The Truth About Katie

Chapter 2

Katie woke up to her alarm. She went into Neal's room and shook him awake. "Mmmmmmnnnnngggghh," he mumbled as he rolled over to the other side.

"Get up, Neal! Let's go!"

Neal reluctantly got up and walked over to his closet as Katie left. She went to the bathroom to take her shower. She slowly stripped herself of her pajamas and stepped into the shower.

She turned the water on and just stood there, letting the hot water spray onto the back of her naked body. Her red hair flattened against her neck and back and stray hairs went down into the drain.

After ten minutes, she decided she should wash. She lathered the shampoo into her hair and rinsed it out again. The conditioner stuck to her hair like glue, and she kept it there while she washed her body.

She didn't like her body. It was big, but not fat, and her arms and legs were long and dry. Her nails were round and chewed down. No matter how much times she washed her face, it would always look dirty, and every once in a while, she would see big scars that she didn't remember getting, but they would heal quickly.

She quickly rinsed it off then combed her fingers through her hair to get the conditioner out. When she was done, she stood in the shower for a final five minutes before she stepped out once more and shut off the water. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and looked in the mirror. She looked away and sighed.

She braced herself, then opened the door and ran through the cold air as she went into her room. What would she wear? She picked a Hamilton T-shirt, a stressed jean skirt, and black leggings. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and put on mismatched socks and jean high tops.

She went back into the bathroom and brushed her teeth with a toothbrush that really needed to be replaced and kids' blueberry toothpaste. She absolutely hated it, but Neal insisted on only getting it. He always got what he wanted. Katie was a full-time babysitter in his perspective, and he could shape her will into his. She grimaced as she put the toothpaste into her mouth and started to brush.

After an estimated two minutes, she spit it out and was relieved to get that disgusting stuff out of her mouth. Then she pulled out the super minty mouthwash and small flossers. She was happy to fill her mouth with the minty taste to wash away the disgusting artificial flavored paste. The flossers were a pain. It seemed like Neal got one thing that he wanted after another, and Katie was once in a while.

Breakfast was toaster waffles and microwavable sausages. Another one of Neal's requests that had been filled. It wasn't the most filling breakfast, but it was what they had. Neal stayed surprisingly quiet. "Neal?"

Neal was wearing jeans and football sweatshirt and had the hood up to reveal ruffled hair. Neal moved his arm across the table and his hood moved to reveal a bruise on his neck.

"Hmm?" Neal asked.

"Were you in Mom and Dad's room again?"

"So what if I was?"

"They hurt you!"

"So? What if I did?"

"You are my brother! I care about you! I told you not to go in there because of bruises like there!"

Neal had nothing to say to that. He just kept quietly eating his pancakes.

Soon, it was time to get onto the bus. Katie sat up near the front while Neal went to the very back. They were the first stop, so there was no one was on. Katie liked to talk with the bus driver before her bus partner came on. "Hi, Mrs. Frona!"

"Hello, Miss. Erner. How are you this fine morning?"

"Well, actually. You?"

"Oh, the same as always, my dear Katie. Tired, hungry, and braced for the loudness of teenage kids."