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Imogen Halstead (age 13)
Word count: 1825
Jays POV
Life isn't going in the direction it should be right now. In fact, it's not going in any direction at all. Imogen moved in with me three months ago, so as you can probably guess... things are rough. I'm trying my best to adjust to this new lifestyle; having always lived alone to now looking after a teenager, it's a huge change...
And Imogen's also trying her best to adjust to it all. She's still getting used to the fact that she has to go to the district with me after school most days, which she doesn't like that much. And she doesn't like how little time I have to spare, given that I work a very strenuous and unpredictable job. On top of all this, she's still grieving the loss of our dad. Me and Will have pretty much fully accepted his death already, but Imogen was the one who spent the most time with him before he passed, so she's devastated. Plus, who wants to be raised and bossed around by their older brother? Because I know I wouldn't, but I need her to know that she can't look at me any differently just because we're siblings. And she definitely doesn't like that...
Before I took Imogen into my home, me and Will spent a whole day looking through options we could chose. Between both of us moving in together and looking after her together, and us looking at raising her in a single household. The only thing we never took into consideration was adoption, or putting her into the system. It never even crossed our minds. She's our sister, we wouldn't give up on her, and we most definitely wouldn't give up on her when she needs a shoulder to lean on the most...
In consideration of all this... we have our reasons to struggle. I'm still young, and I was definitely not ready to become a father, especially not to my little sister. But there was no feasible way of Will looking after her, especially not when he works nights. So I was Imogen's only hope... I am Imogen's last hope.
I hear her walk through the front door of the apartment, "I'm back!" She calls out. Today she had extra tutoring for all the time she missed off school when our dad passed. She flops down onto the couch and I raise an eyebrow, "dishes please..." I call out from the kitchen, watching her from through the hatch in the kitchen wall. She groans, "just a minute!" She returns. I stop typing at my computer, "now, Imogen..." I warn. I hear her feet stomp into the kitchen, "I was gonna do it in a bit..." she huffs. I shake my head, "I'm going to work soon, so can you please just do them now?" I sigh.
"You're always at work..." she grumbles as she picks up a plate and loads it into the dish washer. I continue my paper work, "that's what happens when you're a grown up" i sigh, not looking up at her as she continues loading the dish washer. It's been like this for a while now, bitter. We argue frequently, but we usually get over it most days. It takes all my strength not to fight back with her when she gets cocky sometimes, because I'm her brother and all, but then I remember I'm supposed to be the adult, the responsible adult.
"Don't you ever get five minutes to yourself?" She shuts the dishwasher and presses the timer. I run a hand over my face, "my job doesn't work like that..." I stand up. She folds her arms, "I don't like being left in the break room from four til' nine every night" she stands her ground. Part of me understands, because I wouldn't either, but I'm trying my best here...
"Well unfortunately, that's just the way it is" I close my laptop and walk over to the counter to pack it away. She scoffs, "just let me stay home..." she throws her hands in the air. I shake my head, "you're too young, now go grab a jacket we're leaving" I wave her off. She shakes her head, "I don't like going to work with you!" She raises her voice slightly, "dad would've let me stay home..." she folds her arms again. I scoff a laugh, "yeah? Well I'm not dad. So like I just said, go grab a jacket. Now..." I point to the door. She shoot's me a small side glare, "I wish I still lived with dad!" She raises her voice again.
