A Tearless World (Editing!)

Chapter 2: Changes

As soon I walked into the door, I could feel a tense atmosphere around the house. Everyone was busy getting ready and trying to look as fancy and posh as possible. I personally couldn't see the point in trying to impress people that you don't even know and will probably never see again. It's just such a waste of time.

"Ali, is that you?" My mum called from upstairs.

"Yes mum." I called back, as she appeared coming down the stairs in her best dress and posh diamond earrings.

"You’re late!" She said sternly.

"A few minutes!" I protested.

This time it wasn't actually my fault. I needed to put something in my lockeron the way out ofschool for tomorrow, and when I got there, some idiot boys decided that now was the perfect time to have a fight. They were blocking the only wayIcould get to the lockers. By the time the teachers finally came, I'd given up and started walking home with J.

"For the third time this week! You know we're going out tonight to celebrate Jack's birthday and you know that we're leaving by 5 o'clock because we're picking your cousins up on the way! I asked one little thing of you that's all! Anyway, at least your here now." Shecontinued angrily.For some reason she always hatesme being late. I always have to be exactly on time for everything and it’s only me she fusses over getting it right. Sometimes I really wonder how I am a part of this family.

"I'll go andget ready then." I said sighing and then walking up the stairs. My mum hurried off into the living room, probably looking for something ‘important!’

"You've got half an hour to get ready or we're leaving without you!" She called.

"I hope so!" I mumbled to myself.

“And I put your dress on your bed!"

"What!" I called back angrily as I turned round to face her head on.I hate dresses and she knows that!

"I'm not wearing a dress, forget it!" I laughed bitterly at the thought.

"Oh yes you are!We're all dressing smartly to this dinner and that includes you Ali!"

"I don't care about looking nice and fancy, unlike some people in this house!”

"No arguments! You’re wearing a dress and that's final!"I knew there was no point in arguing further. Once my mum made up her mind about something, that's it. Hardly anyone can ever persuade her to change it. And unfortunately for me, I'm not one that can. When I walkedonto the landing, I saw my brother Jack smirking outside his bedroom door.

"What you laughing at!" I said, giving him an evil glace.

"Nothing!" He remarked, even thoughhe still had a huge grin spread across his face. I decided to ignore him and walked into my room slamming the door.

I threw all my school stuff on the floor and saw the big ugly dress laid across my bed. It’s the most hideous dress I've ever seen! Its pink (my worst colour ever) with awful frills and has red ribbons all over it. I felt like tearing into little pieces there and then! But I knew that if there was even the smallest tear on it then I would be grounded for months! That's one of the problems I have with my mum, she's so picky at everything, unlike me.

I picked up the horrible thing and threw it to the other side of the room. I quickly rushed to my wardrobe to look for something ‘acceptable’ to wear for tonight. Nothing. All I had that's nearly halfdecent for something like this, in my mum's mind, is my smart pair of trousers and a plain white top with an olddenim jacket.

I got changed and put my hair up. For some reason I'm just not into all that girly stuff. I don't know why, it's just not me. When I was finally ready, I checked my clock, ten to five, great. I know my mum will flip when she she’s me in this rather than that hideous thing, but she can't force me to wear it. Even if she says she'll ground me forever I don’t care I'm not wearing it!

I was about to go and tell my mum that I was ready ten minutes early, and get the shouting about my dress over with, when I suddenly realized that I needed some shoes. I ran to my wardrobe and flung the doorsopen. Where are my sparkly trainers! I shouted inside my head.

I quickly rushed onto the landing. "Mum! Mum!” I called from the top of the stairs. "Where are my sparkly trainers?"Icalled to her, as she came into view.

"You’re not wearing them to dinner! There far too informal and besides,there covered in mud!" She called back.I saw her eyes suddenly fix on me, I knew what was coming. "And what are you wearing?" She said, her voice level nowrising with irritation, and slight horror. I looked down at myclothes. How did I know she'd have a problem with them!

"What, what's wrongwith them?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Where's you dress?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe in Poland." I continued, pulling a confused face. But that didn’t help at all.

"Don't give me that face, where is it?” I didn't say anything. "Well you better goand find it then because we're leaving in five minutes and I'm notletting you go to dinnerdressed like that!"

"So don't make me go! Let me stay here and wear what I want!" I shouted, losing my temper.

"Put it on now!" She said, a little calmer than before.

"You can't make me!" I folded my arms.

"Oh, well unless you go and put on that dress right nowyou'll have to go to dinner in your old bunny outfit from last Halloween and have no TV or computer for a week and you'll be grounded for a month. Deal?" She said satisfied. She knew that this would make me back down. I knew there was no point in arguing any more. I guess I'll just have to face the humiliation of being seen in that thing for the evening. I stormed back up to my room to get changed.

By five o'clock we were all assembled downstairs, except for my brother.When he finally came down, looking horridly perfect as always, I thought my mum would flip seen as he wasn’t down here by exactly five. But no, not for Mr Perfect. It's so unfair!

"Are we already to go mummy?" He asked smugly, coming down the stairs.

"Yes dear, we're all ready." she replied.

"Good. Oh how lovely you look Ali! All pretty and frilly!" He said laughing. I could have hit him there and then, but as I went to my mum stopped me.

"Ali!" She said sharply. Soon after that, we all left and got in the car. We were meeting our dad there as he didn't have time to get back here before going to the restaurant from work.

Soon enough, we were all assembled in the car waiting to go. Then we set off, on our way to pick up our cousins before going to the restaurant. Or Thing 1 and Thing 2 as I call them. They are the most irritating, annoying and mischievous twins I’ve ever met! Just the thought of them coming tonight made me dread going to dinner even more than before, and I didn’t think that was even possible!