They Played a Game to Make Me Beg, I Played a Game to Make Me Gone Chapter 02

They Played a Game to Make Me Beg, I Played a Game to Make Me Gone Chapter 02

By the time the sky started to lighten, I was dragging my soaked pant legs and muddy shoes onto the first bus of the morning. I borrowed a charger from the driver.

I hadn’t been home all night. When my phone powered back on, the family group chat had exploded. Over a hundred messages.

There were photos Savannah shared of the Thanksgiving feast. Cash gifts sent by Mom and Dad. Pictures of Derek’s famous home-cooked dishes.

The only direct message I got was from work.

[Take the next few days off. You’re about to be gone for a decade—go be with your family. Wheels up in two days.]

I stood outside the front door for a long time. In my hand, I was holding five Disneyland tickets. I’d worked a month of overtime to buy them as a Thanksgiving gift for the whole family.

I’d imagined all of us going together. That wasn’t going to happen now. I pulled out the one with my name on it and slipped the other four under the door.

The next second, the door flew open. Savannah grabbed my arm and yanked me inside. Derek dumped a bucket of ice-cold water right over my head.

I crashed to the floor, soaked to the bone.

Savannah squealed. “I bet she cries first.”

Derek let out a short laugh. “I bet she throws a fit first.”

Mom and Dad looked at the soaking wet mess I was and couldn’t even stand up straight. “Oh, check out that face! Loser owes three flicks to the forehead.”

Finally, four sets of eyes landed on me.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I forced myself up, ignoring the scrapes on my palms that were starting to bleed. I lifted my hand and stopped it right in front of Savannah’s forehead.

“You all lose. Three flicks each.”

Savannah squeezed her eyes shut and let out a piercing shriek. Derek shoved me hard. “Natalie, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Mom and Dad crowded around Savannah, shielding her like a wounded cub. “Why do you have to take everything so seriously? It’s just family messing around. You’re the only one who makes a federal case out of everything.”

I hadn’t actually planned on flicking her. I just wanted to see if they’d think it was so funny if Savannah was the one about to get hurt.

Now I had my answer.

The four Disneyland tickets fell at our feet. Soaked through, already shredded under someone’s shoe. Savannah followed my gaze. She thought that was why I’d frozen up.

“A few stupid tickets? Please. Mom and Dad already took me ages ago. Stop acting so high and mighty! You’re just a sore loser.”

My hand hung there in the air, frozen. I’d spent my whole life trying to be the daughter who could make them laugh, the way Savannah did.

Last month, they’d casually mentioned wanting to take a family trip to Disneyland. I held onto every word. I remembered. Turns out, they’d already gone. Turns out, their definition of “family” never actually included me.

Mom and Dad glared at me. “You scared Savannah. Apologize to her. Now.”

Derek stepped in, his voice all calm and reasonable. “Natalie, our engagement party is the day after tomorrow. Don’t make things ugly with your family. It won’t look good for you.”

He made it sound like he was on my side, but every single word defended Savannah.

Staring at those four people lined up against me, I almost wanted to laugh. I’d come home planning to talk to Derek, to call the whole engagement off. But now, I decided I’d use that engagement party to finish a prank of my own. One I’d tailored just for them.

I gripped the hem of my shirt and gave Savannah the apology she wanted. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

She lifted her chin. “That’s more like it.”

Then she turned to Mom, Dad, and Derek with a secret little smirk. “The engagement party is going to be my masterpiece. Tell her to just wait and see.”