Alternations

Affliction

     I pushed open my door, squeezing the expensive leather on the car.  I walked to the house, unlocking the door and plotting in, my stony expression unnoticed. "Mom?" I called, my eyes searching the house as I tried to spot her. "In the kitchen!" Came a faint shout, followed by my dad's voice requesting my presence. I walked to the kitchen, throwing my book bag on the floor. Mom turned and stared at me. I shifted uncomfortably. My little brother, Ivan, was playing with a toy truck and sitting on the ground. Mom sighed, tying her hair. "I lost my job as the advertising producer for Marilyn's Help." My jaw dropped. "WHAT!?" I screamed, my eyes widening. Marilyn's Help was a popular TV show about a girl named Marilyn Vargil who was a psychologist and helped people with weird problems.  My mom made AMAZING commercials for the show.

 

  "Why?!" I said, making it all too obvious of my anger and shock. "I got layed off, apparently some other girl does it better for a lower price." I shook in anger. This could be the downfall of our HOUSE. What if she doesn't get another job soon? We'd loose our house, we'd loose everything in it, we'd loose internet, money, and then what would I tell people at SCHOOL!? They would make fun of my ugly sweats and T shirt I was forced to wear because we couldn't afford designer. I stood there, rocking on my heels. My dad didn't work, he was the one who brought up me and Ivan and cleaned the house and cooked. "Your getting another one right?" I asked tensely, my shoulders stiff. "Of course, honey! I'm already looking at jobs." I let out a breath of relief. I decided to take a shower to relax.

    Two hours later, I was eating a leafy salad and texting Bella. Hey Bella, what's up?  I sent. Hey Ari! Are you ok? What with your mother's job loss and then Jason. How did she know about those? The Jason news couldn't of gotten out THAT far.. and my mothers job loss? Her own DAUGHTER barely knew. How could Bella know? Right as I started typing in a question, Bella linked me to a site on Facebook titled: A Faux of a Girl. Under it was a picture of me with a goatee, devil horns, and a monocle. The owner of the page was TheTruth. I dropped my phone onto the bed, shaking. I quickly shut the door and texted for Bella to get Mia and get here this SECOND! Twenty minutes later, I was ranting and sob-screeching to my girls. "First Jason, and now THIS?! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN UP? WHEN DID YOU GUYS FIND OUT? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME!" I was screaming and sobbing. Mia patted me and murmured soothingly "We told you the second we found out. We don't know how long it's been up, but it must've been up long enough to influence Jason to break up with you." I blinked and blowed my nose before shifting.

    "Girls, we are going to FIND this person. We are going to hunt them down, and personally torment them." Bella coughed, uncomfortable yet again with the thought of hurting someone. Mia nodded, not caring a BIT about this so called TRUTH'S feelings. I grunted, annoyed at Bella's niceness. Who was she trying to be, the president? "Bella, you are seriously too nice. If I slapped you across the face, you'd probably hand me a basket of flowers and ask me to do it again. Maybe I SHOULD slap you across the face. I might transfer some actual FEELING into you. I spat at her, moving the bracelets along my wrist, showing her how close I was to slapping her off the bed. Mia quickly intervened. "Arianna, I think it's someone at school. Probably someone with nothing better to do then watch others, wishing it were them." I gritted my teeth and nodded, envisioning me pummeling this stranger with my fists.

   The next morning I was rolling in my bed. I blinked open my eyes, sunlight was shining through the window. I glanced at the alarm clock. 7:40 AM! I overslept! I threw myself out of bed. It took me an hour to get ready for school.  I skipped my shower, as well as my breakfast, and threw on a long sleeve shirt with a cut-off jacket with sleeves that were at your shoulders. The bottom of the cut-off jacket was at my belly. I quickly yanked on some skinny jeans and threw on a florescent colored scarf. I glanced at myself in the mirror. "This is alright.." I muttered to myself, hoping Lura and Katy, the "Fashion Police" of Explorers Academy ( my school )- would give me a break. "They aren't even that GOOD. Their outfits are  something you'd fish out of the trash. Funny, they probably did, considering they belong there." I said with a smirk, murmuring things to myself. I combed my jet black  hair,  glancing at the clock again. 7:45 AM it read tauntingly. If I got ANOTHER tardy my parents would KILL me! I'm close to being kicked out of Explorers because of my tardiness.

   After an all too quickly readiness for school, I ran down, grabbing a banana. I snagged my phone JUST in time, and rushed in the car, forgetting to admire it's Solid Pink colored case with swirled designs. I dove into my car, slamming my foot on the gas pedal as the car roared with life and took off. I sped through, barely missing cars and getting honked at. Angry shouts and curses came towards me. I shrugged it off, grinning as Explorers High School Parking Lot came into view. I glanced at the clock in car. 8:02 AM it read. I had about two minutes to get to class. I threw myself out of my car, ramming into the double doors and forcing them open. I saw a blond haired girl that stood about 5 feet tall. She wore a  cute grey sweater, her hair tied in a bun. She wore jeans as well, pre-torn and pre-stained ones. "Hey." I panted, exhausted from the run. "Ari.. did you forget something?" I glanced at myself, anxiety creeping into me. I finally caught the flaw. I stared at my bunny slippers, which somehow got soaked. Just like the bottom of my jeans. I glanced up, seeing a whole crowd laughing. "And this girl criticizes US?" "Wow, those slippers look better then her face." "Bahahaha!" Everyone started laughing. Blood rushed to my face.

    I glanced at Maia, hoping she could help. Maia had her hand clasped over her jaws, shaking with laughter. I ran to the bathroom, almost to tears. Someone tripped me, and I fell hard on my face. I glanced up. I couldn't tell who it was, there was a whole crowd there.  "Payback!" Screamed one. Someone kicked me in the ribs as I let out a gasp of pain. "She'll probably just drown her sorrows in a bottle of Vodka, like her mother!" Called one. My jaw dropped. I leapt to my feet. Everyone studied their phones and made more comments. "Good luck with your mother finding a job. You'll probably end up stealing expired milk from the trashcans now." I glanced at the person who was talking. I couldn't believe my eyes. Maia and Bella stood, glancing at their phones and avoiding my gaze. Right beside them stood Jason, shaking with laughter. How could they KNOW about this? Soon, taunts came.

    "Oh no, she's gonna steal our happiness! Much like her father stole $900 bottles of wine! BAAHAHAHHAH!"  I glanced up, in physical and mental pain. I ran out, tearing through the crowd and sitting on the steps, sobbing my sorrows out. I got in my car and drove home. I ran inside, only to stop dead in my tracks. My father was unconscious, blood leaking from his neck. My mother was screeching, but her voice was muffled through the tape on her mouth. Her wrists were tied. A large, dirty blond haired girl held a gun to my moms head threateningly. I screamed, but a hand clasped my mouth. I wanted so badly to close my eyes and forget this awful scene, but I couldn't. I just stared. Then, a screech came that only a baby could make. My eyes grew to the size of a ping pong ball. Then, thankfully, everything was blurred by my tears. But that didn't stop me from hearing the blood curdling scream from my now dead baby brother Ivan's mouth.