"What's the meaning of this, Minnette?" my father demanded.
I was sitting on our sofa, my bags at my side. I was taking shit from my father because I wanted to leave.
I tossed my hair off my shoulders. I had to think of a scheme that sounded so perfect, so intensely normal that they'd have to let me go. Of course, I was eighteen so I could go when I pleased, but they didn't let that stop them. You'd think that because of their dislike of me, they wouldn't give two shits.
"Helena asked me to go on vacation with her," I utterly lied. At least I could pass for somewhat of a decent actress.
I don't think my mother believed me, because she squinted her eyes. "I thought you said her parent's didn't like you?"
Ha ha, you're a genius.
"They're not going. It's just me and Helena."
Claire popped the gum she was chewing like she was some snot from the eighties. "Where are you guys going?" she asked noisily.
I sighed and crossed my arms. "We're going to England. Helena has family over there that we'll be staying with."
I had some feeling that I actually was pulling it off. I saw their faces soften when I mentioned England. Must be I hit a jack-pot with that one. England was, after all, a place that a normal family would vacation. Little did they know that I'd be flying over England to get to Wales. Once on the mainland, I'd board a ferry and head to Cairnholm. I had estimated that the whole trip would take me about fourteen hours.
My father glanced at my mother. He stood. :"When will you be back?" he asked.
I cleared my throat. "The end of July," I said. It was only June tenth.
I knew that a whole month without me around sounded great to the three of them, and I saw their faces light up. I leaned back on the sofa and smirked. Knowing them, they'd probably rent my room while I was gone to Claire's asshole boyfriend, Steve. That guy had the intelligence of a piece of toast and the teeth of a badger. He did drive a nice car, though, and he didn't treat me as my family did.
My mother actually smiled. "I think that this will be a great experience for you." She handed me the key to the blue Jetta my father had bought me for my sixteenth birthday. She giggled. I rolled my eyes and collected my bags.
"Don't bother calling, it costs a lot more to call England," I lied. I hoped not to hear from them on my whole trip.
"Well, we can't do that," my father said, pointedly. "Our phone bill is big enough as it is."
As I waked out the door, my parent's both said goodbye to me. Then, as I got in my Jetta and started the engine, I saw them laughing and dancing as if they had just won a million bucks. I sat in my car for just a moment, watching my family fool around in their happiness in the living room. And for once, I realized that they weren't that bad. I pulled out onto the road, put my sunglasses on my face and cranked the song "Ride With Me" by Nelly as I smirked at the thought of escaping for a while.