Broken

Chapter 1:

        Is it easier to know what's coming or just pretend it won't effect you? I mean its strange how fast things can go from sunny and buoyant to cloudy and morose. Its like someone flips a switch and turns your perfectly good day into a night from hell with the devil personally following you around ruining everything that is close to bringing you satisfaction in the world.

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        "Riley aren't you going to get bored of writing in that stupid notebook of yours? Its worn out and the black that was smothering the cover is now dripping off the cover."  Dylan throws his backpack right next to me. I jump terrified by the sound that overcomes the music playing through my single headphone.

        "What the hell Dylan?"

        "Ow, the hell is your problem?" Dylan says as he chuckles. We've been friends for years. It was a shock to everyone at our high school when they realized how close we were, he was known as "the high school sex god" by the cheerleaders and it never really bothered me, except for when they would all assume we are from different planets or something. He had straight black hair that swooped over the side of his forehead, he had perfectly straight teeth that were extremely white. He is tan, 6 ft 3, and has a 6 pack; he is the pitcher on the school baseball team, works out a lot, and has lots of friends. Unlike myself who has blondish brown wavy hair, pale skin tone, and kinda straight kinda white teeth. I'm 5 4 and as skinny as a stick, he is one of the only friends i have in person all the rest of my friends are online and i dont play sports. In many ways we shouldn't be friends according to the social scale of high school. We make it work though i don't know how but we do. We are only friends because our moms have been friends since the 4th grade and used to live in an apartment together when they both ended up getting pregnant. After that they moved into the same street as each other.

        "Where is Ashley? I thought you guys were  getting coffee this morning."

        "I don't even know, we were supposed to but she can't be late we have a test in Mr. Kolls class and if she misses it. Its going in as a 0 and if that happens her dad won't let her hang out with me this weekend." Dylan looks worried as he's telling me this. Ashley is a cheerleader at our school who has blonde straight hair and is sun kissed. She has been dating Dylan for 10 months, so I have gotten used to her and we've become pretty good friends in a way. The only obstical they have is her father who is k with his daughter dating as long as the guy isn't a distraction for her.

        "There she is. What's up Ashley?" Ashley is running toward us her hair is flying back and forth.

        "Where have you been? Your dad isn't going to let us go to the concert tomorrow if you fail this test." Dylan seems worried since Ashley is never late, and she was today.

        "Hey Riley," she leans in and kisses Dylan before continuing, "I know I was up all night studying and I fell asleep at 4 in th morning and my alarm didn't go off. I woke up after my mom started vaccuming and i had to sneak out because if they would have saw me late for class i would have gotten in so much trouble." She lies down and puts her head on Dylan's lap and he plays with her hair.

        "Do you want me to help you study I had the test during first period, and you guys have it in fourth. Right?" She flips over cashing her hair into his face.

        "Will you it would help so much, for how long I studied I don't remember anything." She hands me her study guide and i take out my highlighters, pink for essay questions, green for short answer, Purple for multiple choice, yellow for definitions, and blue for bonus.

         "There now just focus on these and you should be good, as long as you know these you will easily pass."

        They both get up she thanks me and turns to walk Dylan folds his hands an silently thanks me thank you before he turns and puts his arm around her shoulder while they quiz each other. After school i get a ride from D/ylan but he has baseball practice and Ashley who goes home with us has cheer leading. So i walk to the courtyard and sit under my favorite tree and write in my journal.

****

        Home is place most people feel safe and comfy and can be themselves, but not for me. When i arrive home from school, the show begins. I live with my 3 sister, Emily who is 13, Stacy who is 24, and Brooke who is 3, and 5 brothers,Jacob who is 26, Chris who is now 17, Phillip who just turned 10  and his twin Andrew, Michael who is a year older than me. My aunt Karen and her 2 kids Lucy and Hannah and my cousin Noah his girlfriend Callie and  her daughter Lily. Everyone has there own "shows" that they put on but at my house i don't think it ever ends. My entire family pretends that they all lie together because they love each other, when in actuality they live together because they knocked up a girl in high school, or they lost their job and got divorced, or they are addicted to drugs and can't afford their own   place. I mean our house is big in a way, its big but when its filled with 17 people it gets crowded I get my own room because its in the attic and no one wanted it because the floors aren't fully balanced and are thin layers of wood on the floor. My brother Nick who is 7 sleeps in my room a lot. Every night  have to help my mom cook dinner it usually takes us a while. My mom is the best actor out of all of us. She pretends dad isn't hooking up with his secretary, and that he doesn't have a drinking problem or that he hasn't smacked her around a bit. My aunt Karen has been hit while trying to nurse my mom after he smacked her for not ironing his shirt. My oldest brother Jacob only lives with us  to try to get my father to stop abusing my family.  He has helped for a while but lately its been getting hard, my father threw his whiskey bottle towards my mom and when Jacob ran in to calm him. He punched him in the face, then the next day when he dnt get the promotion he smacked Stacy blaming her for the whiskey being gone. I have always been able to bite my tongue when it comes to my dad but that night. That night i lost all control.