Changing Me

Chapter two

I walk through the door to my house and take my shoes off at the door. I hang my car keys up on the hook and start towards the noise I hear emanating from the kitchen.

Screaming children.

My mom is a daycare worker up until 4:00pm. When I was in middle school, all the kids would be long gone by the time I got home, but now that I'm in high school and get off way earlier, I am greeted every day with gross little children with marker all over their hands and face.

I turn the corner to my kitchen and right away on the dining room table sitting right in front of the glass walls peering into my backward, I see 6 little brats. 4 boys and 2 girls, all chasing each other around the table, using a paper towel roll as a sword.

My mother, a beautifully wonderful woman, clearly filled with stress, is about to lose her mind.

My mom is the spitting image of me. Right down the the big green eyes and long brown hair, and even the way our nose is shaped, small and thin. The only difference is that she wears glasses and I don't.

Things have been hectic around here since my dad left. That was a year ago. Hard to believe it's been that long when it only feels like a month.

He couldn't handle my mother anymore, who only ever gave him the best, but he always wanted more. He packed his bags one night and left us. I haven't seen or heard from him since.

He left my mom to fend for herself to pay for this big house on her own. We relied on his paycheck to feed us and take care of us. Then he left. Now mom is working all day as a babysitter. Charging by the hour per kid. Then she works nights at the hospital. We are still barely getting by.

I have one brother. He's 8 years old and he's on of the 4 boys running around the table. He was an accident, a late baby. Dad leaving hit him the worst. He was closer with him then I was. They did everything together. Then dad left one day leaving little Danny all by himself.

I jump in to save my mom, immediately taking the paper towel roll and and picking up the open marker and closing it back up again.

The kids start to make faces at me before running into the living room.

"Thank you so much Anika. I've been trying to get those out of their hands for an hour."

"I know mom. Why don't you go sleep. I'll take care of this."

"No I have to be here when their parents pick them up." she says, but she's barely standing up straight.

"They won't mind. Mom please. You've got bags under your eyes. Get some rest." She looks at me before sighing and smiling briefly before retreating up the stairs to her room.

I don't like seeing her like this. I think it's better than it used to be. She would cry herself to sleep. She knew the marriage was failed before he left, the tears were for me and my brother. She didn't know how she was going to provide for us.

I make my way into the living room with the kids and sit down on the couch, watching them scream and shout.

What a day.

~

I make my way into English, and my eyes immediately fall on the guy in the back. Wesley. Today he wears a red hoodie with khaki pants. He looks right over at me when I walk through the door and his face is turning the color of his sweatshirt.