ꜱᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ • ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ
Follows the lives of six self-proclaimed adults: a witty procrastinator, a smart-mouth with a drinking problem, a crybaby, an overdramatic playboy, a social-recluse workaholic, and an intellectual charmer, as they learn to en...
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Veronica was trudging around the house in an attempt to find a space away from her family. Not only were her uncles at the peak of their annoyance, her aunts were too. Her mother was proudly telling the entire house that Veronica got a job and all she needed was a speaker - but she knew she'd prefer telling each individual, or how else would she receive direct praise? It was the last straw when Veronica heard her mother and aunt talking behind her back while she watched with amusement Kayla and Ethan fight over who won, Kayla claiming Ethan took money out of his own pocket.
"It's pretty big."
"Yes, it is. But she'll cover it up soon when the doctor says so."
Veronica had twisted around at the feeling they were talking about her scar. "What?"
"A tattoo, huh?" They had kept talking like Veronica didn't have a say in it. "You'll have to find something long enough."
"A tree probably."
Veronica had felt her blood boil. Her tolerance meter had reached a peak, the dark needle twisting a 180-degree angle in under a second.
"But I don't want to cover it up."
"Oh honey, that's what you say now but you'll change your mind. I did the same with my scar." Her mother had ushered at the flower on her collarbone.
"Yeah. But I don't want to cover it," she had repeated, slower now as the meter started to ring, the glass crackling under the tension.
Her mother had frowned. "What's that supposed mean."
She could always count on her to take everything personally.
"It means I don't want to hide it. I like it."
"Don't be silly. Do you not see how long it is?"
"I'm sure I can find a good cream from the pharmacy she can use," her aunt had suggested, putting her glasses on and taking out her phone to check.
Steam had prickled Veronica's skin and the pressure had been too high the glasses were seconds away from exploding.
"I like it anyway." Her tone had been clipped, her heart had been squeezing as she had struggled to control her anger.
Ethan had slid next to her, then. "I think it's good Ronnie likes it," he had said, turning to face his sister. "You don't have to cover it up." Veronica had felt the pressure lift off her shoulders, and she had peeled her fingers from her palms. She noticed with a wince she'd been unconsciously digging her nails and bruising her skin.
Her mother's eyes had turned cold. "You don't have to make an allegiance against me about it." She had snapped and Veronica's eyes had hardened is disbelief.
