The Trials of a Misunderstood Teenager | ✅

Chapter 7 - Thanksgiving weekend

Mom and Dad were happy to have all their children back under the same roof, but I wanted to run. Mom tried to convince me to try and make it work with Shauna, but I still couldn't forgive her for all the crap she did to me. I promised my parents that I would lock myself in my room if they even thought of forcing me to endure Shauna's presence. I was done with her. I didn't care that she was my sister. To me, Shauna Prior was dead.

Eventually, after long debates, my parents allowed me to spend Thanksgiving dinner with my uncle and aunt, and my cousin Lynn. My uncle Joe and his family lived nearby, and Lynn and I wanted a cousin sleepover for a long time. This was the perfect opportunity.

On Sunday, we all met at my uncle's church for sermon. I was standing with Lynn, Marlene and Uriah, talking about the upcoming lacrosse game, when Shauna, Zeke and Tobias came to us.

"Mom and Dad told me about MIT," she says to me, but I ignore her. I don't want to even acknowledge she exists. "I guess good things happen even to nerds," she adds condescendingly.

"At least they did everything to get her," Lynn bites back. "How many ivy-league colleges came to you to beg you to study at their school?" she adds.

"That's not fair, Lynn," Zeke says, trying to take Shauna's side. My back is still turned to them. I only know all three of them are there, because Marlene whispered it to me.

"Is this why you came here, Shauna? To call Tris a nerd?" Uriah asks accusingly.

"What's it to you? You in love with my baby sister or something?" she asks, and at that both Uriah and I crack up and laugh. "What's so funny?" she asks confused.

"Come on, guys. Let's head inside. The sermon is about to start," Marlene says seriously, and grabs my hand, pulling me inside.

We find a bench way in the back, and are joined shortly by my brother. I sit between Marlene on my right, and Lynn on my left. Uriah sits next to Marlene, and Caleb next to Lynn. The others quickly fill him in over what happened outside church, and he tells us how Shauna took the news about me being practically begged by MIT to become one of their alumni. Apparently, Shauna didn't take it too well. She threw a tantrum. Dad, like always, tried to please her, promising her some shit, if only she was nice to me. But later that night Caleb heard our parents fight over this. Mom was upset that Dad tried to bribe Shauna into acting nicely. I think, she now realizes why I'm so upset, and that I wasn't completely wrong when I said Dad is spoiling Shauna. When Shauna then found out that I refused, she made some snotty comment on how immature I am. What a bitch! One moment she hates me for being asked to graduate early, and when she learns I refused she calls me immature.

The sermon passes quickly, mainly because my friends kept whispering in the back, drawing in unfriendly glances from the people around us. When it's finally over, I hurry to my parents' car and get in, making sure Caleb sits in the middle between me and Shauna. I can't wait for them to go back to college. I just need to figure out what to do for Christmas. Maybe I can persuade my parents to let me stay with Grandma and Grandpa.