Red Stars

Chapter 1: Hello, It's Me.

Not a week goes by without me messing with Harold's PlayStation settings on purpose. I know it's mean, Dad has made that clear to me already. But the way my baby brother comes up into my room to inquire about it - annoyed yet looking forward to getting his favourite candy that I get for him once every week - makes it worth it.

I don't really know how or when this ritual between us started, but it was sacred before long. Dad says I got it from Mum. She used to create playful tricks to steal hugs and kisses from my Dad after he'd get back from work. One of the most memorable things about my mother, according to Dad.

As I grow up, I realise more and more how much I resemble with my Mum. The same almond-shaped eyes, jet-black in colour. Thick brows. The slim nose which I'm secretly proud of. Lips just like Winona Ryder. Jesus, I am a total copy of my mother! If only she were here, she would be gleaming with delight boasting about it to every relative.

I have always been the college girl with big dreams and love for her family, while my best friend - Anna Sinclair - is quite the opposite. Belonging to a filthy rich family, she is a typical family-hating brat although I'd take out the word 'brat'. She's generally a sweetheart, kind from the inside but tries to keep it tough on the exterior. Can't blame her, she's been through way too much.

With a father that's barely there and a mother who is her biggest critic, she has had a rough life and is the biggest advocate of how rich people treat their children worst of all. She wants to be a lawyer to protect the rights of children that suffer from a traumatic childhood. I admire her for that, I really do.

But often it makes me wonder, do rich people even realise the value of their luxuries? If we could've switched our places with her family ten years ago, just for one day, perhaps we could've saved my mother after all.

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