Wish You Were Here

2 (not canon)

I hear the rumbling of fast footsteps running up the stairs.

"Brb" I text my friend.

I sit there quietly, waiting for my mom to come in.

"Finish your homework?"

"Yes, mom."

"One day you'll be just like your brother. Living his dream." I didn't actually have anything planned after I finished high school, I just knew my parents would be pissed if I didn't.

"Just. Like. Him." I murmur under my breath.

"Did you say something?"

"Just remembering how much I love you!" She blows a kiss and returns to making dinner downstairs.

I'll admit it, even though I hate doing it. My mom isn't the brightest. That's why she wants the best for her kids. Give them what she never had. A good education, roof over our head, loving family, you know that kind of stuff.

"OW!" I hear a distant screech from downstairs.

"For fuck's sake mom." I whisper.

"There gonna be a scar, mum?" I say as I walk down the creaky stairs.

"Not this time, I don't think." She says while wincing at every movement.

"I'll get the first aid kit." That's another thing. Not only is she not the smartest, but also very accident prone.

We all look our for her like it's our job. If it were anyone else, I would probably let them fend for themselves. But my mom has that sweet heart even after trauma and heartbreak. Like she always forgives and forgets.

I'm glad she's my mom, but also confused on why I deserve such a sweet, kind woman as a mother. I never did anything to benefit her besides making sure she doesn't die.

If she died I would never forgive myself, and neither would my family. It wouldn't be the same without her.

It would probably be the same without me. My older brother is responsible, and my younger sister is caring. I'm just sitting here, awaiting death while slowly crawling out of hell. If you don't know what I mean, hell means school.

The kids and teachers and assignments and social interaction it's just too much to handle. I'd rather listen to the same song all day every day than go to school. I'd rather do pretty much everything than go to school.

Another thing that really sucks is that I'm short. I'm the average size for a girl, but not a boy. I'm only a Sophomore so I look short around Juniors and Seniors, but I deal with it knowing that my brother was even shorter than me at my age. My sister is abnormaly tall. I don't know why considering my mom is short and from what I've seen in pictures, my dad is only slightly talker than my mom. Well, biological dad.

My step-dad Ray lives with us, and is getting married with my mom in the fall. Ray is a pretty cool guy, except for one thing. He sings in the shower. He's not even that bad it's just that his taste in music is awful. Singing the theme song to my sister's favorite show. Or the music on a certain car comercial. It's terrible. But then again, he's doing ok as a dad. Better then my biological dad.

I never knew him, but I remember things like his scratchy beard and curly hair. I never really liked him because of what he did to us. He left when I was 6. My brother was 13 and my sister wasn't even a year old. My brother experienced the most trauma since he actually remembers it.

But my mom was still a fighter. Took care of three kids by herself for almost a year before she met Ray. When I first met him, I had doubts. He didn't look like a family man. More of the business type. Serious and had no time to play. But he turned out to be really good with Emma, my sister.

She was almost two when she met him. He fascinated her. His big blue eyes met her small brown ones and made a connection. He knew he couldn't just leave all of us in our time of need. Even though my mom hated it, she was forced to borrow money from Ray.

"Borrow? Aren't we a family now?"

"I feel like I need to owe you back for everything you've done for the kids and me."

"I won't acept your money." he wasn't going to let her answer. My mom would probably live with the guilt for the rest of her life. I don't blame her. We'll eventually make it up to him, I don't know how. He reminds me a lot of my brother, Ryan. They seem like all work and no play, but are actually really fun and energetic.

Things were a little harder around the house when Ryan moved out. He usually played with Emma the most, but now we had to make time for her. I'll admit, it is fun playing with her, but gets tiring quickly.