Framed

Chapter 4: Ari

CHAPTER 4: ARI

It was nice of Blake to suddenly offer me a ride home. but that doesn't change the fact that he's an asshole.

He thinks he's so badass because he did some graffiti a couple of times but he's really not.

My mom was in the kitchen when I walked in. A million thing were going on at once. My baby sister was crying, my toddler brother, Isaiah was running around the island, screaming and my mother was on the phone whilst attempting to make dinner.

I decided to step in and help. A found Jillian's pacifier on the floor and rinsed it before sticking it back in her mouth and put on a rerun episode of Barney for Isaiah.

I took the cutting board from my mom and helped finish chopping carrots for the soup.

My mother, who was still on the phone retreated to her bedroom to talk in peace.

I sat down and took a deep breath. Sometimes it still astounded me how some parents were so bad with kids. Kids were easy to figure out. You just ask them whatever, and usually they tell you the truth, while adults are all closed off and insecure. Adults are the real trouble.

My eyes drifted to the tv screen. Barney was teaching the kids about playground manners. Didn't any of the kids find it creepy that this gigantic dinosaur is teaching them about life? Like where the hell are their parents?

My mom emerged from her bedroom and connected the landline back to the charger.

"I heard you got arrested today." She said nonchalantly.

"Yeah well I'm being wrongfully convicted of a crime so..."

"Wait so you're going to jail?"

"Is that what convicted means? No, no I'm just one of two top suspects in an arson case. They have no evidence against me and I was never officially arrested." I explained.

"Ariella, why are you a top suspect?" Obviously my mother didn't appreciate nicknames.

"I don't know, because I burned down that shed last year, in February." I said sarcastically.

"See I knew it. I knew it!" She wagged a finger at me "Ariella, I told you your petty crimes are still crimes and are going to come back and bite you in the ass!"

"Mom!" I nodded to my siblings both focused on the dinosaur.

"Sorry." She apologized "Bite you in the butt. Wait who turned Barney on? I hate that purple bastard, he creeps me out." My mom started slicing an onion.

"Mom, how would you raise your own children without me?" I asked as I walked to my room and locked the door behind me.

I logged onto my computer and stared at an empty document for my geography paper due in two days. I was about to start, when I heard my father come home and my mother call for me to tell me it was time for dinner.

"I talked to Ariella's friend Katerine today and m-"

"Dad, when can I dye my hair again?" Was the first question I asked as I walked into the kitchen

"Ariella, is that going to be you're greeting to me every day now?"

"I am until you give me an answer."

"Fine. In a month." He concluded

"What?! That's so far away!"

"You asked for an answer, I gave you one now lets sit."

"Fine then.......I'm dying my hair pink!"

"Yeah, you can do that in a month!"

"Leo! Don't you remember the no rainbow colors rule?" My mom begged

"Come on guys what if I got it dyed sooner and didn't get pink?"

"You aren't in a position for bargaining." Dad sat down at the table with a steaming plate of food in his hands.

My mom always fed Jillian and yelled at Isaiah to eat his food. My father was never any help. He insisted that raising children was for women. He was...sexist you could say. At least when no one else was around.

"Leo can you feed Jillian while I tun after Isaiah?" my mom asked getting up from her chair.

I already knew the answer.

"I'm sure you can take care of it just fine darling." He said simply.

I was watching all of this from behind the kitchen counter where I was fixing my plate of food.

My mom chased after Isaiah and I took her place and fed Jillian.

"Come on Jillian, you've got to eat." Nothing. "Peas are yummy, come on Jillian."

Reluctantly, the baby opened up so I could spoon the green mush into her mouth.

My Mom strapped Isaiah into a highchair and fixed her own plate. Without bothering to resume feeding Jill. I sighed quietly and ignored the rumbling in my stomach. Everyone was done, by the time I sat down to eat, and had cleared the table.

My food was cold.

I literally did almost everything in raising my siblings. Feeding them, picking them up from daycare, changing the baby, entertaining them and in a couple of minutes my mom would come into the living room, where my dad would be reading the newspaper, ask for his help, have him decline, complain to me about how either kids wouldn't fall asleep and then ask me for help.

It was the same routine every night.

What was going to happen to Jill and Isaiah when I graduated and went to college? (Most likely a community college because if my grades and criminal record).

And after I graduate college, I want to get out of this hellish of a state as quickly as possible.

I sure hoped my little siblings would be okay without me.

"Ariella, can you help me? Jill and Isaiah won't fall asleep!"

I abandoned my cold soup, to help put the kids down.

The same routine every night.