My So-Called LifeChapter 1: The Daily Struggle
My name is Alex, and I'm fifteen. I have an annoying little sister named Emily, who is twelve. She's the kind of kid who knows exactly how to push all my buttons, and she's really good at it. My parents are strict, especially Mom. She has rules for everything: what time we have to be home, how much TV we can watch, even how long we can spend on our phones. Dad is a little more relaxed, but he usually sides with Mom on the big stuff.
Emily is a professional at getting away with things. Somehow, she always manages to charm her way out of trouble. I, on the other hand, seem to get caught every single time. Life isn't fair.
Chapter 2: The Plan
It all started on a Saturday morning. Mom had left her credit card on the kitchen counter after paying some bills. She always said it was for emergencies only, and we knew better than to touch it. But Emily had other ideas.
"Hey, Alex," she said, coming into my room with a mischievous grin. "Guess what I found?"
I looked up from my homework and saw her holding Mom's credit card. "Emily, put that back. You know we're not supposed to touch it."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Alex. Don't be such a goody-two-shoes. I'm just gonna borrow it for a bit. I need some new stuff from Target."
I groaned. "Emily, you're going to get us both in trouble."
"No, I won't. I'll be quick. Mom and Dad are out for the day, remember? They won't even know it's gone."
I sighed, knowing there was no way to talk her out of it once she had her mind set. "Fine, but if you get caught, I had nothing to do with it."
She grinned. "Deal."
Chapter 3: The Heist
Emily and I walked to Target, which was only a few blocks away. I felt a knot in my stomach the whole time, imagining all the ways this could go wrong. Emily, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber.
When we got there, she headed straight for the clothes section. She picked out a bunch of things: a couple of dresses, some tops, and even a pair of shoes. She threw in some makeup and accessories for good measure.
"Emily, this is too much," I whispered, glancing around nervously.
"Relax, Alex," she said, waving me off. "It's fine."
We went to the checkout, and Emily handed over Mom's credit card without a second thought. The cashier didn't even blink. We walked out of the store with several bags, and Emily looked like she had just won the lottery.
Chapter 4: The Fallout
When we got home, Emily stashed her new stuff in her room and put Mom's credit card back where she found it. For a moment, I thought maybe she had actually gotten away with it.
But a few days later, the credit card bill arrived. Mom opened it at the dinner table and her face turned red.
"Who spent $200 at Target?" she demanded, looking at Dad first, then me.
Dad shook his head. "Not me."
I swallowed hard, feeling my face flush. "Uh, it wasn't me, Mom. I swear."
Mom's eyes narrowed as she turned to Emily. "Emily?"
Emily tried to look innocent, but she's not very good at it. "Um, I needed some new clothes..."
Mom's voice was cold. "You used my credit card without permission?"
Emily looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just really wanted some new stuff."
Mom took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "You know that was wrong, Emily. You're grounded for a month. And you're going to work off every penny of what you spent."
Emily nodded, looking like a scolded puppy. I felt a strange mix of relief and sympathy. Maybe this time she would learn her lesson.
Chapter 5: The Lesson
Over the next few weeks, Emily had to do all sorts of chores to pay back the $200. She cleaned the house, did the laundry, and even washed the car. Mom and Dad kept a close eye on her, making sure she didn't slack off.
One evening, as I was doing my homework, Emily came into my room. "Hey, Alex," she said quietly.
I looked up. "Yeah?"
"I'm really sorry for dragging you into this," she said. "I shouldn't have used Mom's credit card. It was stupid."
I nodded. "Yeah, it was. But at least you're making it right."
She smiled a little. "Thanks for not ratting me out."
I shrugged. "We're siblings. We look out for each other, even when we're being idiots."
She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."
And just like that, things started to get back to normal. Emily still drove me crazy sometimes, but I knew she had learned something from the whole ordeal. As for me, I was just glad it was over. For now, anyway. In my so-called life, you never knew what was coming next
