I slammed the door to my room and locked it, tears streaming down my face and eyes puffy and red, before throwing myself down on my bed. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't! I'm home-schooled and have been my entire life. I've never left the house that I live in, and yet my parents are sending my little sister, Lily, to a public school. She can live a normal life, with normal friends and do normal things like go to the movies, parties or go on dates with cute boys. Yet I have to stay locked in the house all day long, work on my studies with little else to do and no one to talk to while my parents are at work and my sister is at school. I don't even have any friends. I've never met anyone outside of my family.
I lifted myself from my now tear-stained bedspread and pushed my long, brown hair out of my reddened face. I stared out over balcony leading out from my second floor bedroom and into the yard beyond. Hearing yips and barks of amusement, I slowly rolled off of my bed and slunk onto the balcony to investigate. Our border collie, Fresca, was bouncing around in our yard, chasing squirrels and drenching her black and white fur by splashing through the water of our fountain. The sight of our happy-go-lucky canine lifted my spirits, but my sadness dragged me down yet again at the realization that I was, in a way, a lot like Fresca. Never left the house, had no friends outside of the family, and looked to the backyard for entertainment.
Sighing, I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes and slumped against the balcony wall. Fresca, having heard my dramatic sigh all the way from the fountain, yipped happily and stared up at me, wagging her tail back and forth.
“Oh what do you want?” I complained with much irritation. In response, she raced in circles around the fountain, elated that she had been noticed. I didn't move from my spot for the next twenty minutes. I listened to the afternoon song of the birds, felt the subtle breeze caress my face, and watched as my rowdy, maladroit dog enjoyed crashing about gracelessly in our fountain. My thoughts revolved around why I was penned up just like an animal. Just like Fresca. She barked a few more times and bounced around, as if trying to convince me to come down and play with her. I laughed halfheartedly. “Oh fine, I'm coming.”
I walked back into my room, snatched up my sketch book and a pencil and headed back out to the balcony. I hauled myself over the wall and clung to a rope ladder that I had secured there, carefully clambering to the ground below. I prefer this over the stairs so I don't have to encounter anyone from my family as I walk through the halls of our house. Just as a way of isolating myself from those who favored my sister over me. Those who so obviously resent me. As my feet touched the ground, I turned towards the yard and took my time walking to my favorite hiding spot, pondering anything and everything other than those wretched people that I share a house with.
They took away my life, so I removed myself from theirs.
