Chapter 1 The game

It was December, a week after my birthday. I was lying on bed reading when my mothers entered the room. Both were around 5’6’’, one was white with a red colored pixie cut, the other black with longer curled hair. Daisy announced with faux sternness, “We need to talk.”

I’d apparently forgotten to lock the door. I put my book down and moved to a seated position. I noticed Daisy lick her lips. That’s odd. I’d gone through all the emotions regarding my family in the last few years. I was initially distraught. That turned into anger and then hate, eventually I just felt nothing. I no longer cared about any of them except the bitch. The bitch was the one I still hated.

Helen ordered, “You need to get this taken down. Put out a video retracting it. We’re getting harassed online about it. I had a business deal fall through when the client asked about this.” She held out her brand-new iPhone model last week and I grasped it and tapped the screen to play the video.

I knew what I was looking at instantly, the video was taken the prior week when I’d answered a few questions from people trying to interview me after I’d received an award. It started with a member of the press asking, “And is there any member of your family you’d like to Thank for their help in this achievement?”

I chuckled then answered, “Family ... certainly not. My family barely knows I exist and have certainly never helped me with anything. They haven’t given me a dime or done anything for me in five years. Not a one of them cares if I live or die. My mothers are far more interested in spoiling my three sisters than anything I’ve ever done. If they even knew I was here today I’d likely be hospitalized from shock. Everything I’ve achieved has been through hard work and natural talent. I am lucky to have the support of Sarah one of my neighbors who has been the mother I never had, Emily and Duke who acted as guideposts to me, a few close friends, and my girlfriend.”

“Can I go back to reading now?”

Daisy squeaked out, “You need to admit you lied and do a retraction video.”

“I didn’t lie. I never lie.”

Helen added, “You know we’ve loved you and supported you. We treat all our children the same.”

I tried to suppress the laughter and I succeeded for two seconds, “Name one thing I said that was wrong.”

Daisy shook her head, “It’s not funny. You know damn well we love you and care about what you’re doing and support you however we can.” I suppose I can have some fun.

“Alright, how about a game? I’ll ask you twenty questions about me and our relationship and if you can get three right I’ll let you write whatever you want and I’ll read it and you can record it and put it to Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, a video billboard, or whatever app is popular this week, but if you can’t get three out of twenty questions right then you’ll get out of my room and let me get back to reading.”

Daisy seemed offended, “We don’t need to play some kind of game to prove we love our son.” I wonder if I have a brother they’re talking about?

I chuckled, “You just know you’ll fail.”

Helen put on her boardroom face, “Fine. Hit me.”

‘Don’t tempt me. Alright. That video was taken when the press asked me a few questions after I received an award from the governor ... and yes, I know you didn’t know about the award, but it isn’t like you’d care. So, what four-year project was the award for?”

I watched the blank expressions on their faces and if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought my egg donor had a bit of shame around her eyes. Helen on the other hand started scrolling through her phone, “No phones. That would be cheating.”

“20 seconds... 15... 10... 5 ... Eh, out of time. I was given the award for raising 85,000 dollars for the creation of a suicide hotline for teens and young adults.”

Helen tried to play it down, “if you told us about it, we’d have been there. I would’ve written a check too.” I couldn’t stop the eyeroll and focused on my heartbeat and breathing as Sarah had taught me. Keep it even. Slow. Keep control. In. Out.

“Sure, Not like I was doing fundraising for the last four years ... What was the last birthday present you gave me? Or anyone in this family gave me? And what year was it. If you answer either what it was or when it was you’ll get credit.” I can always make them harder if I have too.

Helen scanning the room must’ve notice my shelves, “Books! I know you like books. So, we got you some last year.”

Daisy tried, “A game for your Xbox.”

“I don’t have an Xbox ... I did. I’d bought it with money I earned from one of my jobs, but you took it and gave it to Annie (my little sister) after she spilled soda on hers. That was three years ago, so I assume you’ll replace it and return it to me next year sometime? I never felt like buying another one if I could lose it so easily. As for book, also No. You’ve not bought me books or anything else in quite a number of years. Last year ... also dead wrong. The answer is a 50-dollar gift card to Amazon when I was twelve.”

Daisy squeaked again, “We ... we didn’t get you anything last year?”

“Nope. Pretty sure you forgot completely. What about last Christmas? What was my present then? You got Annie 5 games, new console, a new controller, headset, a gaming pc, and 1000-dollar GameStop card. You got Sylvia a brand-new weight set, airfare to her next weightlifting competition with hotel, and renewed her gym membership, and you bought the bitch concert tickets, airfare, hotel accommodations for her and three of her friends. So, what did you get me?”

Helen ordered, “Don’t call your sister a bitch she did nothing to you!”

“Sure. She just murdered my best friend.” I counted down as I watched the blank stares. “Eh, time’s up. You got me tube socks and a pair of blue pumps ... which for the record are not in my size even if I wore women’s shoes. I suspect you grabbed them from your closet still wrapped cause I’d given them to you for your birthday the year prior.” I’m actually curious about the tube socks. The same 9.99 package every year. I know they aren’t buying them, so where do they come from?

Helen
tried to mitigate, “It’s not our fault. James said you didn’t want anything.” Interesting.

“Sure, most kids want to watch their siblings open gifts while they get pack of tube socks. But if you knew you didn’t get me anything, why were you guessing what you might’ve given me?” They had the decency to look ashamed, but I couldn’t tell if it was an act or not. “Question three: What is my girlfriend’s name? First, middle, or last you get any of them I’ll give you credit. I’ll even give you credit if you name my ex.”

Daisy’s face brightened momentarily, “Heather ... I know this, Heather.”

“I’m tempted to give you partial credit as I did in fact have a friend who was a girl named Heather, but she was a lesbian and after your eldest, I’ll leave the bitch unspoken, recorded her with her girlfriend, played the video at a school assembly, and then harassed her for months till she killed herself. My best friend killed herself because of your eldest. Then when I came back from the funeral crying and upset she screamed, “Quit crying little bro, you’ll never be a man if you cry over every piece of trash.’ You should remember that cause that’s when I punched the bitch in the face and you tossed me down here with nothing but a mattress and a trash bag full of my clothes and gave my room to her for her clothes. I think I’ve done pretty well considering.”.

Daisy face fell and I had to stifle a laugh, “I ... didn’t know she died. I’m sorry.” Bullshit.

Helen shook her head, “Even if she teased her that’s not Amy’s fault. She had to have existing mental issues.” In. Out. Focus.

“If by mental issues you mean bigoted parents and a band of people torturing her daily led by ‘Amy’ then, yes, she had ‘mental issues.” In. Out. So much for apathy

Daisy was quick to defend the bitch, “She didn’t know it was going to happen.” “I was just setting buildings on
fire, how was I supposed to know there were children in that orphanage.”Helen
harumphed before adding, “And how were we supposed to know that was what triggered your outburst. We just knew you attacked your sister.”

“I mean, begging for you to take me to the funeral. Begging for you to make her stop. That pretty much showed asking you for help was pointless. Sure, most parents would’ve gone with their son to a funeral for their best friend or taken issue with their eldest daughter being an unrepentant monster ... but you’re not parents or at least you’re not parents to me. Question four ... You take the family on trips two to three times a year; you two, my three wombmates, Mark, and Uncle James, and Daisy’s parents. Last year you went to Paris, Greece, and LA ... what was the last family vacation I was offered or allowed to attend?”

Helen seemed to regain her composure, “Everyone went to Paris. I know we left you here for a couple of the minor ones, but you came on the big trips. But you didn’t want to go on the little ones.” “Did Uncle James tell you that too? Cause it really doesn’t sound like you should listen to someone who can’t hold a job and lives off the two of you.”

While Daisy looked more sheepish, “I ... I don’t know.” She’s catching on.

“The beach when I was twelve. For the record I found out about the Paris trip when you got back after two weeks ... I’d been enjoying the quiet house and was hoping you’d been raptured. And you left me out of every other one. I usually find out that you’re going or where you went when some of my classmates talk about it. Question Five: I thanked Sarah ... why did we become close? Hint it’s related to the last question.”

Helen quickly lost that composure, “Is she a friend’s mom?”

Daisy just shook her head. I think she knows she’s already lost.

“When I was 13 you all went to Italy ... and of course forgot to tell me. And you also scheduled the house for fumigation that week. Sarah lives a few streets down and saw the kid crying in front of the tented house cause his family had abandoned him for a vacation and then made sure he couldn’t even sleep at home without fucking saying anything. So, she ... took me in. She let me stay with her for the week, fed me, even bought me some clothes to change into. Looking back, she probably should’ve called CPS, but I gained someone I could trust who actually gives a damn about me, so it worked out. She was a complete stranger who treated me like family while you all probably hoped I’d die.”

“We’d never want that.” Daisy Sputtered.

“Sure, I was just supposed to sleep in the house as it was being fumigated while you all ran off to Europe without even warning me. Question six: When was the last time one of you hugged me?”