Theme 6 - Break
Hi there! Long time no post, I know. Here’s my next bit from my Espers short story collection/100 themes. Within short story land this would be "In which Megan is kicked out of her house and goes home" or something like that, I've been reading Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons again and liked how she titled the chapters. This bit clocks in at ~1600 words. Happy reading, and as always any bit of constructive criticism is welcome.
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Megan stood in front of the mailbox, a simple black metal rectangle on top of a white wooden post with a few pink flowers planted around it in an attempt to make it look nicer. Like anyone even cares about the flowers the young girl thought as she leafed through the mail. Bill, junk, more junk, coupons, and a letter from Quirky School for Inquisitive Minds. What? I didn’t even apply, oh crap, oh crap. Mom and Dad aren’t going to be happy about this.
Walking into the house Megan called out “Mom, Dad, I’ve got the mail.”
“Anything good hiding in there?” her father’s deep voice called.
“Depends on your definition of good.” Megan quipped as she handed him the papers.
“Go do some homework or something,” He said as he playfully swatted Meg with the papers. “Hang on, what’s this? Quirky School for Inquisitive Minds! When did you apply for this school? Why would you apply for this school, isn’t Cartersburg High good enough for you?”
“Dad, calm down. I didn’t even apply, they probably sent it to me by mistake.” Meg held her hands out
“Honey, what’s going on?” Megan’s mom said as she poked her head through the kitchen doorway, hands still covered by the yellow rubber gloves she wore whenever she washed dishes.
“Our little Megan has been accepted into Quirky School for Inquisitive Minds.”
“That school taught by and for freaks? The one that feeds directly into the college of freaks?”
“Mom! It’s not a school for freaks!”
Meg knew that was the wrong thing to say when her mother turned her green eyes to glare at her daughter. “It’s not a school for freaks? Are you saying that you know better than me? That a school that advertises being able to teach Espers,” she spat the word out like it was something disgusting, “how to control their so-called-powers could possibly be a school for normal people?”
Meg’s father, who had been looking through the enclosed brochure, chose this moment to cut in. “What I want to know is how they got this address. I take great pains to keep our address unlisted so those freaks don’t get any ideas. I want to see the registration act pass.”
Mom walked over and put a hand on Dad’s back. “I know dear, just think of all those poor kids with nowhere to go, when they could’ve gotten help if their parents had just known what they had given birth to.”
Megan felt her teeth clench as she heard her parents talking. I can’t believe they’re so clueless, I want to say something. I can’t defy them. I have to. “What sort of help do you think they should’ve gotten?”
“Why the pills of course dear. What other help is there?”
I can’t believe mom would suggest the suppressants. No, actually I can. God, doesn’t she realize how dangerous those things are? “What about training? Teaching them to learn how to control their powers. The pills can have a lot of nasty side effects.”
“Pssh, rumors spread by the Espers so they don’t have to give up their powers.”
“So Dad, the kid who was on the pills until he lost all brain function was a rumor? Because he was in my math class until he turned into a vegetable. I visited him at the hospital with Violet. Didn’t look like a rumor to me.” I’m starting to get that tone. I really don’t care right now, this is important. Is Mom snarling?
“That’s because he was to old to be taking them safely, if you catch it before the child hits puberty there’s practically no risk. Besides why would you visit a creature like that?”
Yep, that’s definitely a snarl. “Because we’d just finished working on a big project with him.” Green eyes that were the mirror of her mother’s flashed in anger.
“I do not want you associating with those things!”
Megan took a deep breath, “does that mean I shouldn’t associate with myself?” Oh God. Oh God. What did I just do? Help me please? Must not show fear, must not show fear.
“What do you mean?”
“Mom, Dad, I’m an Esper.”
The silence was deafening until both of her parents exploded at once, it was impossible to tell who said what. One of them started yelling about it being impossible, no one in the family history is an Esper. Then they started blaming each other, claiming that one of them had to have some Esper blood, even if it was unknowingly. How those sneaky freaks corrupt innocent families, and that this is why they need to be registered. Then the words Megan dreaded hearing were spoken. “Get out, fifteen is to old to take the pill so leave. I refuse to have a freak for a daughter. You can come back tomorrow while we’re at work to get your stuff and leave the key. You will not take anything that is not in your room and you will not make an extra copy of the key. We will be changing our number so don’t bother to call.”
It didn’t take much time after that to find Megan on the front porch of her best friend’s house. She stood there for what felt like forever as she debated just going in (she was given a key and told she was free to come and go as she pleased) or ringing the doorbell (this visit felt so very different from all the other times she’d been over). Before she could come to a decision the door opened and a tall blond man motioned for me to go inside. “What’s wrong sweetie?”
All it took were those three simple words to make Meg fall apart. Between sobs she choked out the story. “And now I just don’t know what to do.” While Meg had been talking to Mr. Tiffle Violet had been in the kitchen making hot chocolate, by the time Meg had finished catching Mr. Tiffle up the hot chocolate was done, and Meg had stopped sobbing enough to manage a thankful smile as she accepted the steaming drink from her best friend.
“I have an idea, but first you should know I think the letter from the school was my fault,” Mr. Tiffle said. “Remember when you and Vi went on that tour of the college?”
Meg nodded.
Mr. Tiffle locked eyes with his daughter, who looked very nervous about something, but opened her mouth regardless, “I had an interview…”
“I know, Mr. Tif and me hit the bookstore while you were gone.”
Violet focused on a spot in the carpet as she spoke. “They offered to let me transfer to their high school, with guaranteed acceptance to the college.”
“That’s great! Well… It sucks, ‘cause the only reason high school is tolerable now is ‘cause you’re there, but it’s a great chance for you…”
“I told them no.”
“What!?” Meg jumped up, “are you crazy?”
Violet walked towards her and gently pushed her back on the couch, “I told them I couldn’t leave you. They said they understood, and the interview ended.”
“Oh.” Meg’s eyes were wide, “Well, whatever. It happened, my parents were gonna find out sooner or later anyway.”
Mr. Tiffle cleared his throat, “I’ve told you before you were welcome anytime. I mean that. You’re more than welcome to stay, and tomorrow I’ll grab the car and me and Vi’ll help you get your stuff.”
With this Meg launched herself at Mr. Tiffle. His arms awkwardly wrapped around her as she cried into his shirt. “There there sweetie, it’ll be okay.”
Meg spent that night in Violet’s room, the girl didn’t sleep very well at first. Violet and her father were cleaning out the attic since they thought it’d work as a double bedroom for the girls. Fortunately, they hadn’t been living there long enough to accumulate much stuff in the attic (they had been using the basement). While clearing out the dust Violet kept up a study stream of muttering (when she wasn’t sneezing), mostly to the effect of wondering if the previous owners ever cleaned.
Once the attic was clean and Violet had taken a quick shower to get rid of the dust that had stuck to her skin Vi went back to her room, where she saw Meg curled into a tight ball burying her face in the pillow. Violet sighed when she saw her friend, who was usually the strong one between the two of them, in such pain. “Meg?” She whispered, “I’m here, Meg.”
When she heard the soft voice of her friend Meg lifted her head, she meant to say something, but all she could manage was a whimper. Clearing her throat and even managing a watery grin Meg choked out the words, “God, I’m pathetic aren’t I?”
Vi grinned at her seeing a chance to make her friend laugh, “Two things. One, you’re not pathetic. I don’t let pathetic people into my room. Two, I’m not God. I mean, I’m pretty awesome and all, but God? Not quite.”
Sure enough, Meg started to laugh, but as with many others the jump from crying to laughing caused her to start crying again. “Meg, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you start crying again.” Violet practically fell onto the bed in her attempt at comforting Meg. Fortunately, this caused Meg to start laughing again.
“I’ll be fine Violet, you need to calm down so we can sleep. You’re not using your empath-emotion-manipulation on me are you?”
The guilty expression on Vi’s face was all the answer Meg needed.
“Stop that. I read enough psychology books to know that I have to work through this without someone manipulating my emotions.”
“But, you’re dealing with so much, can’t I at least keep it toned down? For my own selfish benefit.”
Megan knew that her friend was really trying to help her, but it wasn’t often that she claimed it was for ‘her own selfish benefit’. Megan glared at her as much as she could manage, which between her emotional state, and her fondness for the girl wasn’t much. “Fine, just make sure I actually work through it myself, no helping them along other than lessening the amount.”
“It’s a deal.”