The Only One Left Behind

"Don't just hide in your room, Theodora! Come out here and help Claire pack!" Clement Gray, my brother, banged on my door.

The second I came out, he shoved a pink suitcase over to me. "She's weak, and Syldan's sun will hurt her skin. Give her your sunscreen. It's not like you'd ever use it. Heck, it's still sealed."

I looked at my sunscreen. I bought those with my part-time wages because I was anticipating a surprise trip. "The sunscreen's mine."

"You're going to stay at home anyway. It's not like you'll need them. They'll just expire." Claire put two bottles of new makeup stuff into the suitcase. "She has sensitive skin. Cheap stuff makes her itchy. Don't be so stingy."

Back in the living room, Claire was leaning on my mother's shoulder, eating cherries. My father had his spectacles on, verifying the IDs on the tickets. I went and checked the tickets.

The tickets were printed three days ago. On that very day, I'd brought up the wish of going to Syldan to see the sea and celebrate my 22nd birthday. My father promised he would make the wish come true.

He had bought the tickets, but he never planned on having me go. "The tickets came out three days ago, Dad," I said.

My father's hand stopped. "It's cheaper if you buy early."

"Why'd you even set up that roulette if you already bought the tickets three days ago?"

A moment of silence entered the living room, and Claire came up to me. "I had a coughing fit a few days ago, and the doctor told me to get some sunshine. That's when Dad came up with the idea. Dad wanted you to feel that you had a chance, so he made that roulette."

"A chance?"

Clement came over. "You spun the wheel yourself. You should blame yourself for your rotten luck, not everyone else. Dad and Mom only wanted to protect your dignity, so don't push it."

That was really some way to protect my dignity, coming up with a roulette that was destined to give me the prize of… making me their pet guard dog.

"Clear the utility bill and water the plants, Theodora." My mother placed 500 dollars on the coffee table. "You can buy groceries with the rest of the money."

I got 500, while these people would stay in five-star hotels and enjoy seafood feasts. I got 500 and a week of keeping an eye on this house as my birthday present. "I won't do it."

My mother's hand froze. "What?"

"Hey, rotten luck, remember? The meter might go bust if I'm the one paying." I slid the money back. "You should do it yourself."

"Theodora!" Clement frowned. "What's the matter with you? You're just missing out on a trip to Syldan!"