From Yours Truly, Edie

Chapter Thirty Nine: Where You At, Mom? Huh?

April 2007

"You'll leave July fifth, and come back the week before school starts." Leslie told her daughters and stepson one morning while driving them to school. "I expect you to be on your best behaviors, and to help out on the farm."

"But we've never met them before. It'll be super awkward." Mel said, and she was right. They had never met Uncle Rick, their father's brother, or his family.

"Well, this will be your chance. It took lots of convincing Charles to agree to letting you go." Leslie stopped the car, and let Nolan out, waving as he walked over to a group of his friends. They still had ten minutes to go until they reached the strict all-girls school. "Edie, I know you still miss Brian. Your uncle knows his father, and he's hired Brian for the summer so you'll be able to see him again."

"OK. Great." Edie replied with no emotion.

"I thought that would make you happy." Leslie raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed.

"You leaving him would make me happy. I don't care how much money he has, I don't care that people love him and think that he's this great person. He's manipulative, narcissistic, controlling, and emotionally abusive. But you don't even care."

"I wish you wouldn't say those things. You know I'll have to tell him, Edie."

"You don't have to tell him anything. Pull over, I can walk the rest of the way."

"Honey, I-"

"Please, Mom. Pull over." Edie tried not to cry when her mother didn't listen. "For once in your goddamned life, do something I ask of you!"

"Well, alright!" Leslie huffed, skidding to a complete stop as the vehicle behind her honked angrily. "Get out. And when you come back home, expect to be in trouble."

"I think I'll get out as well." Mel smiled apologetically as Edie slammed the door shut with all her strength. "She really misses being able to email Bill. It was the only thing she had left that made her happy."

"You know how your father feels about the situation."

"I'm sorry, but he's not our father. Hank is our father. Charles is just the arse-hole dictator you let control us. Edie's right, Mom." Mel unbuckled and got out, running after her older sister. They didn't bother going to any of their classes, and for the first time, skipped a whole day of school.

xcxcxcx

Edie was alone in the house for the first time in months - her mother and siblings were out grocery shopping, and Charles was busy at work. She logged onto the computer in her room to get a head start on a geography project when she realized she could do anything she wanted. Well, within reason, of course. So she Googled how to delete internet history and checked her emails. She had so many from Bill; in fact, they all were from Bill. They grew shorted and each was desperate for answers. Edie hit 'compose new email' and gave a hurried explanation, fearful she'd get caught redhanded, and sent it off. Almost instantly she got a reply but instead of seeing what BIll said she logged out of her email, deleted the history, and shut the computer off.

Ten minutes passed.

With her heart rate back to normal, she switched it back on and connected to the internet.

A red car pulled into the driveway and she shut it off so fast, feeling awful for thinking she would have the chance to do something she wanted. It was stupid, how affected she was by Charles' presence in her life. She hated him for it, for turning her into someone she never thought she would be - weak, scared, and anxious. At night, her thoughts often became suicidal but she knew she could never bring herself to actually take her own life, she had too much to lose.

The idea of no longer existing absolutely terrified Edie.

|No, I'm not dead. It's been so long since I could actually feel like I could write. I've been having lots of health issues and right now as I type this I'm lying in my hospital bed, slowly getting better. I'll be ok soon, or at least that's what they tell me. Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter and hopefully it'll be finished soon.