Shaken

Chapter 1

 This first chapter is a mess... I hope you guys don't mind! Please vote! :D

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     “I swear I woke up struggling to breathe. It’s the third time this week!” Abby was walking down the hallway during Friday recess with her best friend Traci. 

     “I don’t know what to tell you Abs. I’ll pray for you though.”

     Abby smiled. She knew Traci would say that. Ever since she had ‘been saved’ Traci was always praying for Abby. Abby didn’t like that about Traci. Now that Traci was a Christian, her popularity plummeted and Abby didn’t want to risk losing her popularity if she was hanging out with Traci. As they walked into their Honors English class, Abby could feel her other friends’ judgmental glares. But she knew they wouldn’t say anything. After all, she was the top. Who was going to challenge her?

     On the way home, Abby couldn’t shake the feeling that her dream was more than just a dream. She jumped up the front steps to the apartment that she and her dad were living in and put her key in the door. She twisted it in its slot, but then realized the door was already open. Dad must be home. Abby thought. She set her backpack on the floor and walked down the small hallway to her dad’s bedroom to see him sprawled across his bed, asleep. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the apartment and blocked out any other scents that filled the building. Sighing in disappointment, Abby ambled to her bedroom and flopped down into her computer seat. She turned on the monitor and signed into her e-mail. Traci wasn’t online yet so Abby turned the monitor off and started her homework.

     That night, Abby made herself dinner and watched TV until she started to nod off. Then she went to her dad’s bedroom and closed the door. On it was a note that said:

“Abby –

I was feeling nauseous during work, so I took the rest of the day off. Sorry we couldn’t do something together today.

- Dad”

     Abby groaned, and walked to her room. She threw the note into the top drawer of her computer desk with the rest of her dads little notes.

                                                                                   ♫ ♫ ♫

     Abby woke up to her CD alarm blaring ‘Daughters’ by John Mayer. It was 9:00am on a Saturday. Why had her alarm gone off? She slowly pushed the covers off of her cold body. Changing into a bright blue t-shirt and jeans, Abby strode down the hallway to the kitchen. Her dad was sitting at the counter drinking coffee, and fiddling with an empty cigarette box.

      “Good morning.” He said.

     Abby looked at him and nodded. She didn’t have to talk to him. Her excuse – she was tired. Abigail opened the fridge and pulled out a container of milk; an empty container of milk. She threw it in the recyclables box, and pulled out a new one. Opening the cupboard, Abby looked at the 7 boxes of cereal. What should she pick? The sugary cereals were too sweet for a glum morning like this. The Rice Crispies were too loud. She was feeling quiet. It was the morning for raisin and bran cereal. The mushy, gushy, gross looking cereal. Abby held back a snort as she remembered the first time Traci had had breakfast at her house. She'd teased Abby about her cereal choices for the rest of the week.  She pulled down the raisin and bran box, plunking it on the counter across from her dad. A bowl and spoon was acquired, and the cereal and milk poured. Abby’s dad looked at her guiltily. She knew what was coming. He was going to the office again this weekend.