Page 13 of Chase
Still, I’d take Tilly any day over my terrifying big brother, Ethan. In the fifteen years of my life, I can count on one hand the number of conversations I’ve had with him, and none of them have been pleasant. He despises me and is more than happy to let everyone know the fact. The only solace I can take is he is usually scowling at the entire world. He only smiles when he’s being cruel, condescending, or watching some violent film or video game. I try to avoid him as much as possible, especially since the night he had slapped me for daring to touch Tilly. I was forced to apologise to the whole family, whereas he was practically celebrated as the hero for putting me in my place. A little part of me died that night, for many reasons.
When we eventually sit down to dinner, Theo rushes over to sit next to me, which only sets those bastard butterflies to increase in their velocity. I almost find it hard to breathe so I grab hold of my glass of water and guzzle back the cool liquid at a rapid pace. But before the last drop falls down my throat, I feel his hand gripping hold of my thigh beneath the table. I practically choke on my drink all the while he chuckles from behind his other hand.
“Something amusing, Theo?” Nonna asks with a knowing smile spreading across her face.
“Sorry, I was just remembering something that happened yesterday,” he answers coolly.
“Sounds like it was something good?”
“Oh, believe me, it was mind-blowing!” he says, giving me a wolfish grin that does funny things to my insides.
He continues in this vein for much of dinner and is constantly touching me in some way - hand on my thigh, a brush of my hand when passing the salt, even removing an eyelash from my cheek. Each and every time we make contact, I feel my cheeks heating up and a cacophony of butterflies whizzing around my chest. I’ve always liked Theo, always dreamed of my first kiss, first embrace, first tender moments with him, but I never actually believed it would happen. I was more likely to have my first kiss with a movie star than Theo. And yet, here we are.
He enjoys the uncomfortable reaction I give to his frequent double meanings, as well as his need to constantly share some sort of affectionate touch with me. I feel like everyone can see it too, even though only Nonna appears to have any clue as to what is happening between us.
“Dessert anyone?” Mum asks the table in general.
“Not for Isobel,” Tilly answers for me, “she’s already struggling to fit into her clothes, aren’t you fatty?”
Her cruel remark has Theo squeezing my leg a little tighter, his anger becoming palpable. Meanwhile, she and Ethan have a good laugh at my expense.
“Now, now, Tilly,” Dad at least pretends to chastise my evil big sister, though he doesn’t sound altogether convincing. “So, I hear Theo has applied to some big colleges back in the States, meanwhile Tilly is going to be off to university and Ethan will be coming to work for me; it’s definitely exciting times ahead!”
“What about you, Izzy?” Aunt Frances asks politely, obviously taking pity on my parents’ lack of interest in me. It’s not lost on me that I was absent from Dad’s list of exciting opportunities.
“Oh, she’s off to join the circus with her freak friend, Mary,” Tilly declares before I can get a word in. “Mary’s going to be the mute and Izzy’s going to be the fat lady.”
She smiles innocently while battering her eyelids, the whole ensemble making me want to slap her false lashes right off her face. Ethan sniggers and my parents say nothing.
“Oh, Isobel’s off to sixth form,” Dad replies for me.
“Got any idea what you want to do when you’re older?” Frances continues, ignoring Tilly’s comments. Theo, however, clearly isn’t. His jaw is clenched shut and his grip is bordering on painful against my leg.
“Well, I-”
“She’ll probably follow Tilly and Ethan into the family firm, if she has the grades,” Dad continues to answer for me. Sadly, he has no idea what my grades are; he and Mother have missed my parent-teacher conferences for the past two years. To be fair, he’s dreaming if he thinks Tilly is going to be able to study business and finance.
“I’m actually thinking of taking her to a few of my socials. We’ll get her mixing in some of my circles so at least she can marry into wealth,” he teases, slurping on his wine like a sixteenth-century lord of the manor. “Course, we’ll have to tame some of that fire out of you, won’t we, sweetheart? It’s all about appearances you know.”
He chuckles and I instantly imagine stabbing him in the neck with my steak knife.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Daddy, but Isobel is considered an ‘ug’,” Tilly says before smirking my way and shrugging her shoulders. “She’s never had a boyfriend because she’s a freak, and, well…we can’t all be pretty, can we? Some of us have to work behind the scenes, if you know what I mean.”
She winks evilly at me before continuing to eat her tiny pieces of dinner that I hope she chokes on. Theo makes a move to get up, however, this time, I put my hand on his thigh to stop him.
“Perhaps we should take you shopping with us next time, Isobel,” Mum interjects, thinking this is the answer to all my problems. “We’ll get you some make-up and some flattering clothes. The boys will be eating you up in no time, sweetheart.”
“Oh, gee whizz,” I gush with theatrical flamboyancy, “I simply can’t wait to get my slut on for all of Daddy’s friends, Mama. Just think, I can be a useless trophy wife just like Tilly wants to be. I’ll be an imbecile, but I’ll be pretty. How simply marvellous, Mother!”
“Isobel!” Mum shouts. “How dare you talk to me and your sister like that?”
“Oh, Mother dear, it’s just too easy to. Excuse me while I get the hell out of here. I’ll try not to crack any mirrors on the way out. Nonna, I’ll call you tomorrow. Frances, Wyatt, Theo, I’m pleased you’re getting the opportunity to escape this God-awful family.”
Without any other words from anyone, I scrape back my chair and march out toward the kitchen, ignoring the obvious scowls on Ethan’s and Dad’s faces. I wouldn’t stay in this house if you paid me to right now. I need to get away from the constant negativity I am forced to endure from this family, so I head for the back door to try and find my calm space before I kill somebody.
Pushing my feet into my well-worn trainers, I burst out the door in my ridiculous shift dress which Mum made me wear, and march huffily away into my favourite place - the woods. I may well get murdered by the local weirdoes but at least it will be quiet and dark, much like my mood at the moment.
Fortunately, I don’t meet a single soul on my way to the bridge where Mary and I used to play Pooh sticks. I lean against the wooden railings to listen to the trickle of water underneath me. Winter is well upon us, and the cold is enough to have me shivering, but I can still take comfort in its calming percussion.