“Look, I understand that you probably don’t know why this is the most thoughtless and borderline insulting ‘gift’ they could’ve possibly come up with, and once again proves how they never thought about the shit they put me through. But even you should realize by now that I have damn good reasons to blow them off, so why shouldn’t I?” I asked him.
“Because family is supposed to support each other!” Aunt Danielle proclaimed, in a voice that, halfway through saying it, sounded like she realized how utterly ridiculous this statement sounded when it was directed at me.
It was exactly the wrong thing to say to me at that moment. I was already well on my way to talk myself into rage, and decided to set things straight and make sure everybody knew where we stood.
“Let’s clarify this for you all, since you seem to purposefully ignore what’s going on in this ... family.” I started, looking from one face to the other, so they knew I was talking about all of them. “For four years, I’ve been treated like unwanted garbage by each and every one of you! For years, you either ridiculed and humiliated me for no other reason than your own fucking amusement, or you all straight up ignored my existence. You like to claim to be a psychologist, Aunty. Did it ever occur to you to warn them what effects it could have on an insecure, thirteen-year-old boy, if people insist on
She looked apologetic, but didn’t say anything. So, I turned my head to look at Claire and Aaron before I continued.
“How many fucking times did I literally beg you all to stop? You gonna tell me you never noticed the effect it had on me? When I basically locked myself in my room, just staying in bed for days without eating, before I started stress eating like a pig? Aunty, what does that sound like to you?”
I knew that I had developed depression back then. And they really didn’t care. Or, if they did, they didn’t show it. Going by the weird questions I was asked by Granny the day she showed up at my apartment, they seemed to finally suspect that my mind was still not exactly in a good place. And that it just got worse after Tess’ death.
“Are you aware that I’m seventeen and never had a real girlfriend? That’s because my oh-so-loving family made me the laughingstock, and painted me the target for bullies, in every social circle they had access to. If I tried to ask a girl out, she would laugh in my face because of my micropenis! Because fucking Princess over there absolutely had to tell the whole student body about it as soon as I stepped foot into her school, making the entire Cheer team ridicule me on a daily basis.” I said, as I pointed at Ava, who looked like she wanted to vanish when she saw the look Claire and the grandparents gave her. Noticing Claire’s glare set me off even more. “Don’t look at your daughter like that, Claire! ‘This is Tim, the
A Hearing this, Claire’s face showed confusion at first, then recognition, before it finally morphed in embarrassment. Then I pointed at Logan.
“And of course, your fucking Golden Boy wasn’t to be outdone either, but, being the man he truly is, he didn’t stop at mean jokes. He stood by and watched his football team beat the shit out of me after stealing my phones and wallets!”
“Baby, I had no idea!” Claire pleaded.
“OF COURSE YOU FUCKING KNEW!” I shouted back, causing her to cringe. “You’ve SEEN me come home bleeding and bruised, every fucking day! You paid the bills whenever I had to see a doctor afterwards! And until your fucking husband and son told you how this is a ‘
When Aaron remembered, he seemed to finally realize what damage he had caused with this.
“But ... Baby...” Claire started in a desperate voice, while openly crying now. “We won’t ... I promise! We’ll never do it again!”
