My name in Arther Cunning. I'm 23 and haven't left my parents' house since I was 13. Father has bullied me until I was mentally disturbed. He has never laid a hand on me or Mother. Mother home schooled me until I was able to graduate. She had to get my diploma since I couldn't leave the house and Bradly made fun of me. He's my older brother and is Father's favorite. Not once had he ever tried to spend time with me like Mother does. I offer but he gives me a disgusted look and calls me freak. After he'd say that, I'd grab my things and go to my room. Mother would come in later to see if I'm alright then she's go back back to what ever she was doing after I told I was OK. She has been really sick for a while and sometimes needs help. I try to help her but Father tells me to stay away from her so I don't hurt her.
"Arther, you in here?" Bradly asked as he cracked the door to my room.
"Yeah?" I asked and closed my scrap book.
"Mom wants to talk to you." I nodded and went to find her. She was in the kitchen, cooking.
"You wanted to see me." I said and she looked at me.
"Um...I didn't say anything." She said confused and I frowned.
"Bradly said-" I stopped and ran to my room. He wasn't in there...neither was my scrap book. I ran to Bradly's room and tried to open the door. "Bradly!" I started pounding but stopped when he said something.
"Oh, the first girl you kissed." He said and I heard him tare something slowly.
"Bradly!" I started pounding on the door again and Mother came over to us.
"Baby, what's wrong?" She asked.
"He has my book." I said and her face turned red.
"Bradly, open this door!" She yelled at the door and he opened it. "Give his book." She snapped.
"I don't have it." He said and she walked past him. She looked through his room and found it under his bed.
"You don't have, huh?" She asked and he looked down. Mother gave it to me and I opened it. I flipped through the pages and found missing pictures.
"Where are my pictures?" I asked and Mother's face turned redder.
"Get out!" She yelled and Bradly looked shocked. "Give him his things and get out!"
"M-Mom." He stuttered.
"Get out!" She slapped him and I quickly went to my room. I hid in my closet with my scrap book pressed against my chest. I heard her yelling then Father's yells. In the end, Mother came in and smiled at me. "Baby, come out of there." I did and she wrapped her arms around me. "I got your pictures." She gave them to me and I smiled.
"Where's Bradly?" I asked and she frowned.
"He's packing his things to go back to his apartment." She said and I shook my head.
"I don't want you to kick him out." I said and she sighed. "I just want him to stop taking my book." She nodded and kissed my cheek.
"Alright, I'll talk to him." I nodded and she left. I sat on my bed and put my pictures where they were suppose to be. The picture of my first girlfriend was fine. He didn't tare it like I thought. When they were where they were suppose to be, I laid down on my bed and held it to my chest. After a while, Bradly came in.
"Hey...um...can we talk?" He asked and I sat up on my bed, my scrap book pressed tightly against my chest.
"Yeah." I said and he sat on my bed.
"Um...Mom told me what you did." He said. "Thanks." I nodded. "I'll stop taking your things and be nicer to you." I nodded and he hit my back. I frowned and moved away from him some. "That wasn't ment to hurt you." He said when he saw me move away. "I didn't mean it like that." I nodded and Mother came in.
"Boys, supper's ready." She said and we followed her to the kitchen. We ate then went to the living room. Father flicked my ear and I looked at him.
"Anything new in there?" He pointed to my book and I shook my head. "Really? It looks thicker." He tried to grab it but I kept it out of his reach. "Let me see." He grabbed it and tried to take it. But I kept my arms wrapped around it tightly.
"Sam!" Mother hissed. "Leave him alone." Father looked at her.
"I just wanted to see it." He said.
"Well, he doesn't want you to." She said back.
"He let's you look in it." She nodded.
"Because I don't try to take it from him." He looked at me then nodded.
"I got to go to work." He kissed Mother and ruffled Bradly's and my hair before leaving. When it was about ten, I went to bed.
