The Yearly 365 Challenge
Prompt #193 (Dialogue) - "Are you ignoring me?"
Chic sat down across from his youngest sister on the couch. "What are you reading?"
Betty didn't answer.
Chic bumped his right shoulder gently into hers. "I asked you a question."
Betty simply turned a page.
"Seriously are you ignoring me?" He frowned at the side of his sister's face. "Oh come on baby sister you can't ignore your only brother whom is finally back in the family fold."
Betty tightened up as her grip on her book tightened.
"Look I know you still are upset with me for abandoning you and Polly last year sis." Chic sighed as he wrapped his arm across his sister's shoulder. His hand gently rested around her shoulder as she stiffened even more. "You have to talk to me Betty."
Betty finally lowered her book and she turned to glare into her only brother's blue green eyes. "Get your hand off of me Chic."
"Do you promise not to run away?" Chic softly asked.
Betty's eyes slanted.
Chic carefully removed his arm from his sister's body and he scooted over to the other end of the couch.
Betty silently looked at her brother. It was several moments before she spoke. "Why did you just leave like that Chic?" She held onto her anger against him. "We needed you Chic. We needed you." Her right fist curled up into a tight fist. She felt her nails press into her moon shaped indents.
"I couldn't handle it any longer Betty." Chic truthfully spoke. "Mother was just simply killing me. If I didn't leave when I did … then I think I would have ended my life just to get out from her controlling hands." He chest hurt as he finally confessed to his youngest sister what he had been going through growing up under Alice's mothering.
Betty's breath hitched as a sob burst forth. She quickly threw herself into her brother's arms and cried into his neck. Her hands tightened around his waist as she tried to pull him tighter against him.
Chic's tears and sobs equaled his baby sister's. His arms tight around her as he finally got every hidden hurt from his soul out. He finally managed to get his sobs under control. He just held his baby sister against him as she finally got herself under control once more.
"We should have talked honesty about this." Betty finally spoke against her brother's chest. "You, Polly and me. We should have been able to openly talked about this long before this. All three of us knew how it was to be raised by Mother." Her arm around her brother tighten a little.
"We are talking now." Chic's check was against his sister's head. "I'll tell Polly once she's more able to handle it. I don't want to burden her with this with the twins being as young as they are."
Betty pulled away from her brother. Resting her head against the back of the couch. "Polly wants to be there for you Chic. She always wanted to be there for you just as she always is there for me."
Chic sighed. "I should have been the strong one. After all I'm the oldest. But I just allowed Pol to take the lead with you." He shook his head. "I wanted to be there for you Betty. I wanted you to fell safe with me when mom was being her hardest on you …. but even when you were still in the crib you were more comfortable; and felt more secure in Polly's arms."
"I'm sorry that I made you feel unloved Chic." A tear rolled down her check.
Chic moved forward. "Hey hey now. You didn't make me feel unloved Betty. Honest. I felt your deep love for me." His hand rose to catch a few of the falling tears from his sister's cheek. "Why do you think that I knew I had to keep living. To keep breathing. Even when things with mom got at the worst. I felt your love; Polly's and dad's."
Betty swallowed a sob.
Chic sighed. "Look I'm sorry that I burden you with this heaviness. It wasn't my intention to unload on you like this." He smiled. "But it truly helped."
Betty slightly nodded. She turned her palms up ward so her brother could see the palms of her hands. At his gasp. "Besides Polly; Veronica is the only other person whom knows. She saw them during last years cheer leading try outs. When Cheryl was trying to bully me into losing my temper at her." Her eyes looked up into her brother's heartbroken eyes.
"Oh Betty." Chic chocked out.
"Mother has done a dozy on all three of her children." Betty hands rested against her thighs. She stood to her feet. "I need to get out for a bit. Are you going to be okay?"
Chic looked up into his sister's eyes. "Yeah I'm going to be okay. Where are you going?"
Betty smiled softly. "I need to see Veronica."
Chic returned the smile. "I get it." He watched as his baby sister left the living room. His head rested on the back of the couch as he heard the front door shut. His arms folded tightly across his stiff chest. He vowed that his mother would pay for hurting his sister and him throughout their childhood.
