Ah Friday, at last I have found you. My allergies kicked up mid week and I think I need a stronger antihistamine. At least until everyone gets through their first grass mow of the season. That seems to be what has sent everything into the air and my eyes into an itchy watery mess. Still over all, not a bad week. Let’s see what today’s prompt holds.
I like the escape aspect of this especially when there is unsettled business left behind. Cause you know it will circle back.
Friday, April 26th: This is all my fault.
“This is all my fault,” Lucy said surveying the damage before her. She had only been gone for a little less than an hour. How had it gotten so bad, so quickly. “I knew you two shouldn’t have been left alone.”
Albert smiled at her, unrepentant. “Yeah, you really should have known better.”
His twin brother Anthony nodded. “It really is your fault. Mom and Dad will blame you so you had probably better clean up.”
With those words of wisdom, they sauntered away happily leaving her to take the blame for the mess. ‘And they know I will,’ Lucy said. She knew by now that no matter what she said, the fault would be hers. It didn’t matter that the twins were only two months younger than her. She would be held responsible.
Lucy looked over the mess. How many of such messes had she cleaned up? How many had she taken the blame for? Inside she felt something snap. She turned away and walked back through the door, leaving the trashed house behind.
‘I’m only her because I got off work early to study,’ she reminded herself. It was finals week and she had only one test remaining. She would pass it, graduate and be able to leave. She took the time off from her after-school job to study for the exam so everything was fresh. She knew that if she stayed home then she would spend that study time cleaning up after the boys or dealing with the punishment for the mess.
‘Best to say I went to the library to study after work and not come home until after everyone has seen the mess.’ Lucy decided. She got into her car and pulled back out of the driveway, heading towards the library. She was certain that she would probably still get the blame for the mess, but at least she would be able to get her studying in.
The fact that her stepbrothers knew she had one more final and chose today to create such a disaster made her anger rise as never before. Usually, she just accepted things. ‘But this time I don’t have to.’
This time was different. This time, she had her one final to get through and then, she would be leaving. She would be packing up and heading out to her Great Aunt’s house. She didn’t expect Aunt Eunice to be a barrel of laughs, but it was a place to stay that was not here and close to the university she had a scholarship to in the fall. All she had to do was get through her last exam and she was good.
Lucy went to the library and settled herself in one of the study carols. She made certain her phone was turned off as per library regulations. She then opened her books and began her refreshing for the exam.
It was late when she finished and while a glance at her phone showed that messages came in she left the phone off. Lucy braced herself for what she would find and the scene met her expectations. She was blamed for the mess, even though she hadn’t been there. She explained she went from work to the library, but it didn’t matter.
She was blamed and she needed to do the clean up while her stepbrother’s smirked.
‘Your last prank on me,’ she thought as she tidied up. ‘I hope you enjoyed it.’
Lucy went to bed, slept and in the morning took the exam. Her studying paid off and she breezed through it. When she was released from school, she went home, loaded the car with her packed belongings and got read to leave. Her parents were still at work, but the boys whose private school finished a week earlier, had the entire day to trash the house and it looked worse than the day before. Currently they were out and didn’t see her load the car and step around the trash they left behind.
‘Not my problem,’ she thought as she put the last of her things in the car and pulled out of the drive. That no one remembered she was leaving today was not a surprise. The fact that by the time they found the mess she would already be out of state and over halfway to Aunt Eunice’s house would be an unpleasant surprise for them.
Ten til Midnight 