Troubled Life

Chapter One

"Yeah, school's out for winter!" everyone in Iowa-Grant high school yells as the bell rings to announce the start of the junior school year winter break. I am so happy I yell along with them. I walk out to my locker to find Allie standing there. "Hey, Allie, what's up?" I ask.

"Not much just asking you what you're going to do over winter break!" she exclaims.

"I don't know what I am going to do."

"Well, maybe you could come with me to Ellie's."

"Sure, sounds fun! See you there," I say, not knowing what I am getting into.

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As I walk into the house I yell,

"Lilliana, get down here and do your homework! Didn't Grandma tell you to stay down here until I was home?"

"But Erica!" Lilliana whines, " I don't want to do my homework! It's winter break I have two weeks to do my homework!"

"Lilliana you will get it done before Dad comes home! He'll be really mad if you aren't done. And you know it!" I exclaim. "So get it done!" My voice is strict yet kind. I know how she feels. We have lived with Dad for six years; Mom passed away six and a half years ago. Grandma and Grandpa had watched us for that half of a year. I miss my Mom very much and I have gotten into tons of trouble since I came to this school if I get in anymore trouble I might not be living here anymore. Lilliana would be living here by herself and I can't let that happen! Dad would beat her and he would be very strict, stricter than now. Lilliana better get her homework done or else...

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Dad comes home at 7:30, that is four and a half hours after we get home. So I have plenty of time to cook supper and get the chores done. It takes only three and a half hours until I get done. I know that Dad is on our street five minutes later, and the only reason I know is because I record the time it takes to go down the road and when he gets back every day. When he walks in the door I know what's coming. He will yell at us. Say we need to get the table set in six minutes, clean it after supper, sweep the floor, and wipe the table down. After all that it will be time for bed.

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After supper, Lilliana gets ready for bed while I sweep and mop the floor, and while she gets ready, I have to help Dad. I am just glad the party is tomorrow. I can get away from Dad for the day, maybe even the night! "Erica!!!!" Dad yells. Uh oh! I'm in trouble, I think in my head. I walk upstairs into his office and sit down. As soon as he walks in my breath catches, "Dad...." I start in, but before I can say anymore he cuts in,

"I am happy you have got your chores done and your sister got her homework done, too!" I sigh in relief and partly because of the pain from holding my breath. It's a habit I just so happened to pick up from my Mom. She was always the one to stand up to my father and she never had yelled at us. Unlike my father my mother was always there for us; she was an angel. My father is just a dead demon that cares only about himself and his wealth. Why did I ever agree to come back here! I hate it here! I think in my head. I miss Mom and I hate my father! "Now, go get to sleep, you have a party to attend tomorrow."

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I wake up sweating. I must have had a nightmare, I realize. As I get out of bed and get dressed my sister pops her head in my bedroom door,

"You okay?" she asks. "I heard you crying and thought I'd come see what was wrong."

"Nothing! It was just a bad dream. Sorry, Lilliana," I say. " I... I can't remember what the dream was about." As soon as she's gone I go downstairs and grab something to eat. Then I walk out to the car and hop in.