Caroline

Chapter One

As I sat on the couch, staring at the gold and centre-piece trophies on the mantle, Hatred, envy, and acrimony ran through my veins.

I heard laughter, but my head didn't snap like it usually would. I already knew who it was and why, but I just couldn't care anymore. My head didn't slouch and instead, it focussed on what was in front of me: my only chance of being seen: through my brother.

I could imagine him sitting in front of his school, Gold Valley High School, in the gymnasium announcing to them which major university he would be attending, on scholarship.

And of course, my parents and I would be sitting there, 'swelling with pride' and letting 'tears of happiness' fall onto our laps. That was my only chance of being seen.

"...And my sister, Phoebe, who has always been there for me..." I could imagine him lying through his teeth... just to please the scouts and the crowd.

My parents might have patted me on the back for that, but it was only my imagination and my imagination didn't go that far... not yet anyway.

I finally looked out the window and sighed. My brother, Ryan, and my dad were laughing at my mother, who was trying to throw a football in her best mustard yellow heels.

Of course... I thought.

Ryan just received a full scholarship to his dream university to play for one of the best college football teams in America. Mom and Dad were thrilled, leaving me to be just happy for him.

But this was normal. Even Ryan saw it. He knew it, but he always stayed silent.

He had come into my room one day and I was sitting on my bed, making a bracelet because I had nothing better to do. He just looked at me and sighed, "Phoebe, look I know that Mom and Dad usually spend a lot of time with me, but don't get mad because it's not their fault," he tried explaining. "They've gone through a lot and they won't tell me what happened. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's financial issues," he shrugged.

Tears fell from my eyes that day. I knew something was wrong, too. We both saw it, but they never told us what happened. The worst I thought it was going to be was, "Are they getting a-a-a divorce?" I sniffled, wiping my tears.

He looked at me and sat on my bed. "No, no, no, Phoebe," he said, wrapping a comforting arm around me. "They're just busy. Mom and Dad love each other and even if that was the case, we'd be best friends for life, yeah?" He asked me in a soothing voice. I looked up at him with my big brown eyes and nodded.

"Yeah," I said, wrapping my short arms around his midsection. "I love you, Ryan," I snuggled into his chest and he put his chin on my head.

I was five and he was 14. Three years later, he's off to University in a few months.

I bet he doesn't even remember that, but I do. I always will.

"Mom, just take off the heels!" I heard my brother shout in between snorts.

I looked at my brother. He really was the only one who cared about what I was doing. I mean, my parents obviously didn't and I never knew why, but there are a lot of things I don't know, like why they left an eight year-old-- me-- in a house, alone.

My parents are usually busy either ripping people off at work, watching television, or talking to Ryan for hours at a time about 'being a man' and impressing scouts and future fans.

My dad, Harry Foster, works at a jewellery story, where he buys cheap jewellery from abroad and sells it for skyrocketed prices. He calls it 'the right and only way to do business'. I call it 'the cheap, wrong, and lazy way to do business'. He makes a load anyway. So much he probably wouldn't even need that scholarship for Ryan, but he's selfish and lies his way through life.