Falling Skyward

The thunder clap shakes the house like a cannon shot. Lightning crackles across the sky, shattering it into countless fragments. I watch intently as the rain patters on my window pane, carving lines into the glass. A dripping insect lands on the sill of the window, looking disheveled. Just as I'm wondering about what kind of idiotic bug would even be attempting to fly in this kind of weather, a colossal rain droplet lands squarely on the bug's back, dislodging it from its perch and sending it spiraling into the relentless storm.

"Sorry Bug." I say semi-sympathetically. As I stand there, I feel my bed pulling me towards the soft covers and fluffy pillows. I give in to the temptation and flop down on my feathery mattress, grabbing my iPod while doing so.

I click the small button on the top of it, and it powers on to a picture of my friends crowded around the camera. I smile as I think of when they stole my iPod. After about fifteen minutes, they gave it back. Me being me, I clicked it on thinking nothing of it. Stupid nonsuspiciousness! When the lock screen popped up, I almost had a heart attack!

There was this picture of my friend Willa leaning over the camera with the creepiest look I'd ever seen. It was a look that said I-killed-your-family-and-now-you're-next. They laughed like hyenas. I tried to keep an I'm-ticked-off-at-you-guys look plastered on my face,but to no avail. Thirty seconds later, all four of us were hysterically laughing with all the other kids on our lunch giving us confused looks. Which just made us all laugh harder.

While I'm remembering all of this, I hear a gratingly familiar voice resounding through the halls.

"Astrid!!! I told you to get down here for dinner four times already!! Get your butt down here NOW!!" My step mother shouted impatiently.

"Ugggh." I moaned to myself. To my mom, I yelled "COMING!!"

I dragged myself off of my über comfy bed, and listened to the raging storm for a minute. Apparently, that was a minute too long for my step mom.

"ASTRID!!!!!!!"

I scurried out of my room, and already at the top of the stairs I could feel the power of my step mom's anger rolling out of the kitchen in waves. Sprinting down the stairs, taking them 3 at a time, I rushed down to the ground floor and scuttled into the kitchen.

"Astrid, when are you going to learn to come when you're called?! You're 16 years old now, and you need to learn to respect us." Selene cuts into me the second I walk in the room. I have no idea what my dad sees in her. I wish Dad had never even met the she-devil.

My brother and younger sister stare at me, wondering what I'm going to say. Selene and I had never gotten along well, and they had been privy to most of our arguments.

"How about I give you my respect when you've earned it, you slimy witch." The room went silent, like it was a mausoleum filled with the remains of the dead. My dad was frozen in shock, his fork only halfway up to his mouth. The only sound that my ears register is my siblings hurried murmurs of "excuse me" as they slipped from the room. Selene stared at me with a look of shock, rage, and satisfaction all rolled in to one. She had hated me from the beginning. Now was the perfect time for her to take advantage of my mouth, and turn it around so I seemed like a class-A+ jerkwad.

"Aww, sweetie, I was just trying to make sure you ate before your dinner got cold." Her sickly sweet voice roused my dad out of his iceman state, while at the same time, managing to whip my insides into a roiling mess.

"ASTRID! That is NO way to speak to your step mother!" My dad roared. I looked into his eyes with adrenaline pumping something that felt like liquid flames through my veins.

"It's exactly what the two-faced she-devil deserves." I coldly interject, all the hate I feel towards that woman lacing through the words like cobra venom. Dad's expression goes from angry to horrified in s fraction of a second. Selene's face looks as if it could be carved out of stone. Neither of them make the slightest hint of movement as I spin around on the heel of my foot, and storm out of the room.

Seeing Darren and Lyla, my younger siblings, standing behind the wall just out of direct sight of Selene and Dad talking in hushed voices, I grab Darren's hand and drag him up the stairs. Lyla trails behind. As I plow determinedly up both flights of stair to my second floor bedroom, I catch a glimpse of an old family picture, of me, my mom and my dad. Before the accident. When everything was perfect. My eyes start to tear, and I squeeze Darren's hand so hard I'm sure I've broken at least one bone in his hand. He understands. He's 13, old enough to remember everything about mom. Lyla, however, wasn't even born until after dad married Selene 6 years ago. Yes, Lyla's my half sister, but that doesn't mean I love her any less than Dare. I was there when she was born. I've helped change her diapers, I helped teach her how to read, and I was even with her when she took her first wobbly steps. How could I love her any less? We reach the top of the stairs and I fling open the door to my room, dragging Dare and Ly through it behind me.

We all plop down on my bed and stare at each other for an eternal moment. Finally, Lyla breaks the staring contest and hugs me. Darren joins the sibling hug. I start sniffling, and they take that as their to exit stage left. Turning to go, Darren gives me one last look, and says simply "It'll be ok," before pulling my purple splatter painted door closed softly behind him. I sniffle and snuffle for a few more minutes, before the sound of a huge thunder clap bombards my eardrums.

Looking out the window, I dream of what it would be like if Selene hadn't been on line at the KFC that day. Her and my dad would never had met, and it'd be just Dare, Dad and me.

No use speculating about what could have been, I tell myself sternly. So, I bury my head deep in the pillows to scream in silence.