Chapter 57s: Utter Unfairness
The plastic bag resting on my desk is empty.
It should not be, but it is. It should have lasted me at least a week!
As I am about to complain again, I need to lean over.
Blaarrghhh. Ugh. Soo.. disgusting! I spit out a bit more vomit into the bucket, and feel a bit better.. but still utterly atrocious.
Clara is so unfair. I earned all that! With hard work! And effort!
I fall back onto the bed. No school for me today. Apparently there's no point in having stomach cramps and vomit breath in a classroom. Pfft, I could so hold that stuff back if she didn't make me stay in bed like this!
Everyone knows you are more likely to vomit when horizontal than when you just stand up right. There's gravity to contend with that way!
Just because I was bored when I couldn't sleep last night, and gorged myself on chocolates, and then vomited over the hallway carpet when trying to make it to the toilet.. she took all of it away.
Stupid FAKE! I earned that! Does she think it was easy to come up with that costume idea? Or to rope Cassandra in to help me with those props? Bah!
Okay. Nee-san earned most of it. But she gave it all to me. So I earned it, too!
I feel it bubbling up again, and I bolt upwards to sit up straight. It has to be like... eleven o'clock in the morning. Maybe noon even. Such a stupid time to be in bed at!
Knocking. There's knocking on my door. Clara comes in holding a tray with tea and some boring dry biscuits. You took so many chocolates and sweets away, and _that_ is what you decide to serve me? You opportunist. You thieving fake!
The compassionate smile she offers me appears genuine, but I know her better than this. Even if she's sitting on the edge of my bed for a supportive chat, holding her hand out against my forehead.
I don't have a cold, Clara! I don't have the flu. I ate too many chocolates. That's all! Geez!
Still, I let her do her old wives method thing of gauging my temperature with her hand. Why fight a trivial gesture like that when I am feeling strung out like a wet noodle to begin with.
"Feeling better?"
I nod my head. Of course I'm feeling better: one does not show weakness to the enemy!
An eyebrow arches up, and she glances into the bucket besides my bed, which I just recently refilled with foul-smelling stomach contents.
"Uh huh. Let's have some tea. You must be thirsty."
She didn't ask, even though her voice has that asking quality to it. But she isn't waiting for an answer, and is just doing. She's such a contrary riddle of human weirdness sometimes.
But yes, yes I am. A drink would be amazing.
After she finishes pouring the tea, I take the cup from her and immediately drain the cup. It is only a few moments later that I realize I'm lucky I didn't get scalded. Hmpf. She must have screwed up with the kettle. Or got distracted with the telly.
But I won't complain this time.
"Your sister is doting too much on you. She shouldn't have given you all those sweets."
"It's not her fault!" I exclaim, and an awkward mix of a burp and acidic remnants bubble up in my throat. Yuck. At least I'm not throwing up again.
"No, it is yours. You ate nearly a kilo's worth of chocolates, mints and whatever else you collected. What the hell were you thinking, young lady?"
I'll stay silent. Any response will just provoke the volcano that is currently refilling my cup. How can a volcano pour such lukewarm tea, though? It's a world wonder!
"During the past few Halloweens, we've let you hold onto your sweets in the understanding that you wouldn't go eat all of them at once. And even though your gains were a bit ludicrous this year compared to the past, we thought you were a smart girl who knows how to say no to the face of temptation."
She sighs, her hand running through my hair in that way she likes to do. I want to refute her, but fighting with her? I haven't got the energy for it in the least. Just... go away.
"I can guess why, though. You're still fighting with Cain, and you're feeling sad over it."
"Not true!" I blurt out, peering at her.
"You're not fighting with him...?"
She sounds disbelieving, and I realize that.. well, yes. We're fighting. Stupid Nii-san.
"I'm not feeling sad! It's his fault!"
Clara struggles to repress a little giggle, shaking her head. "Where two people fight, there's two people at fault, Setsuka. You can't have a fight if you're not willing to have one."
Bah. Stupid grown-up logic. Are you trying to trick me with some silly wordplay again? That's so frustrating. I'm not a kid anymore!
"He's the one calling all the time. I'm not calling him!"
"Exactly. You're not answering the phone. And you know he wants to talk to you."
"But how can I be fighting with him if I'm not seeing him nor talking to him nor yelling at him? This isn't my fault at all!"
She sips her own tea for a moment as she looks at me, and I am reminded that she refilled my cup. I mirror her motion and sip my tea, too. Did I call it lukewarm? Let's call a pig a pig and say it is 'cold'.
"The cause for the fight may not be yours. But you are standing in the way of you two making up, right? So the fight lasting this long is completely your fault."
Damn adult logic. Why does she have to sound so reasonable?!
I meet her gaze.
"I don't care."
She sighs, shaking her head slightly.
"You'll figure it out eventually."
Why's she being so vague? She's not a weird martial arts movie sensei that gets to sound righteous with all sorts of mystical nonsense statements.
"Figure out what?"
"That you're acting like a little kid."
Jellybelly saying that is one thing, but you, fake mom?! You don't get to s... oh wow. That's what they call an epiphany, huh?
I find my own volcano immediately go dormant with the realization. Fake mom is just trying to get a rise out of me! I am not falling for your oh-so-obvious ploy! Nuh huh!
"I don't care."
I repeat myself. She sighs and drains her cup, moving to stand back up. Hah. I win this battle, fake mom!
"Stay in bed for another hour, and maybe try to come downstairs then if your stomach finally stops acting up."
As she walks away to the door, I feel just a bit of panic welling up.
"What about my hard-earned chocolates?"
I blurt out those words. I want them back. I earned those! She doesn't have the right to take them away from me!
"I thought you didn't care."
The door clicks closed.
Wait. Did she chuckle just now? I swear I could hear her evil little snigger just now. That malevolent little trait that only witches with warts on their noses ought to be capable of as their evil schemes come to fruition.
Nii-san, it is all your fault!