Page 65 of Driftwood Daffodil

Given the issues that my sister had in the past couple of years, I couldn’t really argue that it wasn’t called for. But that didn’t stop me from asking, “why?”

Rita shrugged, “she freaked out when her phone rang.”

Okay, that was new.

“What did you give her?”

She held up a bottle and gave it a shake, “they’re called happy pills for a reason.”

Why was I not surprised? In high school, Rita was the party girl. She had all the favors and fun. Including one night with my brother. I openly gagged when I saw her sneaking out of hisroom in the morning. That was the last thing I wanted to know about someone who used to braid my hair. I was so mad I didn’t talk to Kato for a week. He should’ve known better.

Now Rita was more grown up and responsible, but she still had fun on the weekends like anyone else. I used to blame her for not going with Veda that night, but it wasn’t her fault. Why would Veda take her best friend on a date? If there was anyone to blame for letting Veda walk out that door, it was me. I was the one that should’ve stopped her. I knew something was wrong. The way that guy looked at her…

“It’s not fair,”I huffed and crossed my arms. “How come you get to date and I don’t?”

“Because you’re fourteen!” Kato yelled from the kitchen.

Were all big brother’s this annoying?

“Fourteen is old enough,” I spat back at him.

“Like fuck it is. All teenage boys only want one thing…”

Not this speech again. I was well aware of what teenage boys wanted. I was best friends with one. If anything it gave an edge. I had insider knowledge.

“Maybe teenage girls want the same thing.” I shot back and chuckled when I heard something clatter against the kitchen floor.

Veda rolled her eyes aways from the mirror and back at me, “you’re not helping your cause any.”

Would anything help my cause? It was like Kato didn’t want me to grow up. Other girls didn’t have this problem. Cindy was always going out on dates and to parties. Meanwhile Kato wouldn’t even let me wear makeup to school.

It wasn’t like I’d cake it on my face or anything. All I wanted was the right to wear a little lip gloss and maybe mascara like the other girls my age. Veda taught me what to do, plusI watched her all the time, like now. She was staring in the mirror while gliding a subtle pink hue over her lips.

I preferred red, it made her mouth pop more. But she liked the less is more technique. Either way she looked beautiful. Sometimes I was jealous of how little she had to try. The natural curl in her hair was perfect and flawless. Much better than my bone straight locks.

“It’s not fair.” I repeated with another huff. “You were dating at my age.”

“Mom was different.” Veda set down the lipstick, picked up a bottle of mascara, and muttered, “she didn’t really have any rules.”

She had rules. “I had to be in bed by nine.”

“That was so she could…”

“Veda!” Kato cut her off and appeared in the bathroom doorway. “We talked about this.”

Veda looked up at his reflection, “you can’t protect her forever.”

“Yes I can.”

What were they protecting me from? Come to think of it, every time I brought up mom they got quiet, or Kato would change the subject. I just assumed that her death was too painful for them to think about. But maybe it was more than that?

“Did mom do something?”

I wasn’t that young when she passed. If something had happened I would’ve known.

The look my brother and sister exchanged, made me reconsider that thought.

“What are you guys hiding from me?”

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