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!"

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.