GABRIEL. (UNDER CRITICAL EDITING)

Chapter 1

- Gabriel

Fun Fact: The biggest issue I have with the abuse is trying to hide it. When I go to school, I have to wear pants and sweaters, no matter what time of year it is.

"Gabriel! Can you come downstairs, please?" I hear my foster mother call from downstairs; I can tell that she's just gotten home from work. I rush down the steps to see what she wants.

"Yes ma'am?" I ask.

"Why the aren't these dishes washed?" She inquires, pointing to the few dishes sitting in the sink.

"I had to finish my homework. I was going to do them afterwards." I reply.

"No, you're going to do what I tell you to do first." She says, walking up the stairs. I sigh heavily and begin washing the dishes. There were literally like 5 dishes in the sink. She couldn't just wait a while instead of bitching about it?

See, I live in a foster home. I've been in and out of foster homes for basically my whole life. My real parents and younger brother were all killed in a drive by that my uncle set up, and I was put into foster care because I have no more family. My foster families always kicked me out, saying that I was "emotionally unstable" and that I cried too much. The family I live with now wont kick me out for anything. They say that they can "whip me into shape." But so far all they do is whip me.

They abuse me on a daily basis- physical and verbal. They're always saying "We're doing this for your own good, Gabriel. The world's tough and we're just preparing you for it." I'm seventeen years old and their fifteen year old daughter is out of the house more than I am. They have two daughters, Bethany and Amber. Bethany's my age and Amber's the fifteen year old.

I finish up the dishes and begin up the stairs, just as Bethany calls for me.

"Gabriel!" She yells.

"What?" I call back with slight attitude in my tone.

"Could you come here for a second?" I enter her room and she's sitting on her bed eating something that looks completely unappealing.

"Give me my remote off the dresser, would ya'? And on your way out, turn out the light, please." Are you kidding me? She called me in here for this?

"You called me in here for that?" I ask.

"Uh, yes." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." I throw the remote on the bed and turn the light out, then walk out of the room.

I hate this house! I have no outside life because I have no phone or friends, and I can't go anywhere because they're afraid I'll tell someone what goes on in here. This is absolute hell.

**

Today is the first day of my junior year of high school. I guess you could say I'm nervous; I'm not really the talking type. Ever since my family died, I haven't gotten very close to anyone. When I go to school I'm usually the silent girl in the back of class, never really communicating. I stay silent, do my work and leave. It's the same thing everyday of my boring-barely existent, actually-life.

Bethany and Amber ride in Bethany's car to school, but I have to ride the bus. They also go to private schools, but I go to this run down school on the other side of town. I wait for the bus and when it finally approaches my stop, I get on. It reeks of must and sweat, and the bus driver's a total ass. I walk to the back of the bus just as I do every day.

Most of the kids are listening to music through their ear buds or socializing with their friends. A lot of them are asleep, too. I get to my usual seat and sit back, just as the bus begins to pull off. I can already feel that today will be a boring one.