Teenage Dirtbags

001

**06:12**

"Sadie!" The loud yell from downstairs shattered the early morning stillness. I groaned, clinging to the last threads of sleep. The bed was warm, the pillows perfectly positioned, and I knew the day ahead would only pull me into chaos. But I had no choice.

"Yes, ma'am," I called back, my voice thick with sleep. It was my mother, as always.

Another year of school, sophomore year. Freshman year had been a disaster, and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat. The only thing pulling me out of bed was the thought of seeing my best friends, Iris and Jess. We'd been inseparable since we were kids, sharing everything from snacks to secrets. School without them would be unbearable.

They’d both been away all summer—Haley exploring Tokyo with her dad’s family, and Jessia had vanished to Memphis to live with her mom. Meanwhile, I stayed back here, perpetually overshadowed by the ghost of my dead sister. She died four years ago in a car crash due to her reckless driving.

Sadé had been perfect—at least in my mother’s eyes. Violinist, singer, writer, math and science whiz, model, pianist, you name it. It seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do. And even in death, she overshadowed me. My mother couldn’t accept she was gone and constantly tried to see her live through me.

I’d been practicing all those things for years now, but nothing I did was ever good enough. I used to look up to Sadé, but now all I felt was a hollow echo of admiration mixed with resentment. All I had of her was a wishlist my mom gave me and a massive portrait of her hanging on my bedroom wall, watching me fail at everything she had excelled at.

With a sigh, I got dressed and went downstairs, where I found my mother muttering to herself, her back turned as she flipped pancakes.

"Morning, ma'am," I greeted, sliding onto the kitchen stool.

"Sadie, what did I say about time? You were supposed to be up by six on the dot. Sadé would’ve been up even before then. I don’t understand why you can’t just follow simple instructions."

"Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am. It won’t happen again," I apologized quickly, the words automatic. Each comparison to Sadé stung, but I bit my tongue, knowing better than to voice my hurt.

"It better not," she replied, sliding a plate of pancakes in front of me. "Sadé’s wishlist won’t complete itself."

The list, filled with dreams I had no interest in:
- Finish high school at the top of my class
- Apply to Harvard Medical School
- Gain a full scholarship
- Graduate with honors
- Attend art school part-time
- Become the first doctor in the family

None of it was what I wanted. I didn’t want to be a doctor, but knowing what I wanted felt just as elusive.

"Don’t eat too many pancakes. Modeling requires you to stay in shape. And today, make sure you sign up for the swim team and chess club. I've already arranged violin and voice lessons outside of school."

"When am I supposed to get any time for myself? Like, when can I get a break?" I dared to ask.

"There won’t be any breaks if you want to achieve greatness. Sacrifices must be made."

"But I won’t have time to see Iris and Jessia," I protested weakly.

"Those girls are nothing but bad news."

"I hate this," I mumbled under my breath.

"Excuse me? I didn’t hear you."

"I said, I need to get to school," I snapped, grabbing my bag and heading out.

Driving to school in the new car my mom had bought, I couldn't help but feel trapped. My summer had been a whirlwind of tutors and expectations, leaving little room for anything else. Sometimes it felt like my mom didn’t see me as her daughter, but as a replacement for Sadé.

As I pulled up to Iris’s house, I felt a flicker of excitement. “Hey, bestie!” I called out, waving from the driver’s seat.

“Oh my word, you weren’t kidding! Your mom really got you a car!” Iris said, hopping into the passenger seat with a grin.

“Girl, I’m shocked too.”

“This year is definitely our year,” she said, waving her hands dramatically.

“I wish. My mom has my schedule booked solid. I won’t have time for anything,” I sighed.

“Sadie, you really need to stand up to your mom,” she said, concern creasing her forehead.

“I texted Jess, but she hasn’t responded. Should we stop by her house?”

“I texted her too. Maybe her phone got taken away or something,” Iris said. “Or it got stolen in Memphis. You know that place is filled with street rats and thugs,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

I managed a laugh, but worry gnawed at me. “Maybe. Should we check on her?”

“Definitely.”

----

"Uhm, why does it look like nobody has been here in ages?" Iris asked, peering out the window. The yard was overgrown and the house had an eerie abandoned feel to it.

"The door is open though," I noted, feeling a shiver run down my spine. I stepped out of the car, Iris close enough behind me. The front door hung slightly ajar, creaking with a gentle breeze.

“Jess,” I called out, my voice echoing in the stillness as I cautiously stepped inside. The house was shrouded in shadows, dust motes dancing in the slivers of light that pierced through the drawn curtains. The air was thick and musty, as if it hadn’t been disturbed in months.

Anybody home?” Iris joined in, her voice sounding small and uncertain.We moved deeper into the house, our footsteps muffled by the worn carpet. The living room was a mess, with newspapers and magazines strewn across the coffee table, and a thin layer of dust coating every surface.

A sense of unease settled over me as I took in the disarray. This wasn’t the lively, bustling home I remembered.

“Something’s definitely off,” Iris whispered, her eyes darting around the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Said a familiar voice, turning around proven to be Jess.

"Jess!" Both Iris and I excited to meet see, but for some weird reason, it wasn't reciprocated.

_____

First chapter going in easy.
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