What!?

30

When the scene changes, Iliana breathes a sigh of relief. She has no desire to relive any part of the next year. That birthday especially had been difficult. Then although it isn't the scene before her, she remembers it and wants to cry all over again. That year was even worse than the one before.

They had gone to a restaurant like usual, only a day before her birthday since Isaac had been called to an emergency. The company her father had taken over before his death, the CEO that had taken over had had a heart attack. He had to fly out the next morning early. He hadn't been pleased, especially since he had planned to take Iliana to a play the next day.

"It's alright, I understand. You didn't intentionally do anything to make it so you could be away from me. Besides, you look like shit."

"I've been on conference calls and meetings all day trying to get control of this situation and trying to not have to leave. It seems that I'll have to go out and deal with it personally. Even if he survives he'll be unable to take over the responsibilities once more. I'll have to give him the bad news even as I have to choose his successor. It could take me more than a week before I can return."

Iliana smiles sadly. Isaac and Blake were basically the only ones that consistently still tried to spend time with her. The others had stopped trying so much. Now she's lucky to have any time, including phone calls or text messages from any of them more than once a week. And yes, they still lived in the same home.

"Preston said that he will take you to the play, and Phoenix said that he would join you since he wanted to see it as well. I'm sorry, Ili, I was looking forward to spending that time with you and now this." Isaac truly was unhappy and so Iliana assures him that she'll be fine. It is after all no ones fault that this happened when it did. But Iliana keeps her doubts to herself. She doesn't think that she'll be seeing the play after all. No matter what the other two promised.

After the dinner that night she was even more convinced that she would be forgotten. All of them, except Blake, used the dinner to scope out possible flavors. They all ignored her, not even wishing her a happy birthday, other than Isaac and Blake. Iliana did her best to hide her tears, but she never wanted to have that experience again.

"Ili, are you okay?" Blake asks her worried as she refuses dessert. Iliana never refuses dessert, she loves her sweets. 

"Take a look around you, Blake, what are they all doing?"

Blake looks around and finally sees what his brothers are and aren't doing. "Have any of them even talked to you?"

"Yeah, Isaac. Preston and Phoenix are supposed to take me to the play in place of Isaac tomorrow, but I'm willing to bet you another thousand that it won't happen. I've lost my appetitive, Blake. I'm going home. You stay with the idiots. Let me know later if any of them even notice me leaving."

"You can't go by yourself Ili, I'll take you home." Blake says softly becoming very angry with his brothers once more. Her birthdays are never good times for her due to the deaths that occurred on them. 

Ili shakes her head, "Isaac is going now, I'll just go with him. Go ahead and find a flavor tonight. I don't mind that they are looking for a flavor, it's that they are supposed to be with me celebrating my birthday. Couldn't they at least wait until after the dinner?" Ili understood Isaac finding his flavor and dealing with it there at the restaurant. He'll be leaving early the next morning and won't have time to hunt later. He will even have to leave earlier since he'll be taking a commercial flight. Their jet being used already.

Ili stands up and leaves and doesn't notices Blake motioning to Isaac to catch up to her.

"Ili?" Isaac asks softly as they wait for the taxi to pick them up.

"Not your fault and I don't blame you. You had no choice, the others though, they were being so rude to me. I know you arranged for the two to take me to the play, but I'm willing to bet you a thousand, just like I did Blake, that Preston and Phoenix won't be taking me to the play tomorrow."

"Preston will, Ili, unless another emergency comes up that he'll have to deal with." Isaac pleads his on behalf of his twin.

Ili gives a bitter laugh. "None of them even spoke to me. Most haven't spoken to me in days. None of them noticed or cared if they did notice, that I left. I deserve to be treated better than this, Isaac. This hot and cold shit you boys do to me is making me ill. I can't take it any more.

"I'm healthy enough to live on my own. I'm going to ask Blake for my birthday gift this year to move out. I should have last year."

The taxi comes up at that time. That gives Isaac a chance to think. "If my twin does keep his promise, will you hold off on leaving? You have only a year left before you turn eighteen. Will you give us that year before you leave us?"

"I can't take this, Isaac. I think you all just have outgrown me. I don't want to remain where I am not wanted." Iliana lets the silence fall, "There are too many memories in the house. It's too painful. I need to leave before the pain is too much. Those that actually want to see me and stay in touch with me can. But I'm tired of feeling like they are only around me because they feel like they have to be. Like tonight. They were there out of obligation, not because they wanted to be celebrating my birthday.

"I don't want you saying anything to any of your brothers. They need to either fulfill their promise on their own and want to be with me or not. I don't like how it feels when they are not there on their own desire. I don't really have any place in their lives. Hell, you and Blake are so much older than me that you shouldn't really be spending any time with me and yet you spend more than those closest in age to me. Even though you two are the busiest of the brothers. It will be better for all if I leave. Blake will have one less responsibility and you all will forget about me or remember me as that annoying person that you had to spend so much time with and are free of now."

"No, Ili, frustrating person, that we got the chance to spend time with, perhaps."

Ili smiles sadly and shakes her head. They pull up to the house and get out before she replies. "No, the triplets one friend was right. I am a leech to you all. Let's see, how did he phrase it again? A parasitic orphan bitch leech. I think that was what he called me. I try not to be a bitch but the rest is fairly accurate, I think. This last year has demonstrated that. It's what caused you all to actually want to spend time with me. This way, you will never have to see me injured or nearly dying. If I die you won't even have to show up to a funeral or memorial. Fuck, you won't even have to hold one for me." Ili stops to regain her composure. "You and Blake might miss me, but I think that your lives will go on and in time you will forget about me, just like your brothers.

"Please, don't worry about me and just focus on your trip. You have a lot to deal with over there. I think that position is cursed."

"Ili, being a CEO is a high stress position. Many have had heart attacks from it. Your parents weren't killed because of Joel being the CEO, please, don't give up on us yet. Don't leave before I get back. I will take you to a play when I get back, this one might not still be running so you'll have to find another that you want to see."

Ili nods morosely and heads off to her room. That night she cries herself to sleep and it's not any of the brothers that holds her, it's Robert. That just makes her cry harder since he'll be leaving in a couple of days and then she'll have no one.

What makes it worse, she won the bet with both brothers. Preston and Phoenix went to the play, without her. They took a flavor with them instead.

Things went downhill from there.

For the next year she immerses herself in her college classes that she was taking online. Blake was unhappy at how many credits she took, but she didn't care. He wasn't here much anymore and she was tired of being alone. She has the dog that Casper and Flynn gave her, but other than servants and the dog she didn't see or hear much from any one else. Not even Isaac when he got back. He did, however keep his promise and take her to a play. 

He was furious as was Blake that Preston and Phoenix broke their promise. But the two never even tried to apologize.

Iliana starts to box up her room. She separates the things that she will be giving away just as soon as Blake gives her permission to move out. Now she just has to actually get him to talk to her. He ignores all her text messages and refuses her calls. Both the ones through work and those to his cell.