Page 49 of The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

I looked over at the mirror again, toying with the mask in my hands. I thought of what Ella had said, and how even now, I was still hiding. Not letting people see me. I didn't even let my dad see who I really was.

My sketchbook lay on the nightstand next to my bed. Without thinking about what I was doing, I walked across the house to my dad's art studio, and only stumbled about three times in my new shoes.

I was tired of hiding. Hiding what I loved, hiding who I was, hiding what I wanted to become. It was time to stop.

My dad glanced up from his easel and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Tilly, you look…"

"Dad, I draw manga." I dropped my sketchbook down on the table in front of him and opened it to the middle. "That's my stuff. I needed you to see it."

He blinked at me a few times, looking bewildered. He picked up the sketchbook and thumbed through it, carefully evaluating each picture before turning to the next.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Years."

He looked up at me. "Why haven't you ever shown this to me before?"

"I thought you wouldn't like it."

"Why?"

"I thought you would want me to do more serious stuff, like you or Pearl."

He carefully put the sketchbook down, and turned to face me. "Tilly, the only person I want you to be is you. The only art I want you to draw is your art. I don't want you to become me or your mother. I want you to follow your own path and be happy. That is all I've ever wanted for you."

"Okay," I replied. My eyes filled with tears, and I wondered why I had spent most of my life not crying and now was ready to cry at any given moment. It was like being with Jake had unlocked my hardened heart and I had all these emotions wanting to burst out all the time. But I couldn't cry because I'd ruin my expensive makeup and then Ella would kill me.

"I'm so proud of you. Look at these. You are an amazingly gifted artist. You obviously get that from me."

That made me laugh through my unshed tears. "If you're interested, you and I can sit down and work on some techniques together. Your innate style is right on, but maybe your old man could teach you something that might help you improve."

"I'd like that."

He kissed me on my forehead and said he needed to get ready for his "hot date." I only gagged a little.

I took my sketchbook back to my room, throwing it on the bed. I felt lighter, freer. It had been such a relief to finally tell my dad about my drawing. It was so good to get it all out.

Unfortunately, he wasn't my only parent. I glanced over at my laptop. I needed to tell Pearl. Then all the hiding would be done.

I plugged my scanner into my computer and started scanning pictures. I sent them as attachments to Pearl in an email. She didn't seem to spend much time online, so I would probably have a few days before I had to deal with her screaming.

You can imagine my surprise when the Skype tones started playing, letting me know I had an incoming chat request. I didn't even know the program had been running.

The request was from my mother.

Chapter 16

I sat there for a minute, wondering whether to click the answer or decline button. I wanted so badly to click the red one and make her go away. But she obviously knew I was online since I had just sent her an email.

I accepted the call. And my mother immediately said, "Is this some sort of joke?"

I wanted to play dumb, but couldn't. "No, it isn't a joke. I draw manga. Just wanted to let you know so your disappointment in me can reach new depths."

For the first time in forever, I rendered my mother speechless. She just stared at me, her mouth opening and closing over and over again like a fish gasping for water.

I watched the expressions flit across her face. I had seen her quiet, motionless manner before. It was the beginning of a tsunami-level of rage. I could almost see the waves of anger starting to gather and swell inside her. I didn't look forward to the explosion.

"Since you're already mad, I may as well tell you that I haven't submitted a portfolio to Wellesley and that I have no intention of going to school there. Ever."

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