Splinters: Part One

Part One | 24

Chapter 24

My Sister's Hate

Later on that week, Collie and I didn't address the situation with her parents. I tried, but she said she didn't want to talk about it and I respected that, but I was still concerned for her. I knew she really didn't like her parents, and that wasn't fair to me. She told me all the time how she hated them and how much she wished she had been from another family, but at least she has them! At least she has a mom and dad.

I tried not to let it get to me, though. Collie had a reason to be upset with them. They didn't pay attention to her, to what she wanted, to what she cared about. They cared about themselves and that was it. I wanted to give Collie all she wanted and that meant I wanted her to have parents like Greg and Melissa. Besides, I shouldn't complain. I have them.

"They're just mean," I explained to Andrew the next Wednesday as we played basketball together. "They don't listen to her."

"Yeah, I remember," he said, passing the ball to me. "She would talk crap about them all the time."

I frowned and shot. "It's not fair. She's so much better than what they think."

The ball was in. Andrew grabbed it. "At least they acknowledge her ability to play piano."

I shook my head. "Yeah, but I don't think Collie even likes playing. She never told me about it and if my parents hadn't brought it up at dinner, I feel like I wouldn't even know."

"Maybe she really doesn't like to flaunt it," he considered.

"I don't think so," I admitted. "I think she was forced into playing it."

He shot. "She's good, though, right?"

I nodded. "Amazing."

Andrew froze as the ball shot back at him from hitting the rim. "How did Ursanne take that?"

At first, the question seemed like a normal one, so I didn't read into it much. "She didn't go." But then the question registered, so I stared at him. "Why?"

He shrugged uncomfortably like he always does when I question him on this stuff. "Why didn't she go?"

I shook my head, not letting the fact that he ignored my question go. "Collie only gave us seven tickets. She assumed Ursa didn't want to go."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did she?"

"Probably not, but she acted offended."

He hugged the ball to his side. "Well I would be."

"It doesn't matter anyway." I waved him off. "She would've just talked about how stupid it was."

He thought for a moment and then stepped toward me.

"Have you thought about forcing them to spend a day together?"

I laughed. That'd be a disaster. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm serious. Maybe that way, they'd solve their issues."

I gave him a flat look. "They'd kill each other, Andrew."

"Maybe not. See, they'd probably think about you and try to resolve things for you in order to become friends."

Now I thought about it. Maybe they would. I know Collie would try, Ursanne was the one I was concerned about.

...

About me.

I tapped my pencil against the desk lightly, staring at the blank page before me. It was a journal entry I had to complete, and although I'm usually quick at these, I didn't want to do this one. I wanted to lie and say I was courageous, smart, and funny; things normal boys are.