SPARROWS ✶ FIVE HARGREEVES

8 | Breakfast Banter

Y/N

_

I WONDER IF Five really meant his apology.

It wasn't a real apology, don't get me wrong, but at least it was an attempt at one. He didn't strike me as the kind that would give those out willingly. Should I take it as a compliment? Probably not.

But then again... maybe that made me special. I don't want to seem like I have a big head, but if I was the only one who he apologizes to... that makes me POWERFUL.

"[y/n], are you listening to me?"

I snapped out of my trance, my fork clattering onto the table. Dad was sitting at the far end of the table, glaring me down with obvious distaste. So were all of my siblings.

"No," I said bluntly, "did you say something important?"

"Everything I say is important."

"Really? because I would have been listening if it was."

I probably shouldn't have said that.

But the words were already out of my mouth, and I couldn't take them back now... yikes. We were all eating breakfast (Pogo made us waffles), and yet everyone seemed more interested in watching Dad yell at me.

"Your lack of respect is going to get you killed one day," the man scolded, "and no one here will be able to help you."

"Will be able?" I scoffed, "you wouldn't help me in the first place."

"And it is your fault for that."

"It's not."

"I beg your pardon?" Reginald scowled, slamming his fist on the table.

I probably shouldn't have said that either. WHO CARES, I hated him, everyone here, so who was to care. Not me!

"It's not my fault I don't have respect," I spat out, "it's yours."

There was a sudden silence around the room. Not the usual kind of quiet. This time it was the one where it felt like I was wearing noise cancelling headphones in an abandoned warehouse. That didn't stop me from ranting.

"I shouldn't have respect for someone who doesn't deserve it," I continued, "and you don't deserve anything. Literally anything! Not this house, not your supposed 'children', and definitely not Pogo."

I wish I could stop my mouth, but I couldn't. It was like it was just spilling onto the dining room table, flooding onto the floor and drowning us all. Before my dad could open his mouth, I stood up, knocking my plate to the ground. It broke into shards, one of them cutting the back of my ankle.

I winced, feeling a drop of blood sting in the cold air. Still, I couldn't stop myself.

"And you probably didn't even deserve Mom," I scowled, "that's why she left you."

Uh oh. Too much, too much, too much, and too far.

My siblings all gasped when they heard that, all of them probably wondering what I meant by saying 'mom'. We didn't have a mom. The Umbrella Academy did. I was not part of the umbrella academy, and it just gave away the fact that I was hanging out with them.

In other words, I just got caught.

The one thing Five told me not to do.

"I'm afraid I must have heard you wrong," my dad said, "what did you just say to me?"

I widened my eyes, "nothing..."

"Do not lie to me!"

"Fine!" I gave in, "I said you didn't deserve our mom!"

And just like a balloon, he popped. I swear I saw him clench his jaw so hard, one of his veins popped.

"How did you learn this information?" Reginald yelled, standing up to match me, "I have never spoken of Grace in front of my students!"

Desperate to save myself, I came up with the quickest excuse on the top of my head.

"I--- I just read it off of one of your journals," I lied, "in your office."

"You are very well aware that no one is allowed to go into my office!" He said, "you must face the consequences for your foolish actions."

"But I didn't look at anything else!"

"Pogo," Dad said, turning towards the lingering figure in the doorway, "put her in the basement."

The basement. 

I wasn't talking about the floor level, I was talking about the giant Metal cage my father kept downstairs. That's where I was put for three months, and that's what made me afraid for most of my life. 

I didn't want to be afraid again.

"For how long?" I squeaked out, suddenly now cowering in fear.

Reginald frowned, "until you know your place in this family!"

"I don't know what that means!"

"We all know what that means."

My dad didn't say anything else, but just sat back into his chair with a huff. Nobody said anything. They all just watched as Pogo dragged me off towards the staircase, my arms flailing wildly in fear.

But no one had to say anything. I knew the answer, and so did they.

My place was beneath them. It would always be beneath them, because I was outspoken, stubborn, and a disappointment. A disappointment that was too scared to use their powers.

"Pogo, please don't do this," I mumbled, my feet skidding across the floor as I was pulled, "I can't go back in there."

He didn't say anything, and I knew he wouldn't. Even he thought the same thing of me.

"Please," I begged, "I'll go to my room instead!"

Still silence.

"You can lock me in there!"

Silence again.

As soon as we reached the metal vault, I stopped pleading. I kept my mouth shut as I was shoved inside, watched the door close, and heard the key lock. I was trapped in a dark, cold, and silent chamber. Alone, as usual. Actually, I wasn't completely alone...

It was just me and the darkness.