| �Out on the town? What�s this mean exactly, if you�ll please 21st century it for me.� �Oh, you know � maybe head out with some friends, check out a movie if anything�s playing. Are you going out anywhere?� Now that he clearly knew Mera was avoiding something � namely specifically answering his question � he chose to forge on. �Which friends, Mera?� �Uh � well, with Jeff of course. She is my friend, afterall. And then, you know, perhaps Vartan might meet us there�� �Vartan O�Reilly?� Pacey�s brows knitted. �The boy I strictly forbid you to go on a date with in our discussion last night?� �Discussion?� Mera spat. �Ha! Pacey, that wasn�t a discussion. Discussions are reciprocal. That was you ordering me around like a little kid�� �That�s not the issue here, Mera.� �No, it is! When you get right down to it, that is the �issue� Your inhumane treatment of me.� �Inhumane?� Pacey�s voice had risen, despite his attempts to keep it neutral. �Oh, ok. You have a home here. You get an allowance, you have access to a car, public education. Food, love, friends. I�ve given you everything, Mera!� �But you won�t let me go out on a date! A simple date with a boy that I happen to like. It�s nothing more, Pacey. Just a date.� �Which you apparently went and made behind my back, of course�� �And how was I supposed to do it? You said no. I gave you the opportunity to agree with me � to at least allow me to explain myself. Vartan would even come here so you could meet him�� �I�ve made up my mind already. It�s not up for discussion again.� �God, Pacey, what is your deal?!� �What�s my deal? Girl, you are driving me up the walls. You�ve never caused me trouble before, I don�t know why you�ve decided to start now.� �What are you trying to do to me?� Tears had sprung to her eyes, making them look large and glassy. �All I�m trying to do is protect you. I wish you would just understand that.� �Protect me?� She echoed. �From what? God, Pacey, I don�t know what you think you have to protect me from. There�s nothing.� �There is, Mera. You don�t know the half of it. Maybe one day when you�re a parent�� �What, like you Pacey? A stand in parent?� Pacey stared at her in amazement. What he had said was true � Mera had never caused him trouble before. She was always so happy, a sunny smile on her face. She enlightened those around her, and she almost seemed to feed off her own positive energy. He had never seen such a change � such a drastic dramatic change before. And he had no idea on how to deal � what to do. Growing up, he had been that defiant teenager. He�d refused to listen to his father, disobeyed rules set by his brother Doug. He ran his own life, made his own decisions. His father had handled him half-assedly. He had chosen an ignorant tactic � nothing any different than he�d used before. Pacey had learned early on that no matter what he did, he could never impress his father. No matter how high his marks, how well his behaviour, he would always be a failure in his father�s eyes. His basic philosophy, upon adopting Mera, had been simply to do �everything his father hadn�t� and �not do everything he did.� Simple, he�d thought. And still, Mera�s current behaviour was beginning to freak him out. Her comment, meant to hurt him, no doubt, had. He flinched, as though physically attacked by the words themselves. �Mera,� he said, calmly. �You are upset with me, I see that. I�m sorry I�ve done this � but I really am concerned for you.� �Like hell.� �Mera. You know I�m not a �stand in parent�. I am your parent. I�m all you have.� �No, you aren�t.� The tears cascaded down her cheeks. �You keep saying that, but you�re wrong. I have someone else � I have my real father. He�s out there somewhere, and he loves and misses me.� �Mera!� �No. I don�t care what you have to say, Pacey. I don�t anymore. I just want you to leave me alone.� She calmly turned, and began walking towards her bedroom. �Mera, wait please�� he trailed after her. Reaching out for her hand, he grasped her wrist. She turned, freeing herself from his grasp. Her eyes were wild, the colour seemed a hardened steel. The free hand spun violently, close to her body. Pacey heard the sound before he saw it. A smash, a loud bang, sparks, then shattered glass. Shock, surprise on Mera�s face. |
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