My Side of the Story

Spiders

  ~one year later~

  Annabeth's pov

  I sigh as I tap my pencil on my book. Why do I have to have dyslexia? Why do I have to have the attention span of a fly when it comes to anything, but learning? And why does Bobby or Matthew have to keep throwing cheerios at me?

  It's been a year since Dad and... Mom got married. My twin brothers are about four months, just old enough to start throwing stuff. And, man, do they get a kick out of it!

  Tommorow's my birthday.

  ...Mom says we're going somewhere special. I don't know where but I hope it's a bookstore or a meuseum or something of that nature.

  "Daddy! Bobby or Matthew won't stop throwing cheerios!" I say loud enough for my father to hear me from the study. ...Mom walks in and smiles at her sons. She smiles at me too then walks up to them.

  "Are you tired of cheerios?" She asks in a baby voice. I smile slightly then grab my book. "I'll be in the backyard,... Mom."

  "Alright, come in when it gets dark okay?" I nod and quickly head outside.

  There was a few ferns in one corner of the yard that I had made a little hide out in. A blanket with a barn owl on it layed on the tarp inside the space. A small plastic box with a lid on it contained some of my favorite books, snacks, and pencils and paper.

  I love drawing.

  I end up reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Yes, I'm a six year old and I read thick books way over my age level, problem?

  Another reason why I get bullied. I get a good way in before I realize... Mom's calling me for dinner. I sigh, put in my book mark, and get out of my cozy little hide-out.

  Dad wants me to start calling Ms. Dimond, now Mrs. Chase, mom. Like I said earlier, I don't want a new mommy, I want my mommy.

  I walk inside and sit by Daddy. I look at my plate in front of me. Fried catfish with a side of green beans and mash potatos.

  "What would you like to drink Annie?" Daddy asks me.

  "What do we have?" I ask, looking at him.

  "Sweet tea, orange juice, capri sun, and milk." He says.

  "Milk please." He pours me a glass. "Thank you."

  "Your welcome."

  I fall silent as I start eating my catfish. Dad and ...Mom start talking.

  "So, Annie, how was your day?" Dad asks me. I glance at him then take a bite of mash potatos. "Uh, good, I guess. Just read some Harry Potter..." I say quietly.

  No matter how much I love my daddy, it was always just a tad akward, like he was never sure what to do next...

  "Didn't you already read that?"

  "Seven times." I say, bringing a green bean to my mouth.

  "Sounds like you need some new books." Dad chuckles.

  "I've already read everything at the library." I say quietly.

  "Already? When did you do that?"

  "A month ago..." I say. I take a drink of my milk and glance over at my brothers. They look exactly alike, even ...Mom had a hard time telling them apart.

  We fall silent again. I finish my last bite. "May I be excused?" I ask.

  "Sure sweety, go to bed soon, okay?"

  "Yes sir." I say and go put my dishes in the sink then go upstairs. I flop on my bed and watch the ceiling fan go in circles. I sigh and roll over.

  Something furry jumps on my back and curls up, purring contently.

  "Callie, come on, let me roll over." I say as my calico kitten makes herself at home. I sigh and lay my head on my arms, enjoying the warmth.

  I fall asleep like that.

  I wake up in the middle of the night, feeling something crawling on me. Callie was now laying on my pillow.

  I look at my legs as something painful bites me. My eyes widen in fear as I relize it's a spider. I kick my legs frantically to get away from the thing. Spiders have alway terrified me, and they always seem to find me.

  It flies off and I crawl backwards, my back now against the wall and my legs under the grey blanket with a snowy owl on it. I shake as I see more spiders crawling towards me.

  "Daddy!" I scream. I hear baby crys from the room beside me but I don't care. "Daddy!"

  I hear footsteps and the spiders quickly scuttle away. The door opens, not my father stands there, but my step mother.

  "What is all this racket? Why are you screaming?" She asks, a little annoyed at being woken up.

  "Sp-sp-spiders..." I whisper, terrified.

  She looks around. "Annie, there aren't any spiders here, now go back to sleep." She yawns then closes the door.

  The spiders come back, but I dare not scream again.

  I finally fell asleep again, terrified. I was covered in red bites and I had woken ...Mom up three more times, making her even more annoyed with me. And to tell you the truth, this isn't even the first time that spiders have done this, but it was the first time with ...Mom. She refused to call Daddy no matter how many times I've begged her too.

  The spiders came back every night, and every night ...Mom got even more upsett with me.

  ~one month later~

  "DADDY!" I scream. The boys started crying loudly and the spiders started biting me. I swat at them terrified.

  The door slams open and the spiders are gone. "That is enough, young lady!" Mom yells at me. "I am sick and tired of it! There are no spiders here! You are scaring your little brothers! Don't they matter to you!?"

  I whimper and she slams the door shut, storming off to her room.