When I was barely hanging on, nobody gave a damn about me. I mean, not about me—not my safety, not how I felt. All they cared about was how I might embarrass them.
I didn't even rank higher than her dog in my mom's eyes. I remember just slipping into this deep sleep and all the wanting, all the aching I had for their affection... It just disappeared.
I was done. I didn't want it anymore.
When I woke up in the hospital, the room was empty. Of course, it was. I should've been used to that by then, but honestly, it still stung.
I pulled the IV out like it was nothing, reached for my phone, and for the first time in years, I called my dad. I don't even know why I did it. Maybe I was still hoping, even after everything.
His voice, when he answered, wasn't concerned. It wasn't even curious. Just pissed, like I was a chore he couldn't wait to get rid of. "Get out of the hospital already! Do you even want us to come fetch you?"
I laughed. I couldn't help it. I thought about how Ginny scraped her knee once, and they acted like the world was ending. But me? I could be dying, and they'd probably still tell me to get over it. She's always been the favorite!