consequences// 5SOS

1

Isabelle

Everything in my life gave up.

Mum and dad had given up on each other and constantly argued.

My sister had given up on me to live with her boyfriend in LA.

Slowly, my body was giving up on me too, but nobody else had noticed and I didn't want to cause a fuss. Especially not with mum and dad at each other each day. They didn't have time for me.

I was good at drowning it out, which was a relief otherwise I'd go insane for sure.

After mum pulled me out of school to learn online, I no longer had any friends whose houses I could escape to. I was isolated here, alone, but it was home, I guessed.

Downstairs, mum and dad were screaming. Something about me. Both of them blamed each other.

Most of the time it was about me which they made blatantly obvious. How could they not when their words echoed round the house?

"You tell her,"

"No? You tell her!"

"You're the reason this is fucking happening,"

"This isn't one sided!"

"It is when you have cheated on me,"

"If I remember rightly, you also slept with someone,"

"You're telling her,"

As I heard their footsteps coming up the stairs, I turned off my phone and waited, watching them awkwardly shuffle into my room.

"I don't care who tells me,"

"Why did you speak so loud?"

"You were the one shouting!"

"You were both shouting. All you ever do it shout,"

"Izzy wizzie," dad said, sitting beside me; he put his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged him off, looking away.

"Kaitlin sent us a letter,"

"Oh that was nice of her," I grunted, "Glad she will speak to you. What did it say?"

Kaitlin. My sister.

She left when I was only 3, but there were 16 years between us so she was ready to start life. I didn't remember her to be honest, but I knew she was in LA.

Once, I overheard mum and dad talking about her boyfriend, but that was just about all I knew. She hadn't bothered to contact me, and only spoke to mum and dad in letters. Something bad must have happened, and I could see why.

Living here was hell. They'd never fooled me into thinking this isolation made me safe. In reality they were just controlling and manipulative. However, they did feed me and provide me a shelter, and this place was home. It had been fun as a kid.

"She... erm... well, she is um,"

"She has flown over to come to court... to become your legal guardian. As in, today, and we are going to court tomorrow... and you are leaving tomorrow,"

"Kaitlin? Wants to become my legal guardian? Does she know I'm not 3 anymore?"

It felt like my heart had stopped.

Surely she couldn't just take me?

Why would she want me anyway? Last time I saw her I was still falling asleep in bowls of cereal and constantly covered in paint or food.

"We know it's a shock,"

"How long have you known?"

"About a week,"

"Well you are saying no, right?" I shot, "I mean, if I am not allowed to go to school, surely I can't go across the country,"

"Well...,"

"Right?"

"Not exactly,"

"So you're gonna send me across the country to live with her. She hasn't made an effort to talk to me since she left, why would she want me now?"

"She knows about the fighting,"

"She left me here with it, of course she knows. I'm not going,"

"Look, Izzy wizzie,"

"It's fucking Isabelle,"

"We only want what is best, she will look after you. You just... we need to figure things out. You're not the same little kid anymore,"

"Love you too,"

"Look, your dad and I, we need to sort things out,"

"Can't you just get a divorce?" I asked, hearing the front door open, "Who is here?"

"Izzy, please don't be mad at us. We should have told you sooner, but,"-

"Who is here?"

My bedroom door opened again to reveal a tall woman, her features similar to mine. She gave mum and dad a small hug, but seems dismayed by them, and instead gave me a bright smile.

"Surprise!"

"No, we are not divorcing, we are having a rough patch,"

"That's 16 years long, sure," I said, getting off my bed and pushing past everyone, "I am not leaving,"

"You don't get a choice."

"Fuck you Kaitlin,"

"It's Kaykay," she called, "Meet me in the car?"

"In your dreams,"