Brighter Then The Stars

Chapter One: Sweetheart

Peyton's POV

I'm sitting on my bed doing homework when my mother calls my name. "Peyton, sweetheart come down here for second."

Sweetheart? Was that a question? These thoughts go through my mind in a split second. I decide to go down and see why she wants me. I walk down the stairs and hear something shattering like glass. I pick up my pace and practically jog into the kitchen. When I get in there I'm not at all surprised at what I find.

Father is passed out at the bar we have in our kitchen with a shattered bottle at his feet. Mother is dancing with herself to a slow song and takes a sip out of the bottle she's holding every now and then. I don't even bother with mother, I walk over to the broom and clean up the broken glass. Once that's finished I half pick up, half drag father to the couch.

After setting father on the couch I walk back to my room, grab my blanket and bring it downstairs. I put it over father and go into the kitchen. Mother is still dancing, or more like trying to keep herself from falling. I go over and ask why she wanted me. "The care people are over in six." Mother slurs. I figure she's saying the foster care people will be over in six hours. She's past drunk which is going to make what I'm about do very hard. I step over a puddle of who knows what and reach my hand out for the beer bottle. She's pulls it back. I'm about to grab at it again when Elza, my two year old sister runs in the room crying and screaming like a mad woman. I know exactly what happened without even checking her for marks.

I storm into the living room, where my father has a medium sized wooden plank in his hands. I walk over and take it from him as he's about to hit me with it. "What the hell do you think your doing? What did she do to make you hit her?" I yell at him. " What?" father asks me in a innocent voice , as I probably turn red from anger. I slap him across the face which was probably the stupidest thing I could have done in this situation but, I am to mad to care.

I take Elza up in my arms and try to calm her. I walk to my room and slam the door. I'm trying to calm Elza but nothing will work. I switch her clothes and put her in her night gown. I lay her in her crib and start to sing."Sleep now my baby , be still now don't cry sleep, and be rocked by the storm, hush now my baby it's the last lullaby sleep and remember this too . " Like I suspected, she's asleep when finish.

Me and Elza share a room. I don't trust our parents enough to leave her in a room alone with them. I tuck her in, kiss her forehead and go finish my homework.

====================================================

By time my home work is done its been two hours. I have four hours before the foster home people come.

Elza is still sleeping so I go down stairs to see what my parents are doing. Mother and father are both talking in hushed voices on the couch. They stop talking as I walk in the room. I can see there both still a little tipsy. I walk up to them and put my hands on my hips.

"Come on. Out with it. Tell me what you were whispering about." They both give me innocent looks. This makes me angry. Why can't they just tell me? Then I get an idea."I'll just tell the foster care people that you use my meal money for drugs." After saying that I can't help the smirk on my face . They look at me in disbelief. "You wouldn't." my father pretty much growls. "Don't test me old man ."I say with the venom in my voice I didn't know I had. "I'll tell you later I promise." my mother says in an almost sincere voice. This surprises me ,not because she sounded sincere which she always did when she was tipsy but because she made a promise. My mother may be a drug addict but when she makes promise she always keeps them. You could trust your life to her if she promised to keep you safe. She usually never promises any thing so I just nod my head because I'm at a loss for words.

When I can speak again I tell them they need to get ready for the foster people. They get up and go to their room to get ready while I clean up the house. I'm cleaning dishes when I hear crying. I dry my hands on a rag and go up stairs.

I walk into my room to find my mother already calming Elza. She must have seen my look of disbelief because she says, "What? Your not the only one who can take care of a child." I can tell she is almost fully sober. This brings me out of my shock I walk over to her and give her a hug. Now she is shocked. I haven't hugged her in probably eight years. After a moment she hugs me back. This moment would have been perfect if my father hadn't barged in saying the sink was over flowing. "Crap." I say and go down stairs. the floor is already covered in water. I go turn off the sink and start to clean up the floor.

Mother brings Elza down and let's her play with her toys in the living room. I can also hear mother and father playing with her. Their all laughing when I walk In. "Hey sweetie." mother says to me as I walk to the stairs. "Hey", I say and keep walking up the stairs. I'm to busy thinking to say any thing else. What's the reason for my parents sudden change in mood? Why do they care about Elza and me today? I might have been a little jealous that Elza was the same with them as she was with me. Playing with them. She used to cry when I put her in our parents arms. Now she can play and laugh with them. I'm more her mother than her real mother has ever been. I decide the mood change is because of what mother and father were whispering about earlier. If it keeps them from doing drugs for a while then I support it. My thoughts are interrupted by the door bell ringing. When I get down stairs the foster care people are sitting in the living room. Talking with my parents.

A/N

Chloewrotethischapterbutsheforgottheauthorsnote! Pleasecommentwhatyouthinkwillhappen. Alsovoteandfollow!

~ Maddi