"Is everything clear?"
"Crystal."
She glared at me, and I can't say that I was very happy with that. She had asked me a question, after going on and on and on and on for hours on end about stuff that I could care less about. And I had answered her. I had been telling the truth, for the most part. I knew what she was talking about, in general, though I couldn't have given the specifics to save my life. And I understood that. So I said I understood.
She obviously didn't believe me, not that she ever did.
So I just sighed, then stood up and headed for the door. It was getting to be a waste of my time, even if I would get in trouble with Mom, and Dad, and probably the entire government by the time Mom was done. I couldn't say that I really cared by then.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked me, and I didn't even try to lie to her.
"Home."
"You can't leave. We aren't done here yet."
"Oh please," I said, turning back to her and giving her my best "I'm not believing the tiniest bit of this crap" stare. Surprisingly enough, I have had plenty of opportunities to practice this stare, by the way. It comes from rooming with someone who borders on pathological liar and seems to enjoy making everyone around him go crazy because of it.
"Why should I stay here and listen to you babble about how "unbalanced" I am?" I continued. "Even Mom admits that she thinks I've been happier since I left home than I ever was before. I'm not doing anything that will get me killed, except for maybe walking out on the streets, and there's no way in hell you could get me to agree to being under house arrest just because some guy on the street might want to get me for being born into the family. And, no matter what you say, I will never agree with you that my choices in life are sick, or twisted, or perverted, or anything along similar lines. So why don't you just give it up?"
"Have you been feeling out of place?" she asked me. Suddenly, it was all I could do to keep from screaming at her...not that it wouldn't have felt good. See, I didn't think that I would be able to stop with just screaming, and I just didn't feel like being locked up at the moment.
"Listen, Lady," I said, even though I knew her name. I probably would never forget it, the way she told it to me when we started the "session." "I am not one of your crazy people. I am only doing this to be nice to Mom, because when I'm nice to Mom she doesn't get on my case about things that I would rather she stay out of. But, I will not stand here and let you try to make me into one of your crazy people."
"Now Vanni..." she said, but I wasn't in the mood to hear it.
"Actually no, I haven't been feeling out of place," I said. "Not since I turned seventeen. Not since I moved out and got on my own. Not since I started going out with the hottest guy that I've ever met. Yeah, I did feel out of place before that, but I think anyone with two eyes would have been able to figure that one out. And now I'm perfectly happy. I enjoy my life now, and nothing you try to do or say will change that fact."
I heard her squeak a little bit as I turned back around and headed for the door again. This time, when she called out for me to wait, I didn't. I just stormed out the door, and continued until I exited the building, knowing full well that it meant I would have to go through twice as much in the way of hell if I ever wanted to come back. It just wasn't worth it.