I woke to a bright light. The sun. I had fallen asleep next to Connor on the wood floor of the tree house. Great. I was stuck in hell for another Sunday. I pushed myself up off of the floor and headed to the whiteboard that hung against the wood wall. I blew the spider web that stuck to the blue marker before writing Connor a small note,
I woke up if you haven't noticed. I went back to my place. Text me when you get home. xx
I looked over at the sleeping boy. This was my favorite sight of all time. Con looked peaceful and relaxed. With a toothless grin, I slipped down to earth. My feet walked along the forest floor. Thoughts for my next plan danced in my head. I couldn't leave again at 3 in the morning. Knowing now that Connor might be up, it would be stupid to think of doing it again.
A loud crash shatters my ears for a moment. The ladder that belonged to my father leaned against the side of his two story house. Silence. I climbed up the metal stairway to my still open window. The room was basically bare. 7:00 am. My feet wandered over to the bedroom door. A small creak escaped the hinges. My grey green eyes peered through the small crack. All of the lights were off. No sound was made. I pushed the door a little more. I was fully in the hallway.
I walked past Axel's room. The light was on. The smell of weed stumbled upon my nose. I held my breathe. I walked farther down. The light was off in my parents room. It was not closed fully. I peeked in to see my mother wrapped in the covers dead asleep. My father was not there.
I turned on my heel. My stomach growled. Breakfast. I tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen. I passed the dining room. "Good Morning Asher. How did you sleep last night?" His voice was cheerful. Fake. This family learned how to be a dollhouse. Put on a fake persona filled with perfection for the world but was a mess on the inside.
"I didn't Erik. You know what I also didn't hear?" I refused to call him Dad. He looked at me. His stern grey eyes followed my actions precisely not daring to say a word. I took a sip of my orange juice before continuing. "You come home last night. Where were you exactly?"
This pissed him off. He slammed the newspaper he once held onto the table. Some of the coffee from his mug spilled out. "Asher May Quincey you have no right to talk to me like that. Now go get dressed. We are leaving for church in an hour. Make sure your brother is ready too."
I walked away. That was another thing. My dad insisted on going to church even though he broke many rules of the bible. I walked out the front door. My suitcase was still in my trunk. I rolled the thing behind me. Not bothering to unpack, I pulled out a black dress. I slipped it over my head and looked in my mirror. Good enough.
My wavy auburn hair fell perfectly into loose curls. My makeup was natural. My black wedges blistered my feet. I was a doll in a dollhouse. I walked through the hallway holding my breathe. The smell of drugs was prominent. "Axel?" I knocked on the door. After another knock, it swung open. His dark hair was styled perfectly. His grey blue eyes dilated and still a little red. A dark blue button up sat nicely on his torso above khaki jeans. He was a doll in a dollhouse. My brother was handsome, but would never be husband material. The 19 almost 20 year old worked at a Taco Bell and refused to go to college. In secondary school he showed potential, but then he met his now best friend. "What?"
"It is time to go." With the closing of his door, we headed downstairs to find my parents. My dad was handsome too, but not husband material either. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. His hair was turning grey like his eyes. A white button up tucked under black dress pants were worn over his body. A red tie hung from his neck. My mother was beautiful but unstable. Her blonde curls framed her face nicely. Although she always wore a smile, her soft green eyes said other wise. The ruby dress matched my father's tie. They looked perfect. They too were dolls in a dollhouse.
