Devil on My Shoulder

Too late for that. You've really fucked up this time.

Shannon was as vindictive as she was spoiled. She would absolutely follow through on her threats. My place in college and my career as a writer would be in jeopardy. Who would ever take me seriously?

I felt I had no choice but to obey her. My hope was she'd get bored of me once we were in college. I just had to survive until then.

I made my way downstairs with cautious optimism. Things weren't as bad as they seemed. Shannon had to adhere to society's rules. She couldn't exactly parade me around in public. If I just avoided situations where we were alone, there was only so far she could push me.

When I entered the living room, I saw the movie paused on a close-up of Molly Ringwald.

Everyone stared at me. My stomach knotted as I feared for a moment they somehow knew, but when they all turned away I realized they were simply waiting for Shannon.

My mom approached. "Where have you been?" she whispered.

"I just used the restroom. No big deal."

My mom studied me and I blushed. There was no way she could suspect anything, but the embarrassment of what Shannon had made me do combined with the throbbing on my ass cheeks made me glance nervously down at my feet.

Luckily, Shannon arrived before my mom could ask me any more questions.

"Hiiii, auntie," she said with sickening fake sweetness, bounding up to us and giving my mom a light peck on her cheek. "Thank you soooo much for my birthday money."

The gratitude and relief on my mom's face was heartbreaking.

"Oh, you're so welcome, dear. Just let me know what you buy with it."

I cringed. My mom was so happy she was completely missing that Shannon was mocking her. I caught Aunt Martha snickering behind them.

Shannon batted her long eyelashes. "You know, I was thinking, it would be soooo much fun if Julia came with me and my friends shopping tomorrow. Maybe she can help me choose what to spend it on?"

Mom glanced at me and then back to Shannon. She was as dumbfounded as me. Shannon had never once asked me to do anything with her, ever.

Martha waltzed over, with a glass of wine in her hand. "What a wonderful idea, princess. You can show Julia all your favorite stores."

Shannon reached behind my back and pinched my skin, jabbing in her nails.

I gulped and smiled. "S-sure. That...sounds like fun. Th-thank you."

"You're sooo welcome," she cooed, twisting the skin on my back until I yelped.

My mom stared at me, but I quickly disarmed her suspicion with a nervous chuckle.

"Splendid," proclaimed Martha, "in fact, since our daughters will be spending the day together, we ought to do something too.

My mom's eyes widened and she smiled hopefully. "R-really Martha?"

"How does lunch sound? I know a fabulous little French bistro over on Main Street."

"That...sounds amazing."

"Perhaps we can discuss your little...problem?"

Mom's eyes welled with grateful tears. "Really? Thank you, Martha. Thank you so much."

Martha shrugged. "I haven't agreed to anything yet, mind you. We'll discuss it. But I may have a proposal we can both be satisfied with."

"You won't regret this, Martha."

My mom either didn't notice or chose not to notice the smirk on my aunt's lips as she took a sip of her wine.

I knew then we were deep in trouble. But if I'd known then how bad things were going to get, would I have made different decisions? Would I have just confessed then and there to what I'd done and accepted the consequences? As humiliating as it would have been, my life may yet have been salvaged.

Ha! We both know you'd have done it all exactly the same. Don't pretend with me, freak.

It's true. I can't hide myself from the devil on my shoulder. As miserable as my life has been since then, I wouldn't change a damned thing.