Dismissing Dakota | ✓

»30. Chum«

My wish, quite empty in retrospect, for better luck was a shout into the unknown. I didn't want to tell my father, at first, that I saw my mother. As I waited for him to arrive, I weighted my options. I fidgeted with my fingers, digging them into the skin of my thumb to release my unnerving mind.

Before leaving, she suggested I stop by the Giller house.

"Your relationship with your cousin needs improvement."

"She not my cousin. She's a sociopath with troubling possessive issues."

"Don't say that about family."

"Through marriage-thankfully," I huffed, "I'm glad I'm not blood relate to someone so sick in the head."

"Family is important."

"You're one to talk," I hooted. "You know nothing about family."

"I understand where you're coming from. I deserve that kind of an outburst. I'm aware I've done wrong things in my past."

"Wrong?" I echoed. "No, mom. Saying what you did as 'something wrong' minimizes the gravity of what you allowed to h-" I paused, realizing there were eyes all round us and ears, listening in on our family drama. I lowered my voice. "You're wasting your time. I'm not going to that house with you. You should go on and drive your psycho of a niece home."

"Beth is a sweet girl."

"She's like a gremlin. Cute at first, but ferocious in reality."

This back and forth argument went on, tiring my mother at my uninterest in fixing my ties with Beth. I had more desire to jam a dull, dirty knife up my nose rather than give her another chance. Our conversation played out in my thoughts during the drive home like a tape recorder that wouldn't stop.

"Mom's insane." I blurted to my father.

"Where'd that come from?"

"She's in town still."

He kept his mouth shut. No words came out from my father.

I darted a gaze at him. "You knew?"

"Not for long," he admitted. "I didn't want to hide it from you. When I ran into her in town, she made me swear not to tell you that she was still in town. She said it was for your own good, so I took her word for it."

"I hate how you thought that would be a good idea." I muttered, "I hate how you both wait till now to tell me about Jared being out of jail."

"He's what?"

So, she didn't tell him everything. There was no openness in this family. We hid our problems, covered up our secrets with no intent to share-leaving us disconnected in more ways than one. I longed for honest, but that knew it would only be another shot in the dark-just like my dumb hope for peace and quiet.

"I thought he wasn't getting out for another seven years."

"Mom said he got out early for good behavior." I informed. "She also thinks I should stop over at Giller's house more often so I can mend my relationship with the girl I got in a fight with."

"That sounds like a good idea. I don't see why you shouldn't."

"She's a psycho, dad." I chuckled. "I don't want to tell you what she's done, but trust me, take my word for it. You wouldn't want me to be friends with a person like her."

"Enlighten me." He mused. "I'm a lawyer. I've come across all types of people-good and bad. I'm sure she's not as horrible as the people I've prosecuted against."