Ninety-Nine Favor Coupons—Then I Was Gone
When I was little, Mom told me I'd damaged Gemma, my sister's hearing, so she and Dad gave Gemma ninety-nine "favor coupons"——every time she cashed one in, I had to give in.
On my birthday, Gemma wanted mango cake. She used one of her coupons, and Mom replaced my birthday cake with mango cake, even though I was allergic to it.
When Gemma got caught smoking at school, she used another coupon, and Mom made me take the blame for her.
The whole school thought I was a troublemaker. For an entire year, no one would so much as talk to me.
...
Between the ages of eight and eighteen, Gemma used ninety-six coupons.
And ninety-six times, I was the one pushed aside. I thought that once she used th