Anything But Normal

Chapter 2: Saying Goodbye

Dame's house has been quickly transformed in a week. The big country house now sits silently, no longer full of noise, only bin bags and cardboard boxes. Dame is leaving tomorrow so he said that after school we will spend some time together. I dress for school in my itchy blue skirt and tights, then put on a white sleeve shirt on. I had my 14th birthday in early February earlier this year, so I am now in year 10. I fasten my tie carelessly around my neck, and put on my cardigan. I am functioning well at the moment with this pregnancy, but I have started to eat more strawberries.

"Asia, get your backside down here now unless you want to walk 8 miles to school!" My sister Annie shouts up the stairs. She turned 20 last month and engaged to her boyfriend of 4 years Alex. They still haven't thought about having children yet, and I joke that I'm 14 and pregnant, and she told me that she wanted to get settled into a solid career first. Alex doesn't have a job at the moment so they are struggling bit, at least she also has her monthly money rolling in from Dad.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!" Annie shouts.

I quickly grab my school bag and my pot of strawberries from Mum, and get into the car.

Our Mum and Dad got pregnant with my older sister when they were 16, and moved into a studio apartment together; My Dad got a job to provide for them, as my Mum was still going to school. When I was born a few years later they had no choice but to move into a house to make sure there was enough room for all of us. When I was 9 my parents split, Dad said that it wasn't my fault and he will always love me. He moved to the city to pursue being a businessman, and remarried and started a whole new family. I've lived with Mum ever since and we may be living off little, but we don't mind because we have each other. Mum hasn't pursued a new relationship, she says she feels like she can't trust a man again. I keep telling her to move on but she won't listen. I'm sure the right man is out there waiting for her.

" How's my little sister?" Annie asks, ruffling my hair.

" I'm fine," I reply as I sort out my messed up hair and scowl at her.

It then dissolved into the usual chatter in the car, mostly about how the baby is doing and how wedding plans are going.

•

"Hey Asia." My best friend Lauren says, as she embraces me in a big bear hug. "Oops," she says pulling out of our hug. "Wouldn't want to squish the baby."

"Shut up!" I whisper-laugh as our other friends, Sophie and Danielle, join us at the back of our tutor room.

Lauren was the first person I told about the pregnancy, as I can trust her with everything. We have been friends since the first day of school. I didn't mind that she didn't look like the other students in our school, as she had long unruly hair and wore tie die skirts that jangled on non-uniform days. Now that she is a teenager, she has ditched the lengths for shorter tangled hair and tight jeans with a loose fitting top. Lauren and I met Sophie and Danielle at a Halloween party when we were 9. Both of them were dressed in identical witches outfits, with their copper blonde hair back combed. Being identical twins, they couldn't be anymore different. As I got to know them more, I found out that Sophie couldn't spend 1 minute not having her head in a book, and that Danielle loved fashion.

"Hey!" They say cheerfully together.

"Hi," I reply. "How's your mum doing?"

Sophie wipes her eye quickly. "Oh she's fine, a bit shaky, but she'll be better soon."

They have recently been in a awful car crash and they're Mum had been badly injured. She was stirred up and confused when she woke up in hospital, and now she is reserved at their house.