Page 223 - The Life of A Teenage Girl (Stories About Finding Your Way)

SICK DAHLIA

“No, it’s not! You’re just ruining my life, not making it better—
not even a little bit!”

Olivia slowly put the cookies down and said, “Dahlia—”

I interrupted her and continued, “My whole life, I’ve been sick,
never getting better. I had to fly all the way to New York just to get

surgery, and that barely helped me! And now you’re making me stay
home all day getting homeschooled?!”

That was the first time I ever yelled at my parents that long. I saw
tears drop from Mom’s eyes, and Dad looked really upset. Then Olivia

started crying loudly. She ran to her room and locked the door.

It felt like I yelled at my own little sister, even though I really
didn’t—I was just trying to say ‘I’m fine’ to my parents. But harshly, I

guess.
“Olivia!” Mom shouted.

I ran to her room and knocked. “Olivia, please open the door—it’s
really dangerous locking yourself in a room.”

I could still hear her crying. I tried a hack on the door I found on

the internet—and it worked.
I entered and sat beside her.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Mom and Dad are just overreacting.

They always do that, you know?”
She wiped her tears and said, “Why, though? I mean, I get it, but

why can’t they just make our lives better?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I think every parent does that.”

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