For Them | 18+

Chapter 6

Note: Hans is pronounced "Hunce" and "Nani" refers to a maternal grandmother.

Delilah O'Connor

I stared at the laptop sitting on my desk trying to spontaneously photosynthesize, anabolize, hell even manifest an acceptable explanation for my fucked up laboratory results. With all of my classes for the day out of the way, I had decided to tackle my biology lab report, but I quickly regretted the decision.

I knew I should have just done it myself. The stress of putting trust in another is too heavy of a burden, truly. But I suck at saying no, so here I am, stuck with inaccurate lab results because of a lab partner who is "just trying to pass".

I'm not just trying to pass. I'm trying to excel.

I feel terrible even thinking it, but I fully and wholeheartedly regret partnering up with someone who I hadn't vetted beforehand. 

I am that person that takes school too seriously for their own good, and I'll admit, I'm ashamed. I would never willingly say a word of this to any living person, but hey at least I'm aware I have a problem. That is the first step, as people say.

Sighing with my fingertips digging into my temples for brief relief, I decided that I would write out a brief overview of my analysis to not overwhelm myself. 

A ringing sound made me jolt in my seat, a grateful distraction if I was being honest, and I tear my eyes from the screen of my laptop to see my phone face down on my desk. I massage my hand into my neck to work out some kinks before reaching my other to check who was calling.

Huh.

My brother's face was displayed on the screen, a picture I'm pretty sure I had taken after I had beat him at HORSE in our driveway. The image never failed to make me smile, partly from smugness, and partly from affection for him.

He always was a sore loser.

Answering the call, I am immediately bombarded with frantic, indecipherable words all jumbled together to form meaningless sounds.

"Slow down, I can't understand you, idiot."

I hear a deep breath through the line before he starts to speak more clearly.

"You have to come home. Right now."

"I have classes. I can't just leave," I say already exasperated with his demanding tone.

"Please Del? I literally will die if you're not here to distract mom and dad during the dinner."

He sounded like he was exaggerating, but I'm not sure by how much. I do recall hearing about this dinner though. My parents were hosting a dinner this coming saturday for both of their sides of the family, which was always interesting.

"What did you do?" I ask carefully, starting to understand his panic.

"Okay, you have to promise you won't tell though," and after confirming my word he warily continued, "Ricky saw me out with this girl. He's a little shit so I know he told his parents, who are probably going to try to tell nani, who will tell mom. Then, my own mother will slowly suffocate me to death with a pillow."

I swing my chair to face the window displaying the skyline as the sun sets, resting my sock-covered feet onto the desk.

"Stop being dramatic. He probably didn't think much of it, but even if he did snitch mom worships the ground you walk on. She'll probably twist the story in your favour."

I knew my mother, and I was very aware of the biases she held. Even if Hans wasn't.

She had always favoured him, and I'm not even sure if she realizes it.