"Anna hurry up it's time for school" i hear my mom say.
i sit on my bed looking into my mirror across the room. i look like a hot mess that had a fashion disaster. "well fuck! i need to get up and get ready for hell today" i say to myself.
i get up and walk to my bathroom. i look around and notice somethings missing.
"hey mom, where's my clothes for school" i yell down stairs. every night i set out my clothes for school so it's easier to get ready in the morning.
"in the bathroom down stairs." my mother yells back. i walk down stairs looking confused.
"um mom why are my clothes down here instead of in my bathroom?" i ask her looking at what she's making for breakfast.
"cuz the plumbing upstairs is messed up, a plumber will be here this afternoon" she says.
she's making pancakes and bacon with orange juice. my favorite breakfast.
"ugh so that means that Stacy,Hannah, Jake, Ray, Mike and Amanda cant come over tonight?" i say. me and stacy had been planning this party for a month now, the last thing i needed was for it to be canceled.
"well no, but ya'll can't use the upstairs bathroom, okay?"my mother says as she serves me a plate of pancakes.
"ok sounds good. so what are you, dad and Ashley doing tonight?" i ask her. i knew she wouldn't stay here with a whole bunch of teenagers in the house.
"well you father and i are going to your grandmothers and Ashley is spending the night with Monika."
Monika is a pain! i don't know how her and Ashley are friends. they're from two different worlds but it's funny to watch them together.
"uhmm ok" i say. why would they be going to see my grandmother? the only time they go there is if they have good/bad news. my morning got interesting quickly.
"Anna!!! hi sissy" Ashley says as she runs to me from the stairs.
"hey Ash how did you sleep girly?" i say as i give her a hug.
"i sleeped otay. look what i made you sis" she says as she hands me a piece of paper.
"that's you, momy and dady and me." she points to each figure and calls our who they are.
"it's really pretty Ashley, I think it deserves to be out on my wall dont you think" i say as i stand up and lift her up.
"yay it dets to go on your wall!!" she gets really happy when i say that her pictures get to be hung up in my room. i rarely hang anything up so that i'll have room for her pictures. she's trully an amazing little sister.
as i hold Ashley i walk up the stairs.
"Anna?" she says. she looks kinda sad.
"yes ashley, what is it?" i say. i sat her down as i get to the top of the staircase.
"why is moma and dady being swrange?" she says. it's hard to tell her mom and dad have been going through a lot. sometimes i wonder if this family will last. mom and dad sometimes fight over stupid things. but here lately mom has been acting strange.
"Well Ash baby, mommy and daddy have been acting strange cause they are grown ups. mommies and daddies always act weird. do you understand?" i say, she's only 5 so i have to explain thing carefully, she's very sensitive.
"yes, grown ups are oways swrange. wight?" she says trying to understand.
"haha yes ash, c'mon let's go to my room" i say as she grabs my hand, she loves hold my hand or having me hold her.
as we get to my door i say "ash, you stay here for a moment ok? i have to pick some stuff up before you can come in."
"ok sissy." she says as she sits down.
i walk into my room and pick up my art stuff, her birthday is coming up in about a month and so i was working on her party invatations and her present.
i open the door after a few minutes to find her gone. i run down stairs.
"hey mom have you seen Ashley?" i say.
"not since you took her upstairs to your room. why do you ask?" she says. oh god i can't tell her i cant find Ashley, she'd kill me!
"um cause we were playing hide and seek and i cant find her" trying to act casual.
"oh okay well make sure she doesn't get her dress dirty, her talent show is tonight and i still have to finish adjusting her costume." she says.
"Mmk. i'll go find her so we can hang up the picture together" i say.
i run upstairs.
"Ashley where are you?" i call out hoping she'll respond.
i walk into my room and find her laying down on my bed.
"Ashley.." i say as i walk towards her.
"yes Anna?" she sits up.
"where did you go Ashley? i was looking everywhere for you mushroom." i say.
i give her a big hug.
"i'm sowwy anna, i didn't mean to scare you. mary wanted me to see something" she says.
"who's Mary?" i say looking confused. i don't know anyone named Mary and theres no one called mary at her day care.
"she's my new friend" Ashley says.
"can you tell me where ashley is?" i say, hoping she'll tell me. if there's another person in the house i wanna know about it.
my real father put me in charge to protect everyone in this house, and that's exactly what i'm going to do.
"she's not here wight now, but i'll tell you when she comes back. k sisy?" she say.
"okay, how about we hang up that picture now" i say trying to change the subject.
"yay!!!" she says. i pick her up and give her a push pin.
"be careful so you don't hurt yourself. okay?"
"okay Anna, i'll be carefwul for you" she says. she is a really sweet kid. i hate to see her grow up without dad here but oh well. our step dad is doing a doog job taking care of her. it's just hard for me to accept that i have to trust him.
she puts the push pin into the paper, then i lift her so she can put it in the wall.
after a few tries the picture hangs there, just perfect.
i set her down on my bed as i look at the picture.
she stands up and gives me a hug.
"thank you for being a great big sissy Anna i wuv you" she says.
"oh Ashley, i love you too. and that you for being a great little sister" i said.
then i gave her a hug and a kiss.
"now how about i give you a piggy back ride until my school bus comes." i say as i stand up.
"a piggy back wide? yay!! i wuv piggy back wides" she says.
she gets on my back and i go down the staircase with my back pack.
