Hidden Secrets, Unknown Truths

Megan Murphy

World Literature Honors Period Five

Ms. Bennett

April 24, 2014

Hidden Secrets, Unknown Truths

What could be worse than stiff shoulders, awkward silences, and dreaded questions? Nothing. My family spends most of our annual dinners just like this. Only add more scared feeling and much more screaming. Oh yes, and don’t forget the magic. Yes, screaming magical dinners. You truly don’t spend much time eating. Most of the time you are avoiding fire, ice and lots of other stuff you really do not want coming at your head.

Then there was a little chime next to me, interrupting our so far peaceful dinner, and instantly my older sister Fauna was on her neon pink sparkly cellphone her long pink fingernails dancing across the keyboard. “Oh my god, oh no she didn’t,” she screeched creating a dreadful noise, causing me to wince.

“Who?” Huebert cried.

“What?” Hamish added.

“Why?” The third of the triplets Harris finished. They all beamed at her with their dimples and shining eyes. At only seven, with the darling smiles and bright red hair, the triplets are so adorable it is hard to be annoyed of them.

Fauna just rolled her eyes and kept on typing, but not before muttering. “Freaks.”

“Oh ain’t that darling, coming from you!” A female voice commented and Fauna glanced her eyes up to stare at the mirror image of herself, her twin sister Flora. Blue eyes blazing, blonde hair perfectly done, three extra pounds worth of makeup. Flora smiled and tossed her blonde curly hair over her shoulder. “If anything is a freak here, it would be you, dearest.”

“I guess that makes you one too, us being identical and all.” Fauna retorted before adding a diamond worthy smile.

Flora gasped and replied “How dare you!” She leaned forward. “I am older than you, so take that back.”

“Two whole minutes!” Fauna laughed and then leaned forward staring her sister in the eyes. “At least I don’t wear hair extensions.” Flora gasped at this grievous insult and the bickering began.

I couldn't help but sigh at their arguments. After living together for 21 years, you would have thought that they would have killed at each other or started to act civilized. I looked up as a single snowflake hit my face, falling from the covered roof. Most likely the prior.

“Dada, please do something to stop them!” I cried to my father who was sitting at the other end of the table. He just smiled to himself and kept on eating the potato chips, the noise falling short of his ears. “Mama!” I cried turning to my other side.

“So, Ryder.” She commented ignoring me, and turning the question to my older brother who sat next to me. Flora and Fauna were still fighting so she had to almost shout, more like a shrill, over them. “Do you have a girlfriend yet?” I frowned at him and waited for his answer, he had yet to tell her that a girlfriend was not what he wanted, a girl was not the right gender.

Ryder’s fork turned red and then slowly melted in his hand. “No.” He hissed, greatly annoyed but keeping his secret from our mother, as he grabbed my own out of my hand.

“Hey!” I gasped and he just smirked eating the food I had on it and then using it as his own.

“Well, I know a few of dainty girl’s who would just love to be with a wonderful man such as you.”

“With all honestly mother, if they are what you consider “dainty” and look like Flora and Fauna I would prefer to not.”

“Hey!” Flora and Fauna screeched, dropping their own bickering to glare at him.

“No offense, dolls.” He laughed with a wink.

“Much taken!” Flora howled. There was a whistle through the corridors of the house and a door slammed shut. Ryder’s hair was blown back from his face but he kept on smiling.

“Willow, please pass the mashed potatoes.” Father asked me, oblivious to all of the noise. All noise was canceled out before it came to him. Which is why he loved family dinners, he didn’t have to listen to the painful noise that was the truth about our family dinners. It made him happier, so maybe it was better that way.

Flora and Fauna had once again gone back to bickering. Mama and Ryder were arguing about his inability, and unwillingness, to get a girlfriend. Hubert, Hamish, and Harris are finding it quite amusing floating things around the table.

“I can’t believe you, mother!” Ryder howled screaming his fist on the table and a bead of sweat ran down the side of my face as the temperature rose.  

“Uh, guys.” I started but no one listened. There was a pop next to me and I turned to see the mash potatoes bowling. Another burst of snow flakes fell onto my hair, dusting my blonde locks with white. I sighed, and attempted to brush them off.

Suddenly the bowling mash potatoes exploded, showering me with what was left. The explosion scared the triplets, causing a bowl of pudding on my head. I sat there for a few moments in shock.

“That is it!” I howled standing up as everyone remained fighting not noticing my situation. I rose my hand and shouted. “Time! Freeze!”   

They all froze in place. Ryder raising from his seat not moving, Mama raising her hands in annoyance. Flora and Fauna’s mouths were wide open shouting at each other and the twins were all trapped in mid laugh. Father was about to take a huge bite into his chicken leg. I sighed and smiled at the silence. Funny, how the only time I could stand my family is when they couldn't move.

I grabbed my plate and forced my fork out of Ryder’s hand. I started to leave but I stopped and turned back to them, and couldn't help but smile. I pulled out a black marker and couldn't help but say out loud, “Oh, this is going to be fun!”