She's still standing.

Just Be Better

*some bad language*
Ch. 20
I ran into the house and upstairs to put my pajamas on so my mom will think I'm sick. (Not like she'd care.)

At about 2:45 I heard:

"Shailey did you sit on the couch all day?" From my mom.

"I'm sick, what did you expect?" I said looking over the couch.

"Well, get your ass up! I need help bringing in groceries." She said.

"Mom, I'm sick. I'm not bringing in groceries." I said looking at the tv.

"Shailey Elizabeth Cooper, I am your mother and you will do what I say!!! Get your lazy, undereducated, mediocre ass of the couch!!! NOW!!!!" She yelled.

I got up off the damn couch and went outside to the car to get groceries.

"Here, you happy?! I got the fucking groceries." I said angrily and walked back over to the couch.

"Ugh. Why can't you be like Summer?!?" My mom said under her breath.

Summer walked into the house and said

"Saw some groceries left in the car, so I brought them in."

My mom said "see Shailey, Summer's a good child"
My mom stopped putting away the groceries and hugged and praised Summer.

I was furious. My mom never did that to me. She hated me. Maybe I'd like her more if she hugged me like she did to Summer.

I went upstairs and shut the door. I cried and cried and cried.
My phone rang I it was Noah, so I answered right away.

"Hey Shailey!" He said. "Your mom home yet?"

"I wish she wasn't." I said sniffling.

"I'm sorry Shay, what happened?" He said worried.

"Oh," I said. "Just the usual, my mom screamed and insulted me. Then compared me to Summer."

"I'm so sorry, Shailey." he said.

"Don't be, it's not your fault. Maybe I should try to be a better student, daughter, and sister. Then my mom will like me." I said. "God, I miss being a kid."

"You don't need to be better, your mom needs to be better and realize she's underestimating you. Yeah, sure you got a few bad grades, but everyone does. I bet Summer got bad grades too. And plus, your mom is just delusional, I think she's had a little too much to drink again." He said laughing, knowing I love jokes about my moms drinking. He knows that instead of worrying about her drinking problems I usually just laugh at them.

"Thanks, Noah. I needed that. You're the best!!" I said. "I'm gonna go."

"Alright, bye Shailey." He said.

"Bye." I said.

"See you tomorrow, maybe. Bye." He said.

'I'm so glad for people like Noah.' I thought. I put the phone down and laid in bed, before I knew it I was asleep, A DEEP SLEEP.