“HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW!?” I yelled as I jumped out of my chair and glared at her, causing both of them to jump as well. “I’m waiting! Fucking tell me how the FUCK you would know SHIT about how bad it was for me in that FUCKING house!”
“Tim! Y...” Grandpa tried.
“YOU SHUT UP!” I was in complete rage at that point. He took a step towards his wife. “How about this? You get the fuck back to your daughter’s house. You take a damn good look at every room in that house. And then you tell me why THEIR rooms look like she hired an interior designer, while MY room looks like it was furnished after a visit to the fucking salvation army! Ask your daughter when the last time was that I got to fucking EAT something she cooked! Ask her husband how much RENT his other two children had to pay over the last two years! Ask your son’s wife how my SCHOOL LIFE looked like, with Ava and Logan there! And THEN you come back here and try to tell me again how it WASN’T SO BAD!”
Seeing their shocked faces, I kind of deflated and collapsed back onto my chair.
“You fucking knew full well what was happening since last Thanksgiving! And what was your reaction to it? You FUCKED OFF for a whole damn year, never to be heard from! What the fuck did you expect to happen? Divine intervention!?”
They stared at me with rattled faces, while my own face was hidden behind cupped hands. After half a minute, Granny finally managed to collect herself, got off the bed, and tried to hug me.
“Don’t.” I sighed, and she instantly flinched back. “You knew! You
There was silence for about a minute, before Granny spoke with a shaking voice.
“Pumpkin ... I’m so sorry! Yes, we knew your relationship with your father was in the dumpster because he couldn’t identify with you. And, yes, we knew you were fighting with your mother. But I swear to God almighty, we had no idea it was
“Then let me ask you this instead: Why didn’t you know?” I challenged her. “I was serious about checking the rooms in the house, and the rent, and everything else. The signs were all there! All you had to do after that alleged discussion with them on Thanksgiving, was to take a damn look around. What could you have possibly been doing, that had you so distracted you forgot to check out their story?”
Suddenly, she looked mightily uncomfortable. She knew exactly what they were doing. They were fucking! But, as far as they knew, I didn’t know about their family orgies. In fact, I had been excluded from their family orgies! So, she couldn’t answer that one. Grandpa displayed an unexpected ability for quick thinking, as he tried something else by throwing me off with a completely unexpected question.
“Have you thought about what you’ll want to do after school?”
That sudden change of topic took me by surprise. Since I knew how much of a tight spot I had pushed them into, I decided to indulge him.
“That’s still almost two years away, Gramps. But ... work, probably?” I said, not entirely sure where that was going.
“You should go to college. I’m sure you’d do well.”
“What’s the point?” I sighed and noticed them perking up when I said it.
“What do you mean? You don’t plan on going?” Grandma’s tone sounded more alarmed than confused.
“Granny, when I finish high school, I’ll have more than three years of experience in programming- and IT-work in a reputable firm on my resumé. From what I read so far, the stuff they teach at college for my line of work is almost always outdated, because they can’t update their curriculum as fast as web technologies progress. So, with my experience and portfolio, I have a higher chance to find a job than with a college degree. And there is no indication that I’ll even have to look for a job after high school. I probably could just keep working for Bill, if I wanted to.” I explained.
She thought about that for a moment and seemed to relax a little, then looked at Grandpa who just shrugged his shoulders.
“You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, pumpkin, we’re here. Right?” she asked in a soft tone.
“Sure, I know. I don’t know for how long you’ll be here, though.”
