Staged

Five years passed. They had become five years of hell. What was supposed to be the most epic youth a person could ever asked for was the complete opposite. Instead of getting to grow up with my best friend, I grew up with a monster.

Every opportunity that Kylee had, she found a way to torment me. Tripping at the bottom of the stairs, accusing me of cheating off her, claiming I spilled things on her or cut her clothes. At first, my parents were skeptical because they knew that this wasn’t who their little girl was. Eventually, though, they believed Kylee more and more.

Kylee took everything I had that I had ever cared about. When we entered high school, she started spreading rumors that I was bullying her at home. She took what friends I had left, and made sure I didn’t make any new ones. When she copied my homework and accused me of stealing her answers, I had gone into the guidance counselor’s office and begged to be put in different classes with different teachers so that she couldn’t steal my work anymore. They did their best, but not every class had more than one teacher. So I always made sure that my work was timestamped and turned in as early as I could possibly turn it in. I kept everything as far away from Kylee as I could keep it. She still found other ways to torment me, though. My parents believed every last bit of it, too.

The year we turned 16, my parents bought her a ruby red convertible and I got nothing for being “too spoiled.” I was never given an allowance. I never got anything that I asked for, so I stopped asking for things. Instead, I got a job.

Ironically, it was a desk job at a company that rivaled my dad’s. One day, I had taken him an agreement to sign stating he was ok with me working and he signed it without looking at it. “Its about time you learned some responsibility.” He had said as he handed me the papers back.

Every day, after school, I went to the Harland International to distribute mail and help their CEO with meniscal tasks. He was a nice guy who enjoyed taking on high school students who were motivated towards success. I knew that when I graduated, I wanted to be successful, and Mr. Harland was happy to help me in my journey.

“Your parents don’t know the gem they’ve been raising.” He said one day, when I brought him his afternoon coffee. He had been pawing over some papers on an upcoming deal, and was stuck in a brain fog on how to approach it.

“What if you offered to meet halfway on the transportation costs of the merchandise needed for the project? It might set you back a little bit, but wouldn’t it pay off once the final job is finished? Not only will they see that you’re willing to negotiate, but they’ll remember that you went the extra mile when they choose to deal with you again in the future.”

“That is very smart of you.” He said, impressed with my critical thinking skills. “Are you sure you didn’t work with your dad before and that you’re not just here to steal all my secrets?” He joked.

I blushed and shook my head. “Nope. I’m literally only here because my adopted sister is an asshole.”

“Their loss.” He said, sipping his coffee. “When you graduate from high school, I want you come to work from me.”

“I really want to study medicine.” I said, shaking my head. “I got an e-mail from Harvard the other day. I got in! Full ride.” I excitedly announced.

“Congratulations, young lady! What did your parents say?” Mr. Harland asked.

“They don’t know.”

Mr. Harland’s face fell. “I’m sorry to hear that, kiddo”

Now that I was in my Senior year, graduation was just around the corner. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Once I left that house, I was never going to look back. They didn’t deserve to stake any claims on my success. It was mine and mine alone.