In Another Life

Chapter 1: Mia

I wake up with a start. Late afternoon sunlight streams in my windows. I push myself up and look down, I wear the same clothes from the night before. I don't even remember falling asleep, I wasn't drinking or anything.

I walk out to the kitchen and pull up a chair at the table, my school books are scattered over the table. I'm supposed to be a junior but I failed most of my classes last year so I'm still in grade ten even though I'm nearly seventeen. I blame my parents for that one.

When Vicy turned eighteen she let me move in with her so I'd get out of my toxic household. I don't even want to talk about it. My parents shouldn't have been parents.

I'm Mia Kingsley, I'm from Brooklyn.

I push the beak of my Yankees cap up so I can see my books. I pull my legs up on the chair with me as I grad The Outsiders. I have to do a book report on it and I love it. It's the kind of book that I get lost in and I love the idea of getting lost in something. Maybe if I'm lost, I'll finally be at peace.

Rust coloured hair falls around my shoulders as shoulders as I slouch further into a ball while I read.

Its late October so it gets dark early. It's nearly dark once the door opens and Vicy walks back in. I look back to see that a blond had walked in with her. That's an ugly broad if I've ever seen one. Vicy comes over and knocks my hat off in that big sister way.

"Have you eaten anything today Mia?" She wonders and I shrug.

"I've only been up for a couple hours." I admit and she sighs.

"That's not a good enough answer, Minnie." Vicy calls me that because of my scrawny build. "For a rugby player you should have some meat on your bones."

"Vicy." I say desperate for a change in subject. My weight has always bothered me. "You're being rude." I motion to the blond.

"Oh right!" Vicy says as she places cold pizza in front of me. "Eat." She looks over to the blond. "Bruce this is my baby sister--" we're not sisters, she's just the closest thing to family I have. "--Mia. Mia, this is Bruce."

"I thought you were just an ugly broad." I admit with a full mouth.

"Mia." She scolds and Bruce laughs.

"I get that more than you think." He admits with a laugh.