My Favorites Songs And Pictures

chapter 4

I didn't wait around the next morning for Welly to wake up. I knew she'd still be asleep till gone midday, but I wanted to get home and get to work on more of that project. Michael was right, the more of it I did alone the quicker it would be done, the better it would be done and the less time I would have to spend with him.

The door was unlocked when I got home, and my mum wasn't there. Livvy and Lula were out, but I could still hear Noah playing video games. I hated that she left him home alone. He was too young to be left home alone, and she wasn't even allowed to leave him home alone.

I tidied up the mess that had been left in the living room and carried my things up to my room. Yet again Livvy had left her stuff lying on the floor. I wasn't exactly a neat freak, I just liked things to be in their place. I didn't mind a little mess, but Livvy took it beyond that.

I sat down to do the work and I had managed to get a fair bit done when the bedroom door swung open. My mother toppled in and I could smell the alcohol on her breath. "Where were you last night?" she slurred bitterly.

"I stayed at Welly's." I mumbled, trying to get back to work. It was best not to be confrontational when she had been drinking. It just made things so much worse.

"Well why don't you go back there." She bit. "I don't want you."

My throat went tight as I tried to ignore my mothers comments. She could be nasty at times but I knew she didn't mean it. She was just hurting inside a lot, and she found easiest to take it out on me. I'd prefer she did that than take it out on the younger ones.

"I want you to leave and never come back. I can't stand the sight of you. Seeing you makes me feel sick. Your father would have hated you too. You're such a disappointment." She snapped. I felt the bile rise in my throat. There wasn't much left she could say that would get to me, to make me cry, but bringing up my dad and saying he'd be disappointed in me was one of them.

"Fine." I replied, standing up. I collected my books, shoving them in a backpack with a toothbrush some pajamas and a spare change of clothes. I didn't say anything else. I stormed past her slamming the front door as I left.

I didn't really know where to go. I didn't want to go to Welly. I loved her, but she hated my mum and she didn't understand this. She's just have got her mum to phone social services and before I knew it the kids would be gone and I'd be the only one left in the house. She wasn't a bad mum to them, it was me that got the brunt of it. The others loved her. I loved her.

I wandered for a while. Not really sure where I was going. Just walking. It wasn't until I ended up at Michael's front door that I realised this is where I had been heading. He wasn't expecting me today and after last night I was sure he wasn't expecting me every, but I had no where else to go and we did still need to do this project. The sooner it was done the better. He'd have me out of his life and I could go back to pretending he doesn't exist.

I found myself knocking lightly on the door and when it opened I was shocked to find an unfamiliar face. A man who stood at around 6'4 was towering over me. His features were hard and he eyed me sceptically. His face was a lot harder than Michael's and his eyes a lot darker, but there were similarities in their feature. His hair was cut short though unlike Michael's unruly mess. "H-Hello." I stuttered.

"We don't want what you're selling." He snapped, trying to slam the door in my face, but Michael stopped him.

"Dad? Annabelle? What are you doing here? We didn't have anything planned today did we?" His expression was softer than it usually was, and there was no malice in his voice.

It took everything in me not to cry right there. "No, but I uh, I was hoping you'd be free. I really just want to get this done." I admitted, looking at him hopefully.