Finders Keepers

3. I'm Hating This

     After Marianne got home, she collapsed in her bean bag chair. Who knew a bus trip could be so exhausting? From rowdy boys to annoying bus drivers, it was enough to give anyone a headache. She slipped off her shoes and threw her jacket on her bed.

     Looking around her room, she noticed a little pink envelope on her dresser next to her blue lamp. She hated pink, so whoever sent it must not be that close to her. In fact, the envelope was the only pink thing to be found in her room. She had oak dressers painted brown and her nightstand was white. Her comforter was different shades of blue, and her pillows were white with blue stripes. Basically, she had a brown, blue, and white room. And to be honest, she couldn't have asked for anything better. She'd never been into pink or purple, or anything girly for that matter. She'd always considered herself normal, but that wasn't really other people's impressions. She could remember the day her dad had bought her a barbie dollhouse. She hadn't liked it, and she made sure he knew that. And now he was gone...

    Finally, she was brought out of her daze by her phone buzzing. She answered without looking at the caller ID, and she immediately regret it. 

      "Um, yes?" She said. The caller was silent for about 20 full seconds. Marianne contemplated hanging up, but it would just be more stuff for her to deal with later on. 

        "Next time answer the moment I call." The stern voice said.

        "Well hello to you too."

        "Don't get sassy with me girl. Just for that, the living room better be completely clean when I get home."

        Marianne hung up after giving a surly assurance. If you thought Cinderella had it bad, what Marianne was going through would be considered pure hell. The biggest difference in the two bad parents was simple; Marianne had to deal with a step-dad. Apparently, they were the worst kind.

        She trudged out of her room and walked into the living room to see what she'd be dealing with. As soon as she saw it, she wanted to puke. There were empty beer cans everywhere, plus empty pizza boxes, popcorn bags, and countless candy wrappers. Not to mention the huge stain on the carpet she knew hadn't been there when she left that morning.

     Instead of going down on her hands and knees to scrub, Marianne grabbed her purse out of her room and walked out the front door. She knew her step dad didn't normally get home till 7, so she glanced at her phone, which read 4:23. All she had to do was wait till 8, when her mom got home. Her stepfather made it a point not to mess with Marianne when her mom was around.

     Marianne decided to send a text to Tanya:

     Guy trble. Meet me @ Smoothie shop on 5th.

     Tanya quickly responded:

     B there in 5. U hav to tll me all bout it.