Poison -18- by Melanie Brown

Poison

By

Melanie Brown

Copyright © 2024

Part 18

“Excuse me, but it seems like you just said you have a date.”

Mom grinned. “That’s right, and I’m excited.”

“But you can’t!” I exclaimed.

Mom folded her arms. “And why not?”

Sounding incredulous, I said, “Because you’re Mom! You’re my wife, Sandra! You can’t date!”

Mom shook her head. “I knew you’d react negatively about this. But honestly, little girl, you have no say in who I spend my time with.

Now I folded my arms. “Look, Sandra. It’s still me. I agreed to play along in this charade because... well, circumstances. But I’m still your husband!”

Mom remained calm. “The board settled that weeks ago. My husband is effectively dead. And you are my thirteen-year-old daughter. I really thought you were done with your silly notions of being David. You’re a girl.”

I scowled at Mom. “Come off it, Sandra. Despite what form I have, you know it’s still me, David inside. That hasn’t changed. We still have the vows we made to each other.”

Sandra or er, um, Mom suddenly turned cold. “Till death do us part? David is dead. It must be true. I read it in the news. And you’re becoming less and less like David every day. You’ve already become such a girl.”

“Bullshit!” I pouted. I stomped my foot down. “I’m nothing like a girl!”

Mom laughed, “I see it every day, honey. I see it in the boys you crush on. I see it in your face when you watch a video of your new favorite singer. David never got doey-eyed like that. It’s just so patently obvious. I could go on.”

Still folding my arms, I said, “I don’t crush on guys.”

Mom chuckled. “Then what’s with the giant poster of Nathan Adams you have on your wall?”

I paused a moment. “He’s a good actor. And cute. I mean… doesn’t he look heroic? And… and besides. I don’t approve of you dating other men!”

Mom grinned wide. “Oh, you don’t, do you? I’m sorry, but children don’t have veto power over that. Corey and Zach don’t seem to mind.”

I scowled at Mom. “They were never married to you.”

Mom sighed. “You got me there. Look. You’re moving on with your life. I need to move on with mine.”

“You won’t let me date.”

“Do you want to date?” asked Mom. “Gene? Some other boy?”

I looked down at my feet. “Well, no. I don’t want to date any boy. At least not right now.”

“Look. I’m going on my date while you go to your party and meet boys. And that’s final!” Mom went into her room and closed the door. Once the door is closed, there’s no appeal. I sighed.

As I walked to my room to watch some videos, Corey stopped me in the hall with a deep frown. “Stop trying to say you’re Dad. He’s dead. All you do is make Mom sad. You’re poison!” So much for our deal.

In a sarcastic voice, I said, “Thanks.” I walked into my room and closed the door.

                    *

No more pencils

No more books

No more teacher’s dirty looks

I stood outside the entrance to the school. My middle school days were done. It’s been a long three weeks. I’m done being a Mighty Horned Frog. Whoever came up with that mascot should be boiled in oil.

I turned when my shoulder was thumped. Karen grinned at me and asked, “Is six tomorrow night a good time to pick up you and Corey?”

“Works for me.”

Karen shook her head at me. “I can’t believe Gene isn’t going to take you to the party. Your mom said that’d be okay, right?”

“I told him,” I said with a shrug. “I guess he’s back with Rhonda.”

Karen grunted a laugh. “I think he’s making a huge mistake. Hey, see you at lunch.

I took a deep breath and entered the school.

                    *

Karen grinned at me as I set my tray down.

The classes this morning had all been a joke. Everyone just sitting around and talking. Even the teachers in a couple of classes joked and told stories with the students. Ms Snodgrass handed out word search puzzles. I’d heard that some students were cutting the rest of their classes and leaving at lunch. Corey and I had to wait for Zach to pick us up.

“Look who decided to be brave on the last day!”

I picked up my pre-made, wrapped, double-meat cheeseburger. “I decided to go for broke.” I wondered for a moment if I’d made a mistake. I remembered back to my college days when I accidently went to Taco Tako on their last day of business where they scraped out their freezer, and I spent the next day worshipping the porcelain god from both ends.

Karen stabbed her salad. “Can you believe we’re finally here, Diane? I thought we’d never finish middle school.”

I took a bite of my mystery burger and still chewing said, “It was the most grueling three weeks of my life.”

Karen laughed. “That’s right. You were only here at the end. Do you miss your friends from your school for geniuses?”

“Those stuck-up bitches? Nah.”   I never met any students from the school my cover story said I attended.

“Well, I’m glad you came here. Without you, I’d never have met Corey.” Karen flashed me a grin.

“Wouldn’t that be a catastrophe?” I said trying to figure out the best place to take my burger’s first bite.

Studying the leafy salad she’d speared with her fork, Karen said, “You don’t like Corey, do you? And why does he call you poison?”

I held up a finger, indicating I had to finish my swallow before answering. “I don’t dislike Corey. But he is annoying. Why does he call me poison? Number one, he’s an asshole. But it goes back to Dad dying. Neither Corey nor Zach knew they had a step-sister. I fault Dad with that.” Hey, in all fairness, ‘Dad’ didn’t know they had a step-sister either. The step-sister cover story was fabricated out of whole cloth.

I took another bite of my infamous cheeseburger, shrugged and said, “So me, the new sister, being introduced into the family out of the blue upset the applecart. It changed the whole dynamics of the family. Give me a minute, and I’ll think of some more euphemisms.”

Karen nodded. “I can see that. Still, you should try to get along better.”

I looked incredulous at her. “You’re blaming me? Mom makes me give in to that little turd’s every demand. He needs to stop being such a little asshole to me.”

Karen frowned and declared, “You’re talking about the man I love!”

I gagged and spit out the piece of burger I had in my mouth.

Karen laughed. “Okay. I admit that was a bit over the top. Still…”

Corey set his lunch tray down. “Hey, babe! Poison. Did you hear?”

I wanted to throw up when Karen took his hand. That’s against the rules you know. Holding hands, not throwing up. That could be against the rules, too, I guess.

Eyes bright, Karen asked, “Heard about what?”

Corey said, “They just said we can go home early if we want. I’ve already called Zach. Want to go to a movie?”

I leaned on my elbows. “I would like to see that new Tommy Kincaid movie.”

Frowning at me, Corey, “I wasn’t talking to you.” To Karen he asked, “You want to see that new Tommy Kincaid movie?”

Karen said, “I’d love to.”

I leaned back in my chair and said to no one in particular, “I rest my case.”

                    *

Finally, I was done with middle school. And to Karen’s credit she made Corey take me to the movie too.

I had to pay my own way, though.

End of Part 18