The Wish

Part One, Chapter One: Arabella Sanders

    I guess you could say I'm a normal teenager, except, in some ways, I'm not normal. I hate to admit it, but I hate my life. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but at the same time, I can't stand them. It's like I can never get away from them, no matter how hard I try. We always argue about the pettiest things, and it's so irritating. I'm always biting my tongue and bottling everything up inside. Sometimes my mother has this way of making me feel like an unwanted burden. Other times she's giving me guilt trips because I'm growing up. Nobody outside of the family knows about my mother's emotionally abusive habits. My youth leaders, Joe and LouAnn Robinson, my coworker, Carlotta Dominick, and my coworker and second mom, Jasmine Waters, are the only ones I've been able to talk to about how my mother treats me. I think they all know about how I keep silently wishing I could've been born into a different family. Little did I know, my wish for a different family was about to come true. I'm Arabella Verna-Mae Sanders, and this is my story about the wish.
It started off as any normal day, or at least, my type of normal. I woke up, went to school, had choir practice and a brief drama club meeting. After the meeting, I walked home. When I got home to get ready to go to work at one of our town's only grocery stores, my mom started fighting with me. I saw my mom's car parked in front of the house. I silently prayed that she remembered about choir and drama club. Knowing her, she forgot, and she was about to start an argument about it. I made my way through the front door that was left open, took off my shoes, and walked into the living room.
"What are you doing home early, Mom," I asked.
"Where the hell have you been," Mom asked me with an angered tone in her voice. I rolled my eyes.
"I gave you a reminder a week ago that I had choir and a drama club meeting," I stated, "Where's Adrianna?"
"Gram picked her up because you weren't here like you were supposed to be," Mom answered, "Now I have to drive all the way to Berryville to get her."
"You act like it takes two freaking hours to get to Berryville from here," I retorted, "It's a mere twenty minute drive from here to Berryville. Besides, Gram and I had already arranged for her to pick Adrianna up from school to watch her while I was gone. She was going to bring her back before you got home from work. I told you all of this."
    "You're never home to look after Adrianna, you know," my mom started, "You're always out and about. You're never here!"
    "Oh, forgive me for growing up and doing exactly as you said," I sneered, "You were the one that wanted me to get a job, so I don't want to hear it. I'm not quitting my job just so you can have a free babysitter."
"By the way, you're grounded for a month," Mom yelled, "Give me your phone and your iPad. You are to come straight home every day after school and choir."
"Excuse you, but the agreement was that you are no longer able to take my phone or my iPad away," I yelled back, "I pay for the damn things, now, not you! My God, you can't remember anything!" I stormed out of the living room and went upstairs to my bedroom to start getting ready for work. I checked my phone to see what time it was. Only 3:36. I didn't have to be to work until 5.
    I unlocked my phone so I could text Jasmine about the fight I just had with my mom.
    ME: Momma bear, I got into a fight with my mom again. What else is new? I hate living here. I need to move out. I wish I could live with you and Mark but I know that'll never happen.
    Her response came about three minutes later.
    MOMMA BEAR JASMINE: I know it's hard for you to be there with your mom, but you'll be old enough to be on your own soon. I'll see you when you come in to work. Love you to the moon and back to infinity and beyond, little cub.
    I texted her back real quick and I started getting ready for work. I can't deal with the fighting anymore, but right now I'm stuck here. I can't move in with my dad because, well, I don't know the guy. I can't move in with my grandparents. They don't want me. Sometimes it seems like nobody wants to deal with me. My phone started going off while I was fixing my hair. My youth leaders, Joe and LouAnn were calling me.
"Hey, what's going on," I said as I put my phone up to my ear.
"Hey, Belle, Joe and I were wondering if you were going to the church dinner tomorrow night," LouAnn stated, "It's being set up in the grassy part next to the church. Ben and Morgan will be there with little Sadie."
"Are Breanna and Grace going, too," I asked as a smile spread across my face.
"Breanna's going," LouAnn answered, "Her boyfriend, Frankie, will be there, as well. Gracie might go if she's not too busy at the barn."
"Awesome," I responded, "I have to go get ready for work, Lou. I'll text you when I get out. Love you."
"Love you too, Belle," LouAnn said before she hung up.
After LouAnn and I finished talking, I finished getting myself ready for work, and went in about ten minutes early as usual. I made my way into the break room where Jasmine and Carlotta were sitting together talking.
"There she is! Hello, Princess Belle," Carlotta said with a smile.
"Hey, hey," I smiled back.
"So, is everything between you and your mother okay now," Jasmine asked.
"When are things ever okay in my house," I sighed, "Nothing will change. She's always going to find something to get on my ass about. You know, sometimes I wish I had a different family. Maybe then my life would be somewhat easier."
"Be careful with what you wish for," Jasmine stated sternly as she looked at me with her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes, "You never know if it'll come true."
"Ha," I laughed, "You don't honestly think that wishes and dreams come true, do you?"
"Anything's possible, Belle," Carlotta joked.
"You might get your wish," Jasmine explained, "But it won't be everything you would have hoped for. You may not like the consequences." I looked at both of them and laughed.
     I worked my shift and went home. As usual, my mom found something to fight with me about. I ignored her and went upstairs to get ready for bed. My phone started going off. It was a text from Jasmine.
    MOMMA BEAR JASMINE: Hey little cub, do you want to come with Mark and I to the church tomorrow after you get out of school to help set up for the dinner?
    ME: OMG please! Anything to get me out of the house! Can I come over for a little bit after it's over please? I miss the dogs so much.
    MOMMA BEAR JASMINE: I suppose you can come over for a little bit. Do you know if your mom is bringing anything to the dinner?
    ME: She's downstairs making brownies now. Joe and LouAnn Robinson are bringing pie. I'm not sure what kind. I don't know if Carlotta's bringing anything. I'm gonna make a salad in the morning.
    MOMMA BEAR JASMINE: Carlotta's bringing either baked ziti or lasagna. Can't remember which. Goodnight little cub. Love you to the moon and back to infinity and beyond.
    ME: Goodnight momma bear. Love you to the moon and back to infinity and beyond, too.
    After putting my phone on the charger, I set the alarm for 5:30 so that I could make the salad. I fell asleep and had the perfect dream. A dream about living with the perfect family. No fights, no belittling, no guilt trips, nothing negative. It was perfect. We all got along so well, and we were all close as can be. I wish my family was like that, but I know that it never was, and it never will be. It all fell apart after my great-grandmother died. She was the glue that held the family together. After she died, the whole family got into a huge argument, and none of us haven't spoken to a majority of them in 3 years.
    My alarm went of exactly at 5:30. I jumped out of bed and quietly made my way downstairs to the kitchen to get started on the salad. I rummaged through the fridge for the head of lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and the cheese. As I worked my way chopping up each ingredient, I put them into the large salad bowl and tossed it frequently. I grabbed a fork from the dish drainer and took a little bit of the salad to taste it. It was good, but obviously it needed a bit of dressing. I sent a text to my mom to let her know that Jasmine was picking me up after school. After I finished that text, I took my time getting ready for school, then grabbed my backpack, and I ran out the door to meet up with one of my best friends, Sylvia Bancroft.
    "Hey, Belle," Sylvia greeted me as she walked up to the corner of the sidewalk.
    "Hey, Sylvie," I greeted back, "Are you coming to the church dinner tonight?"
    "Yes, I am," Sylvia responded, "My mom's bringing a cheese platter and a fruit salad. Are you going?"
    "Yep," I quietly replied, "My mom will be there unfortunately." Sylvia looked at me and rolled her eyes. The rest of our walk to school was pretty quiet. I spent the school day trying to avoid passing the guidance office and avoiding the guidance counselors at all costs. I put on a fake smile and acted happy so that I wouldn't get sent down there. It's one of the hardest things to do, but I was told the next time I go in there "complaining about how much my life sucks" as the principal says, I'll get sent to the hospital.
    At exactly 2:20, the dismissal bell rang. A huge smile spread across my face because at that moment, I knew I didn't have to go straight home. I was going to the only place where I felt wanted and loved.