9 Jul 2024, 00:38
Trouble
Maggie sat at the edge of the bed, hugging a pillow. She rested her chin on it and squeezed. The bedroom in the penthouse suite felt so cold empty. It was the pinnacle of luxury. Mother would never stay at anything less. She had been at a charity event back in Dublin earlier that day whilst she and father had been school shopping. Now she had flown out for an event in London this weekend. One that she was expected to attend.
She sniffed. Her eyes were redder than her hair. Crying does that. She trembled as she heard the yelling from the other room. Somehow it had been easier to stomach when they were yelling at her. Telling her how disappointed in her they were. Drilling into her head how dangerous it was to run off like that. The hardest part of that conversation - if you could call it that - was her parents being adamant on her not seeing those other girls again. How they were a bad influence. Like they had corrupted her somehow. They didn't listen to a word she said. Not that she could get one in edgewise. She'd run off before ever laying eyes on them. They hadn't done anything.
Now they were arguing again. Her mother was angry that he called during her speech. She didn't seem to think Maggie being missing at the time was a good enough reason for 'embarrassing' her. Then came the accusations of incompetence. Not being able to keep up with a little girl. Losing their daughter!? How could he?
Then there were his retorts of how she didn't care. How she wasn't around. How she chose a charity event over school shopping with their daughter. Of how much it meant to Maggie. She had promised Maggie she'd be there. And instead she was miles away back home in Dublin chatting up other socialites and drinking wine and eating fancy finger foods.
Maggie buried her face in the pillow and hugged it as tight as she could. She was used to this tactic. So often they both used it. Using her as ammunition. Calling the other a bad parent. But neither of them ever listened to word she said. If she ever even could get a word in. She stood up on the bed and jumped onto the other pillows. She pulled one over her head in a desperate attempt to drown out the fighting. She felt her tears combining with the fabric as her chest panged.
Soon she would be at Hogwarts. Far away from them. Far away from the fights and the parties and all of it. She wouldn't have to listen to it. She thought of Veda - the girl she'd met earlier. One of the 'bad influences' her parents had gone on about. Forbade her from seeing. Something red hot formed in her stomach. We'll see about that. How were they going to control her from Dublin? How were they going to control who she talked to? How would they even know? Her anger dissipated for a moment. Her rebellious thoughts eased into the back of her mind. What had gotten into her? She didn't used to think like this. Did she? There was so much in her that she didn't recognize. She curled up into a ball, clutching her pillow over her ears and burying her face in another to drown out both her parents fighting and her own sobs.
She sniffed. Her eyes were redder than her hair. Crying does that. She trembled as she heard the yelling from the other room. Somehow it had been easier to stomach when they were yelling at her. Telling her how disappointed in her they were. Drilling into her head how dangerous it was to run off like that. The hardest part of that conversation - if you could call it that - was her parents being adamant on her not seeing those other girls again. How they were a bad influence. Like they had corrupted her somehow. They didn't listen to a word she said. Not that she could get one in edgewise. She'd run off before ever laying eyes on them. They hadn't done anything.
Now they were arguing again. Her mother was angry that he called during her speech. She didn't seem to think Maggie being missing at the time was a good enough reason for 'embarrassing' her. Then came the accusations of incompetence. Not being able to keep up with a little girl. Losing their daughter!? How could he?
Then there were his retorts of how she didn't care. How she wasn't around. How she chose a charity event over school shopping with their daughter. Of how much it meant to Maggie. She had promised Maggie she'd be there. And instead she was miles away back home in Dublin chatting up other socialites and drinking wine and eating fancy finger foods.
Maggie buried her face in the pillow and hugged it as tight as she could. She was used to this tactic. So often they both used it. Using her as ammunition. Calling the other a bad parent. But neither of them ever listened to word she said. If she ever even could get a word in. She stood up on the bed and jumped onto the other pillows. She pulled one over her head in a desperate attempt to drown out the fighting. She felt her tears combining with the fabric as her chest panged.
Soon she would be at Hogwarts. Far away from them. Far away from the fights and the parties and all of it. She wouldn't have to listen to it. She thought of Veda - the girl she'd met earlier. One of the 'bad influences' her parents had gone on about. Forbade her from seeing. Something red hot formed in her stomach. We'll see about that. How were they going to control her from Dublin? How were they going to control who she talked to? How would they even know? Her anger dissipated for a moment. Her rebellious thoughts eased into the back of her mind. What had gotten into her? She didn't used to think like this. Did she? There was so much in her that she didn't recognize. She curled up into a ball, clutching her pillow over her ears and burying her face in another to drown out both her parents fighting and her own sobs.