Imagine if you had two sides of yourself battling to the death for total control of you.

That pretty much sums up my life at the moment.  

I had shuffled downstairs on the early morning of November 27th.  Snow glimmered in the sunlight as if it was doused with sparkles.  I had not gotten a good sleep due to a droning arguing noise coming from downstairs.  It was obvious it was my parents- who else could it be?  They do have a good relationship, there's not going to be a divorce or anything, but since they're both lawyers I sometimes think they like the debate.  Anyways, poured some cereal into my bowl and began to eat.  "Sleep well?" my mother inquired.

"No," I replied, "all I heard was you and Dad talking."

Mom's eyes went wide as she exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Paige!  I didn't realize we were that loud."

"It's okay," I answered, before asking, "What were you talking about?"

At that point Dad had come downstairs to catch the tail-end of our conversation.  As he prepared his coffee his brown eyes darted warily at Mom and she raised her chin, eyes focused on the floor.  The kitchen became eerily silent.  I had a feeling in my gut that they were hiding something from me.  Something important.  "So, what were you talking about?" I repeated.

Dad looked at Mom gravely, but she just said, "Paige is going to find out sometime, Andrew."

"Find out what?" I asked.  This was just getting weird!  There was definitely something going on that I did not know about.  Something big.  "Guys, you're freaking me out!" I said, "Let's just cut to the chase- what was the terrible thing that happened?"

Mom took a deep breath and finally said, "You know how we have Nana and Papa over as well as Grandma and Grandpa for the holidays?"

"Yeah," I responded, raising an eyebrow.  I honestly was not even thinking about them.  I guess I should explain.  Nana and Papa are Mom's parents and they are Jewish, and Grandma and Grandpa are Dad's parents and they are Christian.  And for some reason they missed the whole, 'don't-hate-someone-because-of-their-religion' talk, because they absolutely loathe each other.  They met a couple of times before Mom and Dad got married, and it ended with huge blow-out fights and my parents leaving restaurants apologizing to the frightened waiter or waitress who had to serve them.  And, they practically ruined my Mom and Dad's wedding day!  I mean, who does that to their child?  On the best day of their life?  For the holidays, we usually have on set of grandparents over separately, to avoid fighting.  But, it's still a pretty awkward experience for me.  They are always pressuring me into choosing a religion, and I'm not ready for that.  I don't want to offend or hurt one set of grandparents by doing that!

"What does this talk have to do with my grandparents?" I asked.

Dad tapped his coffee mug with one finger and said almost tiredly, "There was a mix-up with dates, and it turns out that they are both going to be spending the week this holiday."

I gasped and blurted, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Unfortunately not, Paige." Mom chimed in, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault.  I booked Nana and Papa's trip here three months in advance, and just forgot about it and booked Grandma and Grandpa's trip on the same dates."

"Mom!" I exclaimed, "How could you do something like that?"

"Don't speak to your mother like that." Dad scolded, still sounding exasperated and tired, "We're just going to have to make the best of it."

It may sound like I'm making a mountain out of a mole-hill, but things are seriously tough when the grandparents are around- even separately.  I honestly feel like a volcano waiting to burst whenever they are around- they care so much about what religion I choose to follow.  Does it even matter?

"Paige, are you okay?" Mom asked me, giving me a look of sympathy.

And that's when I snapped, "No, I'm not okay!  They put me through so much anxiety when they come, and that's with just one set of grandparents.  Imagine two- it'd be a total nightmare!"  When I finished and the house fell eerily silent again.  I heard the sound of the school bus pass our street.  "I'm going to school." I told them, grabbing my backpack and heading towards the front door.  "See you two later."

I stepped outside, feeling the crisp morning air against my face.  Of course I forgot my coat, but I did not  want to go back inside and get it.  Even before they were coming I could already feel my grandparents' wrath.  Pulling two sides of me, tearing me apart.

Battling to the death for total control of me.