Perfect Ruin

6. Fight or Flight

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Things get really awkward during breakfast.

I didn't want to go down, but my mom had knocked on our door early in the morning to call the both of us down. I told Beth to tell mom that I had the stomach flu but Beth wouldn't have any of it. She sighed, pulled me up into a sitting position on the bed, walked over to the bathroom and threw me my toothbrush.

Fine.

Now, when the both of us emerge from the stairs, mom and dad's eyes are on us. Mom turns the stove off, scoops the last of the pancakes unto the stack she made and dad puts down his newspaper. I nudge Beth to go first. I try my best to look fearless when I take my place a seat away from dad. The seat in the middle's reserved for Beth.

I'm not going to be dad's target of wrath today. Oh no.

Sorry, Beth, but I'm throwing you under the bus today.

"Morning," mom says to the both of us, her eyes sharp and wary. "I don't get a kiss on my cheek today, girls?"

Beth and I say nothing.

"Fine," she snaps, slamming the plate of pancakes down. "Obviously, we're still not done with last night's conversation."

You think?

"Where the hell did you run off to last night?" My dad turns to me, his nostrils flaring. It's obvious he's been trying to contain his anger for a while now. "Your mom and I were worried sick."

"Does it even matter? I'm back now so that's that," I look down, grabbing a plate from the side and scooping myself some waffles. I reach over to grab the bottle of honey and turn to Beth sweetly. "You want some?"

Beth nods quietly, half her face shielded by her hair. She clearly doesn't want to partake in this conversation. And to be honest, neither do I but it seems like it has already started and it's barreling towards me at full speed.

"You can't go running off like that again," my mom says, leaning against the kitchen table, sighing. Her eyes are soft and sweet and remorseful.

"What? You're going to stop me if it happens again? Won't you be in Puerto Rico or something?" I roll my eyes. "Don't act like you give a damn about me when clearly you don't if you're willing to move halfway across the world the minute life treats you hard."

"Please, Sienna..." She starts off. "I know you're hurting but you have to understand—"

"That's just it, mom," I snap. "I don't understand. Nothing that you can say will ever make me understand. From how I see it, you're abandoning us." And then I cast an annoyed glance and my dad. "And you aren't any better either."

Dad pounds his fist against the table, rattling everything laid on top of it. "Do not take that kind of tone with us. You're being very bratty right now."

"Last time I checked, I don't answer to neither of you." I point an accusing finger, darting at the both of them. "I made that very clear last night when you decided to break this family apart."

"But it's not like we intentionally wanted to do it, Sienna!" My dad yells. A vein pops along his forehead. "When you're adult, you have to make difficult choices. Even if it means making sacrifices."

"So you decided to sacrifice us," I breathe. "Great. Love it. Don't you just love it Beth?"

"S-Sienna..." Beth's voice warns me. Don't push dad. Just don't.