One last time, squishy hugs for Bigblueboat. She's the bestest at working-through and cleaning up my mess, and she gives a mean kick in the butt when needed! Go check out her take on the challenge!
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The Twilight Twenty-Five
the twilight25 dot com
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Prompt: 25. Worthless
Main character: Edward
Rating: M
Word count: 498
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The glass filled with amber liquid feels heavier in my hand than usual. Maybe it's because I went for a triple this time or because it's the third one of the day; maybe it's just my old friend putting extra effort into making his presence known, weighing me down.
The dimmed room is quiet except for the steady ticking of the clock. Seconds, minutes, hours slip by; weeks, months and years will follow. It's always been like that. I'm not saying I don't care, but I know from experience that trying to chase time, trying to grasp and hold onto it to slow its pace, doesn't change anything. It just slips through my fingers, much like everything else in my life.
Tick tick tock.
If there's one thing I learned early on in life, it's that I'm not good at anything. Try as I might, I just can't seem to do things right, regardless of what it is. I never did. My teens were a massive string of fucked up and ended with me only barely graduating high school. I dropped out of college after two years because I failed to find anything that spiked my curiosity and managed to hold my interest for longer than a week, which obviously showed in my grades.
My parents were disappointed of course, but we eventually settled for a compromise, turning my quitting into a temporary break. I spent that year wasting a good chunk of my trust fund on traveling the world and partying with strangers, buying their attention. In my memory, that year only lasted a blink of an eye, too short to make memories worth retelling. Maybe it's because I didn't have anyone to share the experiences.
I never went back to school, but bided my time with one shitty job after the next. My parents were enraged; but despite what they thought and still think, it wasn't out of spite or as a form of rebellion. Unlike them and my siblings, I didn't know who I was and what I wanted to be the second I got rid of my diapers. I still don't. In a family of overachievers, that fact just confirms my role as the black sheep, the slacker.
Though I carry the scars of all my mistakes and failures with me— always— they're shoved in my face by my family at any given chance. But my lack of being able to connect with them is perceived as disinterest and aloofness. That I tend to push those few left away is as much a punishment for them as myself. Friends, the girls I try to date, my own blood— hardly anyone seems to mind much anymore.
My brother, at least, doesn't. Though we never had a big fallout or anything, this last gesture, or lack thereof, speaks louder than anything he's ever said to my face.
Pretending to be somewhere else, I raise my glass to the empty room and toast to the happy couple.
Aaaaaand...IT'S DONE! ;D
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You guys, thanks so much for sticking with me, for reading and reviewing! The feedback has been amazing, and I really loved hearing your thoughts!
The challenge was fun, but I'm really glad it's over now and I made it on time! Whooop! :)
Hope you guys enjoyed this last one.
Again, thank you for reading! 3
-Sue xx