The Trials of a Misunderstood Teenager | ✅

Chapter 9 - Valentine's Day

I am waiting for Phil, my next door neighbor and new boyfriend, to ring the doorbell to come pick me up for our date.

Right after Christmas, I came back home, and knowing that Mom would avoid exposing me to a situation that would involve me seeing Tobias, I was more comfortable, albeit just slightly. I was only really comfortable after Shauna left for college again. I avoided her successfully. I don't know if we even exchanged ten whole sentences during that whole time.

On December 30th, Phil knocked on my door. Mom was out with Shauna, and Dad and Caleb had a father-son thing going on, that also involved Trevor Pedrad and his boys, as well as Mr. Eaton and Tobias. I was home alone, and more than grateful for that. I was just working on an algorithm, when Phil knocked on the door. I was surprised to see him at all. It wasn't like I didn't know who he was, and I was sure he knew who I am. After all, the students elected me once again their president, which came, as last year, as a complete surprise. Just like the year before, I didn't enter the race. Students just nominated me. I didn't even participate in debates. I've told them I'm not interested in standing in front of them promising things I might not be able to deliver. Somehow, that didn't stop them from voting for me. I thanked them all for their support and the obvious trust they had in me, and tried my hardest to help the students of our school.

Phil was very shy. He wanted to ask me to help him with math and physics. He wasn't dumb or lazy, just he got confused sometimes. He was less academic, and more the type that would get his hands dirty. He is a very good mechanic, and even has a part-time job at a garage. He lives alone with his disabled mom, and helps her greatly with this job. He knows college isn't for him, even if he could afford it, so he tries to work hard, and make sure he will find a good fulltime job once he graduates. I have to say, I was very impressed by him. There was no chance I wouldn't help him. And as we spend lots of time together, we became a couple. He is really sweet, gentle and kind and I wish I could help him more. I will not push him, though.

"You look really beautiful," Dad says, as he comes into the hallway. I put on my jacket, and get my purse.

"Thanks," I say, flatly.

Over the past couple of months, as I had promised Mom, I tried to be nicer to Dad. That mainly meant, I wouldn't snap at him or answer sarcastically, and just tried to be respectful. It also meant I tried to open more up to him. We usually talked when Mom was present.

I never really had problems talking to my parents, and eventually they always knew what was going on in my life. But ever since he constantly seemed to take Shauna's side, I distanced myself from Dad.

It all culminated after I had promised Mom to have a better relationship with Shauna, and she actually seemed to want the same. For four weeks she seemed a different person. So much, she even fooled me. There was a nagging voice in the back of my head, saying she fakes it. But I wanted so desperately to believe she was genuine, I told that voice to shut up. And then I made the horrible mistake to confide in her I lost my virginity to Tobias. I was already planning to tell at least Mom, knowing that Dad would overreact. But Shauna beat me to it. Mom was at a medical conference in New York, and the night before Shauna went to tell Dad that I had sex with my boyfriend, I already hinted that I became a woman. Mom said that she wanted us to talk when she got back, but she didn't seem upset. It was only when I got home from school and Dad was yelling at me, calling me a slut, that I saw Shauna's true face. She was standing in the doorframe of the living room smirking triumphantly as Dad yelled at me. He even went as far as to prohibit me to see Tobias again and even threatened that if I did he would call the cops. Tobias was already eighteen, but I was still fourteen. I couldn't believe dad would do that. Later, Mom told me that Dad would have never done that, but she strongly disagreed with his reaction. That was the moment I lost any kind of affection for my sister. She betrayed me like no one else ever did.