Yes, Virginia
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 8:25 am
[Georgia Lee Day continued from Is This It]
"Hey, Georgie, pass the lamb?" Virginia clicked at her, gesturing towards the dish of roast lamb in the centre of the table.
It was wholly unnecessary to point at it, as it was the only lamb dish on the table. It was also unnecessary to ask Georgia Lee to pass it, as Virginia herself was sitting just as close to it.
It wasn't even a large table, it wasn't like there was any point on it that any of them couldn't reach. Georgia Lee could have reached out and put the lamb onto Virginia's plate, had she wanted. Or, she thought, she could put her fingers on the rim of it, and tip the plate's contents onto her sister's lap. The longer this interminable meal went on, the greater the likelihood of that happening became.
No, Virginia didn't need Georgia Lee's help at all to reach the lamb. Georgia Lee knew her sister like a Hawaiian knew volcanoes, or a fox knew hounds. Virginia was asking for one reason and one reason only, and that was to push Georgia Lee's buttons.
For the most part the sisters saw little of each other. Virginia was due to move out in the new year, and already spent much of her time at what she swore was a boyfriend's house. Georgia Lee had never in her life known her sister to have a boyfriend, and envisioned instead a constant rotation of houses, and that was if her sister was doing well for herself. Hotels was more likely, or seedy motels even, from what Georgia Lee knew of the thing, which admittedly was precious little.
Georgia Lee, for her own part, was rarely home. She maintained a punishing schedule, and what little time she was home she tended to keep to herself. She studied in her room, alone, and took her meals in there too. This was a room that Virginia shared too, of course, but for the most part the older girl was content to stay out of it. Whatever joy Virginia had gained in her youth from tormenting Georgia Lee seemed to have disappeared, and instead the girls now simply avoided each other.
There were certain occasions when interaction simply couldn't be avoided however, and this was one of them. The occasion was Georgia Lee's 17th Birthday, and Day family tradition dictated that the family take a meal together.
Their other sisters lived out of town and were able to formulate convincing excuses well in advance, but Virginia lived, at least nominally, in the same house. Unable to avoid her sister however, Virginia seemed to have decided to make the best of the situation by being as horrible as possible, and so at every possible opportunity called her "Georgia", "Georgie" or worst of all, simply "George".
Robert and Maria Day, meanwhile, had decided to be utterly oblivious to this behaviour. They were entering their 18th year of doing this, and had gotten extremely good at it. The glares Georgia Lee shot at her sister and the poisonous saccharine smiles those glares were answered with received only beatific smiles from the girls' parents.
Georgia Lee remained steadfastly uncaring. She had no need for her parents help, nor had she a desire for it. She could handle her sister herself.
Virginia Day was objectively beautiful. Her face was warm and lovely, and her bright blue eyes were striking. All the Day women had bright blue eyes, with the exception of Georgia Lee. Hers, Virginia had informed her as they grew up together, were the colour of the Swamp Thing, of rotten meat, of dog vomit. Georgia Lee had covered her hateful green eyes with her hands and cried and cried and cried. Where Georgia Lee's hair was a dull auburn, Virginia's was a tumbling wave of fire, and where Georgia Lee's body was a constant battlefield, Virginia was effortlessly slender.
Georgia Lee regarded her sister's slim arm as she passed her the lamb. Virginia's nails were long, and looked expensive. The skin on her hands looked soft. Virginia wore a loose white tank top, and Georgia Lee noted that her sister's biceps were the size of Georgia Lee's wrists. She could fit her whole hand around that bicep, there was no doubt in Georgia Lee's mind. She could fit another hand around the girl's forearm, and she could snap that slim, lovely arm in two, as easy as splitting kindling.
It was hard to imagine now, as Georgia Lee looked at the girl who sat opposite her, just how terrifying she'd been, in their youth. She'd cried herself to sleep too many times to count over things that Virginia had said or done, and woken up morning after morning dreading what new torments her sister would inflict that day. Georgia Lee hadn't been a fearful child, either. She'd never been afraid of the monster in the closet, or under her bed. They'd had bunkbeds in those days, and the monster that scared her most had been the one in the bed above hers.
She'd been scared of Virginia, but Georgia Lee didn't think she'd hated her at that age; if anything she'd loved her sister, and she'd looked up to her in awe. The esteem that she'd held Virginia in had only made her sisters taunts more painful. Georgia Lee didn't think she'd understood her sister, not really. She hadn't been able to comprehend how someone who seemed so perfect could be so willfully cruel, and Georgia Lee had instead convinced herself that her sister only acted for her benefit, and that every taunt and criticism was just her sister's way of trying to make her a better person. She'd told herself that all the hurt that her sister caused her was her own fault, that she'd brought it on herself somehow.
It had never been physical, that was the worst thing. Had Virginia punched her or scratched her or pushed her down, Georgia Lee would have seen the bullying for what it was,s he was sure of it. Instead it was just words, and not just from Virginia either, though she was by far the worst one. There was nothing that Georgia Lee could do that wouldn't be criticized, nothing that she could say that wouldn't be twisted and turned against her, and whenever any of her sisters achieved anything, no matter how minor, there was no way that achievement wouldn't be rubbed in Georgia Lee's face.
Back then, Virginia had seemed untouchable. She'd been perfect and pretty and popular, but now Georgia Lee saw her for what she was. Everyone else just saw a perfect face, but Georgia Lee saw that face before makeup had been put on it, and it was far from flawless. Virginia's makeup routine was legendary, and could last hours - how she was allowed to get away with this in a house with only a single bathroom, Georgia Lee had no idea.
She'd been teased about being the baby of the family, about being coddled and spoilt, but Georgia Lee and the other girls had all known that Virginia was their parents favourite.
Virginia finished transferring lamb from the dish to her plate, and held it out for Georgia Lee to take back. Georgia Lee pretended not to see. On the TV in the corner the Cardinals played, and the girls' parents were watching the game rapt, forking spinach and rocket into their mouths robotically.
"Georgie, I'm done"
Virginia's voice was singsong, like a little girl's. Georgia Lee found it revolting. What self respecting adult would choose to talk like that? Then again, it would shock her if Virginia was a self respecting adult. Georgia Lee knew that, had she been in her sister's position, she certainly wouldn't have been able to respect herself. The girl was in her 20s and she cut hair for a living, it was pathetic.
"Oh I know you're done, Virginia." Georgia Lee's voice was equally sweet. "The walls are pretty thin, so I get to hear you being done four, five times a week."
Georgia Lee gave her older sister a smile, and made no move to take the lamb. Virginia made a sneering gesture, curling her top lip upwards and to the right. It was marvellous, Georgia Lee thought, just how ugly the expression rendered that pretty face.
"Hey, Georgie, pass the lamb?" Virginia clicked at her, gesturing towards the dish of roast lamb in the centre of the table.
It was wholly unnecessary to point at it, as it was the only lamb dish on the table. It was also unnecessary to ask Georgia Lee to pass it, as Virginia herself was sitting just as close to it.
It wasn't even a large table, it wasn't like there was any point on it that any of them couldn't reach. Georgia Lee could have reached out and put the lamb onto Virginia's plate, had she wanted. Or, she thought, she could put her fingers on the rim of it, and tip the plate's contents onto her sister's lap. The longer this interminable meal went on, the greater the likelihood of that happening became.
No, Virginia didn't need Georgia Lee's help at all to reach the lamb. Georgia Lee knew her sister like a Hawaiian knew volcanoes, or a fox knew hounds. Virginia was asking for one reason and one reason only, and that was to push Georgia Lee's buttons.
For the most part the sisters saw little of each other. Virginia was due to move out in the new year, and already spent much of her time at what she swore was a boyfriend's house. Georgia Lee had never in her life known her sister to have a boyfriend, and envisioned instead a constant rotation of houses, and that was if her sister was doing well for herself. Hotels was more likely, or seedy motels even, from what Georgia Lee knew of the thing, which admittedly was precious little.
Georgia Lee, for her own part, was rarely home. She maintained a punishing schedule, and what little time she was home she tended to keep to herself. She studied in her room, alone, and took her meals in there too. This was a room that Virginia shared too, of course, but for the most part the older girl was content to stay out of it. Whatever joy Virginia had gained in her youth from tormenting Georgia Lee seemed to have disappeared, and instead the girls now simply avoided each other.
There were certain occasions when interaction simply couldn't be avoided however, and this was one of them. The occasion was Georgia Lee's 17th Birthday, and Day family tradition dictated that the family take a meal together.
Their other sisters lived out of town and were able to formulate convincing excuses well in advance, but Virginia lived, at least nominally, in the same house. Unable to avoid her sister however, Virginia seemed to have decided to make the best of the situation by being as horrible as possible, and so at every possible opportunity called her "Georgia", "Georgie" or worst of all, simply "George".
Robert and Maria Day, meanwhile, had decided to be utterly oblivious to this behaviour. They were entering their 18th year of doing this, and had gotten extremely good at it. The glares Georgia Lee shot at her sister and the poisonous saccharine smiles those glares were answered with received only beatific smiles from the girls' parents.
Georgia Lee remained steadfastly uncaring. She had no need for her parents help, nor had she a desire for it. She could handle her sister herself.
Virginia Day was objectively beautiful. Her face was warm and lovely, and her bright blue eyes were striking. All the Day women had bright blue eyes, with the exception of Georgia Lee. Hers, Virginia had informed her as they grew up together, were the colour of the Swamp Thing, of rotten meat, of dog vomit. Georgia Lee had covered her hateful green eyes with her hands and cried and cried and cried. Where Georgia Lee's hair was a dull auburn, Virginia's was a tumbling wave of fire, and where Georgia Lee's body was a constant battlefield, Virginia was effortlessly slender.
Georgia Lee regarded her sister's slim arm as she passed her the lamb. Virginia's nails were long, and looked expensive. The skin on her hands looked soft. Virginia wore a loose white tank top, and Georgia Lee noted that her sister's biceps were the size of Georgia Lee's wrists. She could fit her whole hand around that bicep, there was no doubt in Georgia Lee's mind. She could fit another hand around the girl's forearm, and she could snap that slim, lovely arm in two, as easy as splitting kindling.
It was hard to imagine now, as Georgia Lee looked at the girl who sat opposite her, just how terrifying she'd been, in their youth. She'd cried herself to sleep too many times to count over things that Virginia had said or done, and woken up morning after morning dreading what new torments her sister would inflict that day. Georgia Lee hadn't been a fearful child, either. She'd never been afraid of the monster in the closet, or under her bed. They'd had bunkbeds in those days, and the monster that scared her most had been the one in the bed above hers.
She'd been scared of Virginia, but Georgia Lee didn't think she'd hated her at that age; if anything she'd loved her sister, and she'd looked up to her in awe. The esteem that she'd held Virginia in had only made her sisters taunts more painful. Georgia Lee didn't think she'd understood her sister, not really. She hadn't been able to comprehend how someone who seemed so perfect could be so willfully cruel, and Georgia Lee had instead convinced herself that her sister only acted for her benefit, and that every taunt and criticism was just her sister's way of trying to make her a better person. She'd told herself that all the hurt that her sister caused her was her own fault, that she'd brought it on herself somehow.
It had never been physical, that was the worst thing. Had Virginia punched her or scratched her or pushed her down, Georgia Lee would have seen the bullying for what it was,s he was sure of it. Instead it was just words, and not just from Virginia either, though she was by far the worst one. There was nothing that Georgia Lee could do that wouldn't be criticized, nothing that she could say that wouldn't be twisted and turned against her, and whenever any of her sisters achieved anything, no matter how minor, there was no way that achievement wouldn't be rubbed in Georgia Lee's face.
Back then, Virginia had seemed untouchable. She'd been perfect and pretty and popular, but now Georgia Lee saw her for what she was. Everyone else just saw a perfect face, but Georgia Lee saw that face before makeup had been put on it, and it was far from flawless. Virginia's makeup routine was legendary, and could last hours - how she was allowed to get away with this in a house with only a single bathroom, Georgia Lee had no idea.
She'd been teased about being the baby of the family, about being coddled and spoilt, but Georgia Lee and the other girls had all known that Virginia was their parents favourite.
Virginia finished transferring lamb from the dish to her plate, and held it out for Georgia Lee to take back. Georgia Lee pretended not to see. On the TV in the corner the Cardinals played, and the girls' parents were watching the game rapt, forking spinach and rocket into their mouths robotically.
"Georgie, I'm done"
Virginia's voice was singsong, like a little girl's. Georgia Lee found it revolting. What self respecting adult would choose to talk like that? Then again, it would shock her if Virginia was a self respecting adult. Georgia Lee knew that, had she been in her sister's position, she certainly wouldn't have been able to respect herself. The girl was in her 20s and she cut hair for a living, it was pathetic.
"Oh I know you're done, Virginia." Georgia Lee's voice was equally sweet. "The walls are pretty thin, so I get to hear you being done four, five times a week."
Georgia Lee gave her older sister a smile, and made no move to take the lamb. Virginia made a sneering gesture, curling her top lip upwards and to the right. It was marvellous, Georgia Lee thought, just how ugly the expression rendered that pretty face.