The Self Harmed by Chalen D. (libby ebook reader .txt) 📖

waved. “Not you.” I told an old man, as I passed.

“What took so long?”

“The damn line from where I got your present.”

“Which line was it?”

“Clever.”

“I tried.”

“What did you get me?”

“I got you- So close.”

I grinned.

Jackson had picked us up and gave us wrapping paper. We took it to our room and wrapped it up.

“Ready?” Mom asked when we came down stairs.

“Ready for what?” I asked.

It was just getting dark.

“To go to the tree farm!” Jackson said, hurt we forgot. “It’s tradition!”

And it really was when we were really little. So off we went finding the biggest and tallest tree. We had decorated the tree, and then Caden and I had climbed the double sided ladder to put the star on top. Then Mom and I had gone home for the night. It was two in the morning when someone in my dream was banging on the front door. Only it was in real life too.

“Mom!” I called. “Door!”

I waited a couple of seconds of quiet and then the door was knocked on.  I tossed off my blanket and walked to the door. I yanked it open and Caden and I glared at each other. He was in a grey shirt and plaid bottoms.

“What?” I demanded.

“Can I sleep here?” He asked. “My Dad is getting the down stairs bathroom retiled and they’re using a jack hammer.”

“It’s two in the morning!” I objected.

“He doesn’t sleep.” Caden pushed past me.

I shut and locked the door. By the time I went back to my bed Caden was already sleeping. I hopped in on the other side.

~Suprise!~

When I had woke up I was laying on Caden. I popped up and looked at him. He was fast asleep. I poked his cheek but didn’t get a response. I shrugged and jumped in the shower.

“So I see you have a stowaway in your bed.” Mom said, as she set my breakfast down.

“Jackson is retiling the bathroom down stairs.” I pushed away my plate of eggs bacon sausage and toast. “Vegetarian.”

“Right, sorry. That’s Caden’s.”

She set my plate down and I saw something glitter on her hand. She reached for a cup of orange juice and set it down in front of me.

“Mom?” I asked carefully.

“Yeah?” She looked over her shoulder from the counter.

“What’s on your finger?”

She quickly sat down across from me, “Okay please don’t freak out.”

“You’re getting married!” I yelled. “To who!”

“Jackson asked me a couple of days ago. We’ve gotten even closer since we last saw you kids."

“Caden!” I screamed.

“Don’t!” Mom hissed but it was too late.

“What!” Caden ran out of my room, hair sticking up in random places.

“Mom and Jackson are getting married!”

“What!” He yelled and hurried to mom, pulling her into a hug. “Congratulations!”

“That’s not the reaction I was looking for.” I muttered.

“I have to plan a bachelor party. And you’ll do one for your Mom.” Caden glanced at me. “This is really exciting. I always knew you guys would get married. I knew you were soul mates. What’s wrong with you?” Caden looked at me; I had my mouth hanging Open. “Be happy for Mom!”

Mom looked at me and Shrugged.

“Fine.” I agreed and she clapped. “But I’m not going to wear a puffy dress for the wedding. It just isn’t me.” I sat back down in front of my food.

“I have to congratulate Dad!”

“But I made you food!”

Caden shoved the two bacon strips into his mouth with the sausage and then picked up the plate, dumping the eggs into his mouth. He drowned it with a drink of orange juice, and grabbed his toast.

“Thanks Mom. Later sister.” He kissed my forehead and jogged from the house, locking the door behind him.

Mom looked at me.

“At least one of your kids doesn’t have an eating disorder.” I told her.

Mom glared at me and tossed a dish towel at my head.

~Moving in~

“You know.” Mom said coming into my room, and leaning against a door. “You’re being pretty calm about this.

I had just finished patting down the tape strip on my bedding box.

I grinned up at her, “It’s a good thing I didn’t unpack any of my things.”

She grinned. “That’s my little fighter. Hurry up and help me with packing up some of the coffee mugs. The moving van will be here at one.”

“Doesn’t Jackson have enough mugs at his house?” I asked.

“I’m sure you have a coffee mug you don’t want to leave behind.” She left my room.

“Not my Smiley face cup!” I yelled, running from the room.

I jumped on her back and she carried me to the kitchen. I jumped off and opened a cupboard. I pushed apart some mugs and there it was winking at me.

“Hello old friend.” I took it out.

It came with a matching bowl, but Caden had it. I put it in some newspaper and then set it in a box.

“Are you sure you want to move into that big ass castle?” I asked.

“It’s what married people do. And wait ‘til you see his summer house this summer. It’s in London.”

There was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it.” I opened the door and Caden pushed in.

“Dad sent me over to see if you need any help. He’s at the office, He wanted me to tell you he’s having a party tomorrow for Christmas it’s a work party.” He poked me in the arm. “Did you hear me?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“So he has set up a hair and makeup artist for us. You too Mom.”

“Is that necessary?” Mom asked.

“I told you he over does it.” He grabbed a mug. “So we’ll have a family dinner tonight, just us. And he started putting the presents under the tree, and you have a pretty big one, Sis.”

“How big?” I quickly hurried over.

“Beefy big.”

“Beefy big.” I nodded.

“And So do I.” He looked at Mom. “I know I have a key board I just know it. Oh and our teacher is coming over after tomorrow, Charlie.”

“Teacher?”

“Yeah, we’re going to learn French. I’ll teach you Italian on the side. As promised.”

“Alright.” I shrugged a shoulder, and handed him a cup.

It was strange, us all moving together like an actually family. As Caden had said, when we were growing up I had always felt a spark between Mom and Jackson. Caden and I had always acted like siblings. Mom said when He moved I cried for a week. And then I met  Owen and things got better. Caden came to visit once when he was twelve and Right from the start him and Owen didn’t get along. Caden and I got into a fight and he stopped coming to visit me. I started to cling to Owen.

The guys had come over and started to move stuff into the moving van.

“Wait until you see what’s in the basement.” Caden bumped my arm as we sat in the back seat of my Mom’s car watching her talk to one of the movers.

“What did you get me?”

“Not telling you.” He smiled at me.

I sighed as Mom got in.

“How hard is it to drive to a new house?” She demanded slamming her door. “You damn drive around for a living don’t you?”

We both looked at each other and then looked down not saying anything.

~Ugly Christmas Sweaters~

“I have Maria making a pot roast-“ Jackson came into the foyer as we came in.

“Hi Dad.” Caden ran to a door, and opened it to stairs.

I ran after him, “I’m a vegetarian.”

“I have a separate roast for you Charlie!” He called down the stairs. “Vegetarian!”

“Thanks!” I called back up.

I found myself in a home theater with a big screen and soft couches.

“Ready?” Caden grinned holding out a controller.

“I’m so going to kick your ass.” I grabbed it and hopped over the back of the couch, sinking into a square.

Caden followed suit, “Oh please you don’t even know how to move your view stick without getting a head ache!”

He grabbed a remote pushed a button and the game was on. I hid behind a building.

“Come find me.”

“I already know where you are.” Caden said, shooting another player.

“No you don’t. Don’t lie.”

“Dude.” He said, shooting another, “I can see you on my map.”

“Then come find me.” He sighed and started running.

“Hey!” I objected making my guy jump off a ledge. “How are you running?” I started to push random buttons, shooting someone that just walked around the corner. “Well Alright!”

Caden reached over and pushed a button on the top of the controller, and my guy began to run.

“Whoo!” I said, running in a circle. Someone shot me. “Aw!”

Caden laughed.

“It was you, wasn’t it fucker!”

He laughed harder.

“It’s so on!”

“Come find me.”

“How?”

“Use your map!” He pointed with a finger taking down another person.

Someone walked from behind a wall. I screamed and held out my controller and fired.

“Did I get him?” I asked.

“You got him.”

I slowly opened an eye and my guy went down.

“Are you serious?” I looked at Caden who was laughing again. “You know what?”

I reached over and pushed buttons on his controller.

He reached forward out of my reach. I had made him fall off a ledge.

“Ah, fuck!” He said, “Gang territory!”

He shot off rounds in a circle, and then punched the air.

“Whoo!” He yelled. “Did you see that?” He looked over at me.

“Uh-huh,” I said making my little guy run as fast as he could.

I had Caden in my sights.

“That was the most I ever killed in one sweep. I-"

The tv made the little killed music and Caden looked at the screen.

“What!”

“Yes!” I tossed my controller into the air, clutched in both hands. “Oh yes!”

“What!”

“Don’t be Cocky Brother.” I grinned at him.

“It’s so on!”

“Catch me if you can.” I ran through a perk.

“No!”

“What did I get?” I asked.

“You blinded my map.”

“Oh yes!” I yelled. “You better run, ‘cause I’m coming in hot.”

“Not to day you’re not.” He reached over and pushed buttons.

I jumped up and