The Snake Queen

Chapter 24

Good morning, my lovelies!! And a good evening to my readers from across the pond in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia!! I have a very special chapter for you guys today!! First, thank you all so much for all the reads, votes and comments that has it at #10 in the "queens" category a few weeks ago, and it is currently #4 in the "difficulties" category. Second, it's your girl's 21st birthday!!! That's right, this chapter is special because I am officially 21 today!!! Due to recent events, I cannot drink today, so please do me a favor and have a drink for me in honor of my special day.

I know typically I'm supposed to getting gifts for my birthday, but I don't really care about my birthday so I'm giving all of you the gift of reading!!! I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and thank you for all the reads and votes that have The Snake Queen where it is today. Especially since I've been working on it since I was 15. I love all of you, and I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving. Kisses.

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As the weeks went on, nothing had really changed. My mom spends every free moment she can trying to convince me to tell my friends about what my potential fate has in store for me. As normal, I spend every free moment I can ignoring her and telling her over and over again I don't have to if I don't want to. Surprisingly, my dad even stopped siding with her, and started agreeing with my views as to why I shouldn't. I think he only started going against my mom so he won't have to hear us anymore. Yeah. No. He still hears it.

"Honey, leave the poor kid alone. She's already having enough problems with this without you trying to force her to tell her friends something she's not ready to tell them."

"You really should listen to your husband, Mrs. Packard. He does know more about this than you being as it's his family's curse after all." I snickered as the snake slithered up on the kitchen table.

"Am I really being told what to do by a reptile that doesn't have any arms or legs, isn't supposed to be showing up in random places at the most convenient times, and shouldn't be talking?" My mom groaned.

"Welcome to my world." I mumbled.

"You get used to it after a while."

"And slightly less irritated. He's only been following me around for almost a year, and I'm only two percent less irritated."

"Is this really what we have to deal with for the next year?" Mom asked the creature that was eyeing up my empty cereal bowl.

"Well, technically, dear, we don't have to deal with anything. It's Mag that has to deal with this. We can't really help her. All we can do is support her. The only one that can really help her is him." He pointed at the snake that so kindly invaded our family breakfast.

My dad was right. My parents couldn't help me through this at all no matter how hard they tried. I have to depend on the snake for help. He's the only one that can help me break the curse.

It's almost as if they don't matter to me enough or have a spot in my life anymore. Most teenagers my age need their parents to help guide them and get them through the day. Or just completely ignore their parents altogether. I have to depend on a freaking lizard with no arms and legs, no eye lids, shows up at the most convenient times, and isn't supposed to be talking. I have to substitute my parents for a freaking snake.

"Gee, thanks, Dad. You make it sound like I'm on my own on this."

"Well, Magpie, we really can't help you. We wanna help you, but we can't. We don't really know how. No one in my family knew how. Tombutoo had to help them. All we can do is support any life decisions you wanna make along the way," he shot Mom a glare. "no matter what it is, and make sure you eat rodents so you don't end up in a coma again." I made a weird face.

"Your name is Tombutoo?" I asked the snake.

"You didn't know that?"

"No! I didn't! No one ever told me, and it's not in the book."

"Why are there never things in that book that anyone should know?"

"Well, who wrote the stupid book? And when was it written?"

"I...have no idea. Uhhh, Mr. Packard, do you know?"

"Not a clue." Dad flipped the page in his newspaper.

"Are you freaking kidding me? You've been around forever, and you have no idea when the book was written or by whom? You know everything else, but you don't know that?"

"No."

"I'm in trouble."

"Am I really standing in my kitchen while my husband and daughter talk to a snake that talks back?" My mother had the look of insanity on her face.

My dad, Tombutoo and I all agreed in unison that she was in fact standing in the kitchen while her husband and daughter talk to a talking snake. We also all agreed she's still sane. In fact, she might be the only sane person involved in this. My friends have always been insane, Ryan's insane for wanting this entire thing to be his future, Ash has always been weird, my dad's casually talking to a snake that talks back like it's the most normal thing in the world, and I'm morphing into some type of mythical creature. My whole world is insane. If any of my friends heard me complain about how insane my life or my family is, at least one of them would tell me being sane is normal and boring.

"Alright. I'm going shopping. You three figure this problem out. You" she pointed to Tombutoo. "talk to her about telling her friends. They should know. At least she'll have their support too." She grabbed her purse and car keys off the counter and walked out the front door.

"Why is she so admin about me telling everyone? Does she not get that if they know, they'll treat me differently? I want to live my life day by day, just like I've been, until I have to deal with this. Knowing Chelsea and Hazel, they won't let me. They'll treat ne like it's my last day on earth until it actually is."

"You have a point."

"If I tell Ryan, he might break up with me. Or he might resent me because he'll feel like he has to be with me. I don't want him to feel like he has to be with me because of this. I don't want him to throw his life away over something this one caused." I pointed to Tombutoo.

"Really? Blame me?"

"Well, yeah. You did bite me. So, technically, you caused it."

"Honey." Dad closed his newspaper. "You don't have to tell them if you don't want to. Yes, your mom wants you to tell them. Probably because she doesn't wanna feel like the only one that's going to lose you if this whole thing goes south. But, ultimately, the decision's up to you. I think you should tell them so you're not alone in this, but you're the only one that knows what's best for you in all of this.

"Your mother and I raised you to do whatever you think is best for you. If you think not telling them is the best thing for you, then don't tell them. It's understandable that you think they'll treat you differently. I doubt they will considering how they're still treating you the same as they were before you told them about the curse, but it's really your choice."

"What about Mom? She won't stop pestering me about it no matter how many times I say no. She won't stop pestering me about it until I actually do it."

"I will handle your mother. We will handle your mother." He eyeballed Tombutoo.

"Why am I being brought in? I'm not married to her."

"You bit my daughter. You're helping."

Nothing could've brightened my day better or made this whole situation more bearable than my dad making Tombutoo help with explanations or taking some responsibility for him altering my life. I wish I could've done that months ago. If I had, I probably wouldn't be anywhere near as irritated with Tombutoo as I am. Dad's probably just making him do it because he's a dad, and he's protective of his little girl.

"I'm still not telling them." I grabbed my cereal bowl and took it over to the sink.