The Life and Times of Alison Malone

Chapter 1

Welcome to Africa. Zambia to be exact. Its rainy,but sadly,its not cold. I like cold,I think  better. Either that or my weird factor just skyrocketed. The weather here is kinda terrible,when its hot,its hell. Cold,more hell,rain,rain is good as long as it isn't humid. No one wants to be sweaty while its raining.

I guess its a bad day for me then! My hair is wet. My clothes are wet,ands even worse, my favourite shoes are wet. I love my shoes,they're size 3 Graceland sneakers, brown with a beautiful print(well,was once beautiful, now faded). I do wear them practically every time I'm out. Everyone knows the love I have for these shoes.

My mum thinks my addiction with this particular pair is quite foolish. I don't know why,she bought them in the first place. She of all people should know what I really love. Meet Mrs Jacqueline Malone,mother of many,that's not a bad thing I promise. She has got to be the coolest ever(sometimes). There is no one I love more than he,she's always here for me except now. I've been waiting for a while now.

Beep!beep! Ah,the sweet sound of the car horn.

"Hurry up honey! I'm so sorry I'm late",mum says

I roll my eyes and call back," its cool,I get to soak the car with rain water,sweet revenge"

I get in the car,the warmth caressing me instantly, this is the good life.

"So how did the day go?"

"It was cool,school is a drag", I say to her.

"My day was not so good,the meeting ran longer than it should have. That's why I'm so late", mum says,exhaustion hanging on to every word. Oh yeah,my mum works for some huge company, she's on the board of directors and her boss is what she calls an 'egotistical tyrant'. I know she secretly wishes she'd quit but I guess life just isn't that easy,especially if you aren't rich or anything.

***

The rest of the ten minute ride home is quiet,I don't wanna tire my mum out with talking or anything,she had enough of it at her meeting.

We walk into the house and it's a mess. I guess Michael is home already.

Michael is my little brother,technically he's my half brother. My mum had me when she had a boyfriend, they never got married. My mum met another man and she had little Michael,and let me tell you, the boy is serious trouble and always making a mess,oh,he's five so I guess trouble comes with that age.

" Hey people! I'm home!" Andrew calls, his deep voice bouncing of the walls at an almost deafening volume. The loud idiot,or Andrew as most people call him is my big brother. Like every other nineteen year old in Zambia,he's in college. He is so lucky. He can skip or even go to a class late and not have to explain himself. You might be wondering why he lives in his parents house still,his school,like mine,isn't very far from home and my parents would rather he stays home than live thirty minutes away.

"Hey Andrew", I say to him,he replies with a hey back my way. He and I are really close,but again I'm close to both my brothers which is hard for most middle children. I'm probably the way I am because them,I'm practically a boy really,I'm dressed like one half the time and I have like,more guy friends than girls at school.

"Alisoooooooooooooon!!!",that my friends,is Michael. He practically shouts everything,you get used to it. Judging by the look on my mum's face,I guess not.

" hey little man!" I say to him as I pick him up,"how are you?"

"I'm good, I missed you Alison", he says

" I missed you too lil dude." I set him down gently, he's gaining weight.

Michael is in middle class,so really,he goes to school for like, nothing. Unlike me,he comes home at twelve,that's four hours of school compared to my 8 gruelling hours.

"Hello! Anyone here?", That is the father,Michael Malone Sr. He's a good dad,especially to Andrew and I seeing as we aren't really his biological children.  He runs a car shop in town,well,he owns and runs a car shop. I know,I should have a car by now,but no. Not with my dad,he says I'm too young.

And finally,there's little old me. Alison. I'm a curvy sixteen year-old,my hair is not long,but it isn't short either. Like my mum, I have brown eyes,I guess that's all I possess like her. I have bee stung pink lips and the type of nose that no one really wants,and yes,it beats Rachael Berry's from glee,so yeah. I'm dark skinned and not the tallest I'd like to be,a measly 5"5.

We are the Malone's,My dad is white,my mum is dark skinned,Andrew is fair skinned as is Michael and I forgot one more Malone,we're the same age,she's my step sister my dad had from a previous relationship with a Kenyan woman. She lives in a different continent. We are quite the rainbow family. I know I would never have it any other way,I love my family so much.