ImPerfect

Chapter One: The Secret No One Knows

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING IMBECILE, HOW DARE YOU!" My Mom screeched. "Calm down, old lady. The neighbors could hear us." My Dad said calmly with a nervous tint in his voice. This wasn't anything new. My parents quarreled day and night. I wonder what today's scoop is. I've been sitting in bed reading for the last half hour. I got up and changed into denim jeans and a basic white shirt. I pulled my brown hair up into a ponytail and added a bow. I scurried downstairs to find out the drama of today. I found my parents bickering in the hall between the kitchen and dining room. "IF YOU GET CAUGHT, OUR REPUTATION WILL SUFFER!" My mom shouted. I rushed past them and fixed myself cereal. "If I don't, it will be worse." My Dad said extremely unconvincingly. I took a seat opposite of Andrew, in the dining room, who was also eating cereal and watching the show. "YOU CAN'T BE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT!" My Mom yelled, clearly furious. I began to eat, clueless of the argument at hand. "FOLLOWING A SHADY IDIOT'S ORDERS IS GOING TO GET YOU ARRESTED NOT OUT OF DEBT!" She screamed with all her might, tears forming in her eyes. My Dad hit a nearby side table and shouted, "SCREAMING AT ME WON'T BRING BACK ANNABELLE! I KNOW YOU LOVED THAT FILTHY PIECE OF SCUM! DON'T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT! I'M GLAD SHE'S DEAD!" The air in the room froze. Andrew tensed up, I froze, and Mom was kneeling on the floor sobbing quietly. "Robert, you don't mean it." My Mom 't said weakly after a second in between sobs. "I do." My Dad said firmly as he proceeded to kick my Mom the stomach and walk out the house. Andrew and I rushed up to help Mom. A lump formed in my throat. I felt like crying. We haven't mentioned Annabelle since her funeral. My Mom acted like she hated her, but I knew she had a soft spot for Annabelle. "I'm an idiot. I should've listened to her and not marry him. I hate him." My Mom whispered as we heaved her onto a nearby chair. Tik Tik! I forgot about school! I rushed upstairs and grabbed my bag and left the house. I started walking to school.

My parents have fought plenty a time before... but my Dad hasn't ever lain a finger on my Mom.And Annabelle... That was a dirty card to pull, I guess my Mom couldn't fool him. Honestly since Annabelle's death, my Mom's been more distant. And for my Dad... he couldn't care less. I honestly lost the feeling of happiness with her death. My parents aren't like most. They don't say 'I love you' every day or hug me or kiss me good night. They don't make me a stack of pancakes and draw a smiley face on it with syrup, then tell you goodbye when you leave to go to school. My parents scold me for not smiling enough in public together and make me fix my own meals. I haven't heard them say I love you since I was four. And I'm the "special child." I'd hate to be in Andrew's shoes. He no attention from our parents.

 I'm at the front of the school, with its beautiful silver framed entrance and fountain. I sit at the fountain edge and I pull out my favorite book of all time, "Flawed" by Veronica Georgina. It's about a girl named Hedi who has a ton of flaws like being socially awkward, biting her nails and hair, and hating girly stuff. Everyone hated her, but she didn't let that bring her down. In her 7th year, a boy named Alex moved in and she had a crush on him. Alex seemed like a nice guy, but he wasn't. Alex rejected her because of her quirks and that destroyed her. Then a teacher named Mrs. Lilian, realized her incredible grades dropped and- Bring- Well enough rambling. 

I put the book away and rushed off to first period. "Psst- Amanda, I heard Jacob asked Julie to the fall festival next week, and she said no! I mean like, Julie, Honey know your place!" Jenna whispered. Jenna was the schools biggest gossip girl and she so happened to sit next to me in Math. Jacob was every girls crush. I don't like him personally. He is arrogant, cocky, ignorant and plain insensitive. I'd much rather spend my time studying or reading, not be the play toy of the likes of him. But I must pretend I care. "Omg, really? Who would dream of turning him down? She totally blew it!" I whispered back. I want gag, those words aren't natural coming out of my mouth. "Good morning. Today,we'll review multiplying and dividing decimals. I'll pass out your worksheets and you will get started on them. Turn them in by the end of the period." Mr.Tin said in a monotone voice. 

The days are always uninteresting at school.Periods 2 and 3 went similar except with Social Studies and Science. Lunch, I spent the entire time in the library as usual and continued the boring pattern through Art, Gym, ELA and Future Problem Solving. "Miss Glace, I would like for you wait a second before leaving, after class." Mrs. Young, my FPS teacher asked me. "Yes, Mrs. Young." So, I waited in the classroom after school. The thought of why she wanted me to stay after class kept poking me. It's never happened before. "Miss Glace, I've been noticing that you never talk to others on your own will. You seem to never smile and when you do, it looks forced.Your grades have been on a bumpy ride as well. You seem to know the material,but some days you are just off. Sorry to intrude Miss Glace, but is everything alright? And... Where is Annabelle? She was my brightest when I taught 3rd grade, then she disappeared." A lump formed in my throat once again. "Mrs. Young, I am perfectly fine. Some days I just stay up too late. Annabelle is going to a school in New York. The rest is none of your business. Now excuse me, I need to head home." I said in a strained voice. She nodded her head and I left. Everything I said were lies. But she doesn't know that. It's a secret best kept. It's a secret no one knows except me. Annabelle, my frown, absence of friends, my grades, my life at home. I walked home. Today was Friday, so I could take a walk through the park.

I walked into the place I call home. The house was empty. My Dad was probably doing a side job, while Mom weeps at a neighbor's house. But where was Andrew? He was always here. He couldn't go anywhere after all. I walked upstairs and peeked in his room. He normally keeps it locked, but not today. Inside was his plain blue bed near a window. He had posters of different singers on the white, peeling walls. I walked over to his cluttered desk. It had schoolwork, textbooks and notes strewn across it. There was a dim old lamp illuminating it all. On his bed was a picture Annabelle and I drew years ago, of us three smiling and having fun. It strangely hurt my heart seeing it. I moved around his room. On the floor was a book called "Normality Isn't Normal" By Josh Wiesh. I peered through the blinds and looked over at the family across the street. There was a girl chasing her younger sister around the lawn. They were laughing and smiling like Annabelle and I did. I sighed. I looked back and something in the trashcan near his desk, caught my eye. It pained my heart when I saw it. It was a crumpled picture of Annabelle and Andrew in the shadows while my Mom, Dad and I took a picture together with black writing across the top reading "I wish we were a normal family."