Eating My Feelings Read Online Free

or that my father had married quite possibly the most evil person in the world and opted not to let any of his children in on it until the day of
my
elementary school graduation, the most important day of a young man’s life. Saying I was pissed was an understatement. For the first time in my life, I had lost my appetite. I had a plateful of chicken-fried rice sitting in front of me and I couldn’t eat. Stacey’s marriage to my father had made me anorexic. Well, at least for the rest of the evening.
    My father drove my little brother and me to my elementary school graduation, where my mother was waiting for us. Before accepting my diploma, I told my mother I had some serious gossip for her after the ceremony. As I walked onto the stage, I heard her yelling: “WHAT THE FUCK?” I realized that there was no need for hair braiding, cookies, and gossip afterward because she had already found out the news.
    Little did I know my elementary school graduation was not going to be the only important day ruined by my arch nemesis. She went out of her way to ruin everything for me, and myfather allowed her to do it. A few years into their marriage, the big question of “Who is going to die Jewish?” came into play. I believed that my father wanted to pressure Kevin and me into becoming Jewish to stick it to my mother one last time.
    When I was around twelve years old, Stacey broached the subject for the first time.
    “How would you like to have a Bar Mitzvah?” she asked.
    “How would you like to go fuck yourself?” I replied.
    “MARK!” my father yelled. “Watch your language and listen to what your stepmother is asking you.”
    “It would be fun,” Stacey said. “You can have a big party and get lots of gifts,” she continued, “and if you do a good job, you can take a trip anywhere you want to go. I hear Disney World is lovely this time of year.”
    “Seriously?” I asked. I knew what they were doing. At this point, they both should have known where my loyalties lay. I was on Team Trish and nothing was going to sway my vote. I knew if I had a Bar Mitzvah, it would crush my mother, and that was exactly why my stepmother had proposed this idea in the first place.
    “You’re both retarded,” I replied. “I know your game, woman,” I said to Stacey, “and I ain’t playin’ it!” The only reason I even spoke to my father or stepmother was because I was court ordered to. I literally
had
to see them every other weekend and once a week. That period in my father’s life was miserable for everyone involved. I hated Stacey, if not for conversations like this one, then for the fact that she was a straight-up cunt.
    I could see panic in my father’s eyes. He wanted so badly for his younger boys to be Jewish to impress his new wife and knew his window of opportunity was closing. I was already thirteen, was a borderline racist, and had a mouth like a sailor that couldpreclude me from ever setting foot in any temple. Watching
One Life to Live
every day allowed me to spot a crook from a mile away. I knew Stacey’s trickery and certainly wasn’t dumb enough to fall for it. So my father focused on my little brother, Kevin. He was always an easier target because he was younger and did not watch as much television as I did.
    Shortly after our conversation, Kevin came back to my mother with exciting news: “I am going to have a Bar Mitzvah!”
    I think my mother may have done a spit-take in response to this, but regained her composure with, “Okay, Kevin, whatever you want to do.”
    I sat there wishing I had been able to shield my little brother from my evil stepmother’s clutches, but knew it was too late.
    “Stacey said that I could have a big party and take a trip wherever I wanted to go. It’s going to be so much fun,” Kevin replied. Little did he know about the three years of rigorous work he was going to have to put in before having this big party and taking this wonderful trip. Kids are so stupid. Shortly