Dear Cousin, Take My Parents

After Uncle Frank and Aunt Gina died, my older cousin, Izzy Kramer, moved in with my family. To make up for the fact that she has lost her parents, everything she has is hers and hers alone. I'm not allowed to even think about touching them. Summer comes along, and my parents get Izzy a brand new bathtub. I happen to glance at it for just a second longer, and Izzy immediately breaks into tears. "If you want all of these things, Melanie, go ahead and take them! I just want my parents back!" Mom and Dad are furious, and Mom storms over to slap me. "Why are you acting like such a spoiled child? What, have you never seen a bathtub before? Why do you keep staring at Izzy's bathtub, huh?" My cheek stings. Ever since then, I've grown too scared to even look at any of Izzy's things. One day, Izzy invites me to have a soak in her bathtub. Thrilled, I carefully step into the water, but it's not as warm as I expected. In fact, the icy water instinctively gives me the urge to draw backward, but Izzy gives me a hard shove from behind. She swiftly locks the bathroom door shut after. "Since you like eyeing other people's things so much, you jealous brat, I'll make sure you have a nice long soak in the tub this time!" Having lost my footing when she shoved me, I bash my head against the side of the bathtub. I feel something warm trickling down my forehead, but that sensation is quickly replaced by the icy water that surrounds me. I don't know how much time passed, but eventually, I find myself hovering in the air. I hear Izzy's voice coming from the other side of the door. She complains to my parents, "Uncle James! Aunt Louise! Melanie snuck into the bathroom to use my bathtub!" Chapter 1 Mom and Dad had just gotten off work. They were still standing in the doorway, looking rather tired. Mom looked furious once she heard what my cousin, Izzy Kramer, said to her. She didn't even bother changing into her house slippers before barreling through the living room. She stormed right up to the bathroom and screamed, "Melanie Spencer! Can't you behave yourself for once? Why must you keep fighting with Izzy over everything? You're being such a spoiled brat!" Mom pounded on the bathroom door until it shook. I stood beside her, shaking my head like a rattle. "I didn't do it, Mom. Izzy invited me to use the bathtub." But she didn't hear me. Izzy's eyes were red-rimmed as she said, "It's fine, Aunt Louise. Mellie is still young. It's only right to let her have everything." She dabbed at her tears and sniffled a couple of times. "It's all my fault anyway. I'm just an outsider in this family. If it hadn't been for me, all of these things would've been hers." Frowning, Dad walked up to Izzy and said, "What are you talking about? Who called you an outsider?" Izzy abruptly widened her eyes and covered her mouth, looking like she'd said the wrong thing. "Uncle James, Aunt Louise, it definitely wasn't Melanie. Please don't blame her." Mom and Dad exchanged a look, their fury intensifying. "Melanie Spencer, get out here right this instant! Stop hiding in there, pretending like you can't hear us! How can you be so rude? How dare you call your cousin an outsider! You know what? You're the outsider in this family! You have no right to talk to your cousin like that!" All that they received in response was dead silence. My body was lying in that bathtub, the one I'd dreamed of soaking in just once. My eyes were wide open. Beneath me was a pool of bloody water. Mom and Dad tried their best to open the locked door. "How dare you lock yourself in! Just you wait!" They ran off to fetch the bathroom key. The moment they came back, however, Izzy suddenly shrieked, "Uncle James, Aunt Louise, don't be mad at Melanie anymore. Everyone in this family is a Spencer. I'm the only one who's a Kramer. Who else would I be, if not an outsider?" Mom and Dad were startled by her sudden screaming. The key slipped from Dad's hand and clattered into the nearby trash can. Chapter 2 Mom was alarmed by Izzy's outburst, but her heart ached as well. She pulled Izzy into a hug and said, "It's my fault, Izzy. I didn't consider your feelings. Don't worry. We'll get your name changed tomorrow!" Dad chimed in, "You'll always come first to me, Izzy!" Mom's eyes flashed with disdain as she glanced at the bathroom door. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "I never expected a girl your age to be this cruel, Melanie. Izzy has had such a hard time fitting into our family, and yet you say such harsh things to her! How did I end up with a child like you?" Dad also snorted before raising his voice to say, "Since she likes taking baths so much, let her stay in there for as long as she wants. Come, Izzy. We'll take you out for some fried chicken." Mom and Dad instinctively looked at the bathroom, as if waiting for a response. Normally, whenever they talked about having fried chicken, I would eagerly plead for them to take me with them. But now, I couldn't eat anymore. Izzy tearfully tugged on Dad's hand and said, "I'm hungry, Uncle James. Let's go and have fried chicken now. Izzy secretly ate a huge piece of the strawberry cake anyway. I'm sure she's not hungry now." "What did you say?" Mom's voice shot up sharply. "Didn't your teacher give you that strawberry cake as a reward? Melanie stole your food again?" Izzy nodded at first before hastily shaking her head. She bit her lip and pretended to be very gracious with me. "Don't be upset with Mellie, Aunt Louise. I told her she could have the cake." I shook my head. Had Mom and Dad forgotten that I was allergic to strawberries? The apartment door slammed shut, and all was silent again. I smiled ruefully. It was probably better for everyone if Izzy were the only child in the family, might? … It was midnight when Mom and Dad came home with Izzy, who looked like she was still thinking about the meal they had. I saw the bit of strawberry-flavored cotton candy still stuck to the corner of her lips. It'd been so long since I last had cotton candy. Ever since Izzy moved in with us, everything went to her first. At first, I made a fuss about it, crying and arguing with them. At the time, Mom would still hold me in her arms and rest her chin on my forehead while explaining softly to me, "Izzy's parents have left her to join the stars in the sky. Since they're no longer with her, we're the only family she has left. That's why we need to give her what she wants, okay?" I nodded obediently. After that, Mom and Dad deliberately bought everything in doubles, but Izzy always cried when she saw that. "Uncle James, Aunt Louise, I'm sorry you have to spend so much money because of me. If not for me, you could've saved half your money." Mom and Dad tried to gently tell her not to feel that way, but she refused to listen. "I just know that you guys don't consider me part of the family at all. If you did, why would you have to get two of everything instead of just one? Does Mellie despise me? Is she unwilling to share her things with me?" When I heard that, I dropped my half-eaten popsicle onto the floor and quickly cried out, "I'm willing to share everything with you, Izzy!" From then on, Mom and Dad only bought one of everything—and to keep Izzy happy, I could only watch longingly while she enjoyed all of it. But whenever Mom and Dad came home, Izzy would run up to them, fishing for praise. "Uncle James! Aunt Louise! I only had a small mouthful of the juice you got. I left the rest for Mellie to have. I'm such a good girl, aren't I?" Mom and Dad would gently stroke her hair and buy her a large bottle of juice. As for me, I could only smack my lips in secret, savoring the one tiny sip of juice I got to have. I didn't even get to clarify that what Izzy said wasn't true. Chapter 3 Mom and Dad shot a dissatisfied glance at the still-locked bathroom door. They slammed the apple pie they'd brought back onto the shoe cabinet. Dad snapped at the door, "To think that Izzy was kind enough to want to bring you some apple pie. Meanwhile, look at you! You're still trying to hog her bathtub, refusing to come out." Izzy looked up at Dad and said sweetly, "Just let Mellie soak for a little longer, Uncle James. The bathtub can keep the water warm for 24 hours anyway. It also has a massage feature. Even if she stays in there overnight, it's not a big deal." Dad gently tapped her nose. "You keep putting up with her spoiled ways." He and Mom went back to their bedroom. I soon heard them snoring in there. Izzy crept out of her bedroom. She took the apple pie from the shoe cabinet and came over to the bathroom door. Unlike the sweet tone she had when she spoke to Mom and Dad, she sounded a lot sharper and haughtier now. "Melanie, don't think anyone will pity you just because you stayed quiet. This is just a little warning for you. If you dare set your sights on my things again, you won't be getting away with something as simple as being locked in the bathroom next time." She raised the apple pie and continued, "Go on, then. Beg me, and I'll let you out." The bathroom remained completely quiet, which seemed to have angered Izzy. She threw down the apple pie and stomped on it until it became a pile of mush. The sweet, buttery smell wafted in the air. Floating in the air, I watched as Izzy walked away. I would never be setting my sights on her things again. She could even have my parents to herself now. Surely she'd be happy now, right? … The next morning, Mom and Dad came out of the bedroom, yawning. They noticed that the bathroom door was still firmly shut. Mom began to look worried and knocked on the door. "Mellie, haven't you been soaking in the bathtub long enough now?" Frowning, Dad searched for the key to open the door. Izzy ran over and tugged on Mom's sleeve. "I'm sorry, Aunt Louise. It's all because of me. Mellie wouldn't be throwing a tantrum if I hadn't moved in with you guys. Last night, after you went to sleep, I saw Mellie come out of the bathroom. She stomped on the apple pie and left it by the door, saying she wouldn't eat anything I brought back. "Uncle James, Aunt Louise, am I really that hateful?" Izzy plopped down beside the mashed apple pie and started crying loudly. Hearing that, Dad pounded on the bathroom door with all his strength. The loud bang made me shudder. "Melanie Spencer! You've gone too far. How can you be so mean and cruel?" Izzy tearfully hugged Dad, saying, "Don't be mad at Mellie, Uncle James. It's my fault. I'm just an outsider who's trying to force my way into your family. It's all my fault for trying too hard to be loved as well." Her words reminded Mom and Dad of what they'd said yesterday, and Mom immediately pulled Izzy into a hug. "Come, Izzy. Let's get your name changed today." The three of them got dressed and left the apartment with Dad and Mom each holding one of Izzy's hands. It looked as if she were their daughter instead. Out of Mom and Dad's sight, Izzy shot a smug, taunting smile toward the bathroom. It was much later in the afternoon when they finally came back. Izzy rushed to the bathroom door, proudly holding two newly updated birth certificates. "From this day onward, my name is Izzy Spencer, you're now Melanie Kramer!" I couldn't believe it. I rushed over to Izzy and stared at the birth certificates. She was telling the truth. She'd taken the Spencer last name, which matched Mom's and Dad's, while I had the last name of Kramer—the only one in the family with that name. CHapter 4 It felt like a million needles were stabbing me in the heart. Bloody tears streamed down my face. Mom rubbed her forehead and glanced at the closed bathroom door. "Mellie, when will you ever be as sensible as Izzy?" Dad was extremely displeased as well. "It's all your fault for spoiling her rotten, Louise. Instead of learning how to behave herself, a little girl like her spends all her time trying to compete with Izzy for attention." He shouted at the bathroom, "I'm giving you one last chance, Melanie. Come out now, and we'll change your name back. If you don't come out, then you'll be Melanie Kramer for the rest of your life!" At that moment, a loud clang rang out in the bathroom. The showerhead had fallen. But to Mom and Dad, it was me deliberately defying them. Dad slammed his hand on the table and pointed at the bathroom, ranting to Mom, "Look at her! She stayed inside the bathroom all day long just to hog the bathtub, and now she's throwing a tantrum just because of a few words I said! "Don't anyone try to stop me today. I'm going to teach her a proper lesson!" Izzy's eyes flashed with smug delight. She quickly handed Dad the key that had dropped into the trash can yesterday. The door unlocked with a click. Dad was just about to enter the bathroom when the doorbell rang, so he withdrew his hand. Two smiling women were at the door. The older woman introduced herself first. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Yvonne Graham, and this is my colleague, Christine Porter. We're social workers from Child Protective Services, and we've come to check on Izzy's living situation." Mom and Dad quickly escorted them into the apartment. Mom brought over some water for them, while Izzy stood obediently beside her. The women examined Izzy from head to toe, looking very pleased with what they saw. "I can tell you two have taken very good care of Izzy," Ms. Graham said. "This is just a routine visit, so don't worry about it. Izzy, I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?" Izzy nodded cooperatively. "How has it been for you, living with the Spencers? Has anyone been mean to you?" Izzy shook her head. "Uncle James and Aunt Louise take very good care of me. No one is mean to me." After asking a few more questions, Ms. Graham turned to Mom and Dad with an approving look. "We've visited many families in similar situations. You two are one of the few who truly treat the child as their own." Ms. Graham made a few notes in her notebook, giving Mom and Dad a glowing review. "Thank you for your time," she said before she and Ms. Porter stood up to leave. All of a sudden, Izzy choked out a sob and said, "Ms. Graham, can you please talk to my younger cousin, Melanie, for me? She always treats me like I'm her enemy. I just want us to get along peacefully." Ms. Graham frowned at Mom and Dad. Mom's smile stiffened, and she quickly explained, "Children always compete for attention. It's just normal—" Ms. Graham cut her off, saying, "Children's behavior must never be brushed off or taken lightly. What seems like a minor issue could easily end up ruining both children's lives." She crouched down beside Izzy and said softly, "Where's your cousin, Izzy? Take me to her, okay?" Sniffling, Izzy led Ms. Graham to the bathroom door. "Mellie has stayed inside the bathroom an entire day just to hog the bathtub." However, the moment Ms. Graham heard that, her expression froze. She flung the door open, and her notebook clattered onto the floor as she cried out in shock.