-calling is replaced with pissed off looks and cold silence.

Believe me, the holidays are a fun time in our house.

I'd like to think that things weren't always like this, that they didn't always hate each other so much, but it's been this way for about as long as I can remember.

Pretty sure they only stay with each other now because a divorce would "look bad."

The board members at my dad's company would judge, and their trophy wives would talk, and next thing you know, my dad's lost his "family man" reputation.

Can't have that, of course. I mean, who would want to invest in a man with that kind of instability? Not to mention, what would they say at the country club?

Basically, image is everything to them. It's the reason they keep each other around.

In fact, I could make a strong case that it's the reason they keep me around.

For the most part, they try not to fight around other people too much, myself included. I guess they think they get points for that, for pretending for my sake, but considering the rare times they are around are still filled with backhanded remarks, snide comments, or worse, silence, they won't be winning any "parent of the year" awards from me.

Still, they're at least making an effort not to screw me up too much, and I guess that's worth something. If you ask me, it's a little late for that, but hey, what they don't know won't hurt them.

I yank my pillow out from underneath me and hold it over the back of my head. Even the thick fabric against my ears isn't enough to block out the noise.

Jesus, we have a pretty big house. I shouldn't even be able to hear them right now.

Letting out a sigh, I lift my head and reach over to grab my phone off my night stand. When I tap the screen, I discover that it's not even six in the morning yet.

Awesome.

It only takes a few more minutes for me to realize that there's no point in trying to go back to sleep now and decide to get up. I guess it couldn't hurt to actually be on time for school for once, right?

There's a first time for everything.

Yawning, I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes with one hand while ruffling my bedhead with the other.