I Love You No Matter What

Chapter 1: Faith

"Start from the chorus again," Mom orders.

"Can we get a break?" Hope asks.

"No," she snaps. "You will continue to sing until it's perfect."

My siblings groan. I don't know why they are complaining. I'm the one singing and playing the piano. I should be the one to get a break. My fingers are killing me. I don't understand why my mother can't play the piano herself. She is the great Harmony Andrews after all.

"Mother, my fingers are cramping," I say.

Her green eyes turn to me. "I suppose we can rest for today. We will continue tomorrow," she says. She walks out of the music room.

"Thanks, Faith," Ben says. He stretches his back.

"Of course Mom would listen to her," Hope says.

"Shut up," I say, even though she's right.

Hope rolls her eyes. "I've got to go. See you four at dinner." She walks out of the room with a black duffle bag over her shoulder.

"I need to go too. See you later?" Miracle asks me.

"Yeah," I mutter. Miracle gives me a quick hug before grabbing her camera and leaving. "Anyone else leaving?"

"I will be in my room if you need me," Ben says. He nervously smiles as he dashes out of the room.

"I'll stay in here to practice my music," Charles says.

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No need. Go and enjoy the rest of your day," he says.

I grab my small notebook and walk to the door. I turn back around to get one last look at my twin. Charles settles down on the seat at the piano. He starts playing a beautiful melody. He stands out in the room. The white walls make his red shirt pop out. All the instruments around him are so classy compared to his dirty jeans. Charles stops playing to write down something. I worry about him sometimes. He is always inside writing songs. I wish he got out more. Charles tries so hard to impress our father.

I sigh heavily and walk to my room. It's on the top floor of the mansion so I have to walk up our wooden stairs. I take my time getting to my room because I love slowly down to take in our big home. My hands run along the white walls. The floor creaks at my feet. This house has been around in our family for awhile. My mother is the third person to own it. She hasn't changed much about the mansion. The same paintings and furniture cover the halls. The only thing different are the family pictures on the first floor.

My room is the last room in the hall next to the window. The smell of oranges fills the room as soon as I step into it. The room is definitely large. My bed with satin gold covers is on the left wall. A window and stand are right next to it. A desk for me to work on is on the right wall. My closet is next to it. I have many clothes stored in there. The wall in front of me when I walk in has a wide book shelf. My room is very nondecorative, unlike my siblings.

I sit at my desk and open my red notebook. I take a pen from a mug. My father gave Charles and me notebooks before he left to write out our feelings on. I know Charles uses his to compose songs. I use mine as a diary and whatever I feel needs to be written down.

My pen lingers over the paper. I have nothing to write about. More like I don't want to write anything. I close my book and lie my head on the desk. My gaze turns to the picture frame of my family. I sit back up and take it in my hands. We are all sitting on the steps of our house wearing white clothing. On the top step are my mom and Scott. They are smiling their favorite photo genetic smiles. I've been told I look just like my mother. We have the same fair skin, green eyes, and long blonde hair. My stepdad has olive skin, blue eyes, and short black hair. My parents have their arms wrapped around each other lovingly. On the step below them is Charles, Miracle, and I. Charles look just like me in a masculine form with short blonde hair. Miracle could be Charles and I's triplet. The only difference between us is her hazel eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. Ben and Hope are below us on the last step. They look like their father, my stepdad. They both have blue eyes and black hair. Their skin is fair like our mother's. We all look so happy to be there, even though it took almost twenty minutes to get that photo.

I look at the clock on my desk. It's only four o'clock. Dinner is at seven o'clock. I get up and move over to the bookshelf. I scan through my books and pick out the Lord of the Flies. I've already read it, but I love reading books multiple times to make sure I didn't miss any important details. I go jump in bed and begin to read the first page.

                                                                                           *

"Did all of you enjoy your afternoon?" Scott asks. He sits in the head chair. We nod our heads as we eat our food. "What did you do? I noticed most of you were gone."

"I was practicing," Charles says.

"I was reading," I say.

The rest of my siblings shift nervously in their chairs. Mom and Scott look at each other from across the table like they are silently arguing who should say something next. Apparently, Scott lost. "What about the rest of you?"

"I was out," Hope says.

"Me too," Miracle says.

"Where?" Mom pushes.

"Does it matter?" Hope says. Mom glares at her. Hope cracks under pressure. "Okay. I was at the studio again."

"I thought I told you to stay away from that dance studio," Mom chastises. "And where were you, Miracle?"

"I walked around to take pictures," she says quietly. Miracle reaches up to her hearing aid and turns the knob. I know she probably turned down her hearing so she doesn't hear our mother yell at her.

"You know it's too dangerous for you to walk around alone," Mom says.

"I'm half deaf, not blind," Miracle yells.

"Do not talk to me in that tone," Mom snaps. "Why did you two disobey me?"

"Why should it be a crime for me to dance?" Hope asks.

"Because you are going to be a singer. That dancing will only distract you," Mom says.

"What if I don't want to be a singer like you? What if none of us want to sing? It is our life," Hope says.

"Don't be ridiculous. All of you will become singers. It's always been your dreams," Mom says in a hurt tone.

"It's always been your dream," Miracle mutters. "I want to be a photographer."

"Do the rest of you feel that way?" Mom asks us.

"I don't want to sing. I have a terrible voice. I'd like to direct movies like Dad," Ben admits. "I was trying to create a script in my room this afternoon."

"I'm okay with that," Scott says happily. Mom gives him a look and he clears his throat.

"Faith and Charles, do you have other hobbies?" Mom asks.

"Not really," Charles says.

"I don't know," I lie. I don't want her to be disappointed in me.

"Faith, I saw a movie script on your desk. Just tell Mom you want to be an actor," Hope says.

Mom looks at me with a questioning look. "Do you?" she asks.

"I would never make it," I say. Hope and Miracle sigh.

Mom stands up. "As long as you live under this roof you will do what I tell you," she tells all of us. She stomps out of the dining room.

"I'm sorry," I tell my siblings.

"You're not the one who wants to force their lives on you," Hope dismisses.

"Your mother only wants the best for you," Scott promises.

"By forcing me into a field I can't stand," Miracle says miserably.

"We won't have to worry about it for too long," Ben reminds us.

Hope smiles. "Mom said as long as we live under this roof we have to do whatever she says."

"Um, yeah," Charles says with a confused look.

"Technically, we don't live under the dining roof," Miracle comes to understand. A smile slowly appears on her face.