Ship in a Bottle

Boy Next door

(Edited)

Peace was sacred in the Chase Household since two little boys were constantly running around and causing destruction wherever they went. Their names were Bobby and Matthew, her younger step-brothers.

Guests come over frequently, and she didn't hesitate to remind them they're not biological siblings. Her real mother would've been disgusted with them as kids since her father condoned their stupidity.

Her name was Annabeth Chase, and she's survived a rowdy house all her life. She has a few half-siblings from my mother's side, but she wasn't allowed to visit them much. Helen doesn't like the mere sight of her mother or her stepdaughter, and she's basically in control of her husband's affairs.

At that moment, the wise teenager was situated in her lounging chair located beside the window in her bedroom. The sun was distant, seeming to drift downwards as the hours ticked away. It was a beautiful Sunday night, and her stepmother wasn't around to deprive her of the scenery.

Leaves crunched outside, a string of cold winds lightly whipping at her face. Autumn's effect on her mood was always cheery, erasing all the pain during the summer months.

Boisterous feet clomped up the staircase outside her bedroom, matching the steps of her stepmother's shoes. Having strict parents taught her how to detect her mood, which was always dejected.

Humming a cheery tune under her breath, she set her book on the side table and crept into bed. If Helen thought Annabeth was sleeping, maybe she'd let her off the hook.

"Oh, Annabeth," Her malicious voice hissed. "Open the door, sweetie. Your father and I want to speak to you."

She exhaled a yawn, rustling around in the comforter. "Hm? Is someone out there? I was just taking a nap."

"Sure, that's the excuse you used last week!" Helen scowled, twisting the doorknob to reveal her lazy ass in bed. "Get up and come to the kitchen before I make you."

Blankly, she asked, "What's going on?"

"The results from your latest Biology test came in on the school's website," Helen crossed her arms, hiding something in the palm of her hand. "If I recall correctly, I didn't receive my full pay last week because I promised I'd help you study. What score did you get, Annabeth?"

The score scurried around in Annabeth's head, but she didn't want to repeat it aloud. The numbers might as well have been tattooed into her skin.

"Annabeth?" Her voice was low and throaty as she revealed her father's work belt. "What score did you get?"

Annabeth sucked in a breath. "69."

"Repeat that."

"I said I got a 69." Her teacher had forced her to see her after class to ask why Annabeth's score had been so low. She was a scholar, an honor roll student; She started asking questions about her home life, and she knew she had to lie. "I failed, alright?"

The worst part of her abusive relationship with Helen was that she agreed that she needed to be punished. Through her eyes, Annabeth would never be good enough to call herself a Chase.

Her GPA had always been the top score, but she was starting to lose momentum as she got more and more discouraged from trying her best on assignments.

"Annabeth, come here," She growled, snapping the belt in her hands. Her eyes were colder than a freezer, darker than her soul.

Annabeth's lips parted slightly, as if on instinct.

"Come here," She declared, that time louder. Her words rang around Annabeth's head like a window's screensaver.