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I begin walking home, the wet autumn leaves getting stuck to my boots in a nice yet annoying contrast. The rain gets heavier and before I can get my umbrella out of my bag, I'm home. There's a light shining out from the window of my living room, and I can see my mum bustling about cleaning and dusting while my dad sits on the couch just moving his feet every so often for the hoover. I laugh a little and put my key in the lock.

"I'm home." I shout to them, but all the noise probably made it difficult to hear me. I take off my shoes then walk to the living room.

It's my apartment, but due to my dad being unable to find work after he was fired for 'unruly conduct' they now stay with me. They're waiting until my dad turns 50, which is in a couple of months, until they move out. By that time my mum will have gotten back to work and my dad finished his 'holiday'. I sit on the couch and settle myself to watch the TV.

"How's Mary, dear?" My mum asks, before unplugging her cleaning appliances and putting on her slippers. "I hear she had a bit of a cough." She puts a cup of tea on the glass table beside me and lifts her feet on to the couch.

"She's fine." I answer, then turn back to the TV. The room settles into a nice silence with only the TV, the rain and occasional sips interrupting it. I zone out watching a single raindrop fall to the bottom of the windowpane. When it reaches the bottom, I start again with a new raindrop.

"Oh look! We could win a holiday! Ab, phone the number," my mum shrieks, making my dad spit out water and me choke slightly. She sits there nodding her head at me and motioning with her hands to hurry up. She points to the screen, indicating a competition that's appeared as an advert. My mums a sucker for these things, but they give her hope. I reach into my pocket and rummage around for my phone. "Quick, the numbers going away!" I stick my head into the bag I took with me but there's no sign of it anywhere.

"Oh bollocks," I mutter, "I've left it somewhere."

"Like-"

"In London. It must have fallen out my pocket... On the train. I had it out on the train. I'll ring the transport people tomorrow, but I bet it's gone for good now. And I had all those pictures of me and the little man on it. Damn it."

My mum sighs before muttering something about how I'm lucky that she isn't paying for it anymore or else I'd be in trouble. "I'll just use the house phone then? Mars, use that magic thingy to pause the telly." She stands and walks to the hallway where I keep my house phone.

"You mean TiVo?" My dad calls behind her. She hums in agreement and comes back in with my house phone in hand and her reading glasses in the other. "I'll do it dear." My dad says; he's always been better at technology. They begin fussing about the phone number and I turn back to look out the window.

The constant drizzle seems like it will never stop. The streetlights barely even brighten up the road in the dark night. It's going to be a cold couple of months, I think.

This will be the 4th Christmas I'll spend alone. My parents go off to some place warm for Christmas along with my older sister, but I could never do that. Christmas is snow, and cold and fireplaces. Every year they offer, and every year I tell them 'maybe next year'. I don't really mind spending Christmas alone though.

I wake up whenever, open the presents that people have given me and then usually spend the rest of the day lounging about in Christmas jumpers watching Christmas specials on TV. Sometimes, depending on time zone, my family Skype me for a couple hours to show off their winter tans. Most years I'm invited to go to Christmas dinner with my aunt and her family so I usually do. Afterwards I come home and look through old pictures. I say that I don't mind, though actually the night usually ends in me crying myself to sleep listening to Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift because I'm alone on Christmas when I should be with my family.

"That's it done." My dad calls. I'm bored without my phone, though my mum wouldn't allow me to just sit on it the whole evening. I decide I need a shower to get rid of the stickiness I feel in the air. I kiss my mum and dad goodnight as they usually go to bed quite early and I might not be out the shower, and head to the second floor of my house.

We are not rich. We have rich relatives and people who want to see me do well. We are not rich.

The shower starts and I sit on the lid of the toilet seat shaking due to the cold in the room. I shut the window and pray that the shower heats up really fast. Halfway through I hear my parents turn off the TV and make their way to their rooms for the night, knocking the door on the way pass. I call to them and they respond again with a chorus of 'goodnight love'. I finish my shower then make my way to my bedroom.

My bedroom is colourful with an adult feel to it. There's a desk, a king sized bed and a TV hanging on the wall. I get ready for bed and get under the covers to watch TV.

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Aug 12, 2016 ⏰

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