into the night [cazzie]

one

IZZIE KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A LONG SUMMER. Most of her summers consisted of not hanging out with anyone, as she was stuck at home, taking care of her siblings. Since she was out of school, her mom had no need to actually be sober in order to take care of the baby. She was passed out in the day and she left around 9 o'clock every night to God knows where. Her boyfriend had broken up with her and left the house a couple days ago, so it was just her, with no incentive to do anything.

On nights where Izzie wasn't able to sleep, she would lay in bed, waiting for her mom to come home. Somehow, hearing the door open and her mom drunkenly stumble in at 3 am allowed for Izzie to feel some sort of peace, comforted knowing that her mom was safe this night. At least, she had enough security to sleep then. Deep down, Izzie knew that she still cared for her mom's well-being, even if she couldn't give two shits about her. It hurt to know, but it was the sad truth.

However, tonight, it was well past 3, and her mom had been home for quite some time. But Izzie still laid awake. Staring at the ceiling, she thought of the past events of the last couple of months or so, before she met Casey. Back then, Izzie definitely didn't have a perfect life, but it was constant. She would go to school, go to track practice, then come home, do her homework, and take care of the family. Now, Casey threw in another variable she had to balance and carry in her juggling act.

But now, with Casey ignoring her, Izzie still couldn't just focus on the rest of her stuff. She was hung up on Casey. Izzie sat up in bed, tired of being unable to sleep, and turned on her phone. She first went into messages, as she got a couple of new notifications, slightly hopeful. However, there was no word from Casey, which left Izzie sad and longing.

Suddenly, Izzie's lonely thoughts were interrupted by a crying sound. The family didn't have enough money for a house with rooms for all four kids and their mom, so they doubled up. Izzie, being the oldest, shared a room with the baby, Marco, so that when he cried, she would be able to get there fast and not disturb anyone for too long.

Izzie sighed, going up to the crib and picking the boy up. She rocked him gently, humming to try to calm him down. As she stood there, calming her baby brother down, she tried not to think about how she knew him better than his mom knew him. Their mom probably would never know him that well, and that was sad to think about.

Once Marco was fast asleep, Izzie placed him back into his crib gently. She smiled at him, glad he was okay. He was a beautiful boy, with his mom's complexion and facial features. However, his little bit of fuzzy hair made it strikingly obvious that he was the black sheep of the family. His hair was completely straight, and blond, unlike the hair of his siblings, which was dark and wavy. He was only their half sibling, and none of the other kids knew who his father was. Izzie didn't even know herself, and she doubted her mom knew. And that pissed her off. How was she that irresponsible?

Izzie, once again, heard noises, pushing the thoughts out of her mind. There was a slight knocking at the door, and then the door opened a crack. She heard the shuffling of feet, and she turned on the bedside lamp to find her younger sister, Lydia.

She was just a year younger than Izzie, 15 and just completed 9th grade at Jefferson High School, the public high school of the town. Izzie was supposed to go there, but Clayton gave her a full ride scholarship for track, which allowed her to go to private school. Lydia was closest in age to Izzie, and she took care of Marco and Luca, their five year-old brother, while Izzie was out at track practice, hanging out with Nate, and elsewhere.

Izzie did the same for her during her school events, and they had to balance it out. In addition, Lydia worked a job at the local ice cream stand, to make money to pay for a babysitter during the day for Marco, which their mom neglected. However, their mom did buy the basic necessities, but Lydia had a savings stash in case things went downhill for a second time. Izzie also had a job lined up this summer so that she could make money, too. This way, both of them could work the daytime while a babysitter looked after the kids, making twice as much.