I saw Father, waiting for me with a whip in his hand. I instantly eyeballed him with hatred.

"Allison!" Father yelled.

I drop my backpack onto the cold, hard, ground as I kneel down to salute him. I feel like I have no power when I'm around Father. I feel like the world is falling down. The world will never be the same once Father's dead.

"Why is this so unfair?" I asked myself.

"Drink that hot sauce." Father commanded as he gestured to the hottest hot sauce in the world.

I walked over to the kitchen. I pulled out a spoon and forced some hot sauce into my mouth. My mouth is starting to burn. I feel like my world is turning black. I feel like this isn't reality. Reality must be worst. After my one hundredth gulp, I decided to take a breath.

"No breathing!" Father yelled, "Die Allison Martinez!"

He shouted my real last name. I had the option to be Allison Martinez of Allison Mitchell when I was five. I chose Mitchell. Alli Mitchell is how most people know me. Nobody except for Father and Mother know my real last name. Not even Laura. Laura knows ALMOST everything. She knows me as Allison Mitchell and she knows that I turn sixteen in a month. She knows that I have brown hair and brown eyes and have never had a crush on anyone. Laura thinks my life is fine, but I know it's not. She asks me to call her when I need her, but I don't think she will ever respond.

"Drink that hot sauce until you die, Allison Michelle Martinez!" Father yells, his expression firm, eyebrows raised, flaring nose, almost red eyes.

I instantly resumed on drinking that hot sauce. One gulp, two gulps, three gulps, my mouth is burning! The burns dominated my face with just one gulp. I just knew something bad will happen to him as a consequence. Ever since Mom died, Father has been taking it out on me. It's my fault Mom died. Mom died for me.

"She died for me." I say to myself as I take another burning gulp of the hottest hot sauce in the world.

The world will never be the same. I took more gulps. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four...

"Faster!" Father yells.

Twenty-five, twenty-six...

"You are finished!" Father yelled.

I stopped gulping the hot sauce. My face was burning hot. I touched my face and it stung even more. Why does nothing matter to Father? I don't know. I run up to my bedroom and into the connected bathroom. I see burns, dominating my face and my arms. I have to stand this. I have to stay strong.

"Why am I not dead?" I ask myself.

I look in the mirror, seeing myself look more tortured every millisecond. I suddenly realize why I'm not dead. God wants me to make Father pay. Nit just God, but me too. And Mom. Mom is probably crying as she watches over me. I think it aches her heart to watch me live with these injuries. I am a rebel.

"I will survive." I mumble to myself, "And I will do anything it takes to make Father pay."

My phone rings. I pick it up.

"Hello?" I ask softly into the phone.

"This is Joseph Edwards, here." I hear Joe's perfect voice mumble into the phone, "Is this Alli Mitchell?"

I laugh for a moment, then stare into space.

"Hey, Joe. It's Alli." I say with a slight sing song tone in my voice.

"Hey. What's up?" Joe asked.

"I have a driver's test tomorrow." I replied.

"Me too." He replied, "What did you do today?"

"Played sports, jogging, the usual." I lied.

"Great." Joe mumbled.

"May I ask you a question?" I ask.

"Why would I ever say no?" Joe asks in reply.

"Umm..." I mumble, scratching my hair, then rubbing my temples.

"What is it?" Joe asks.

"Are you okay?" I ask with no clarity in my voice, a clear sign of nervousness.

"Yes, why?" Joe asks.

"You know, the whole runaway deal." I reply softly.

"Yes, I found my mom's old house from her childhood, which she hasn't visited in years." Joe said.

"Thank God, Joseph. I was so worried." I reply as an instinct.

He paused for a moment, probably instantly alerted after I used his real name.

"I'm so sorry, Joe." I mumble softly.

"It's totally alright, Alli." He replies with a laugh.

"I gotta go." I lied, "Have a good weekend."

"You too. Bye!" Joe replies.

I hang up the phone. I run downstairs to fix Father dinner.

"There are guests coming tonight, Allison." Father sternly declares.

"How many?" I ask.

"Fourteen." Father replies.

"What would you like for dinner?" I ask sweetly.

"Enchiladas. Chicken and beef. Appetizer of chips and salsa. Tomato soup. Red velvet cake for desert." Father ordered.

I nodded and ran to the kitchen. I got all the ingredients ready in ten seconds flat.

I preheated the oven and started the fire on the stove. I started crying the tortillas on the pan. I seasoned them and they have to sit for five minutes. I dump chips in a bowl and prepare the salsa. I place the salsa and chips on the table. I chop the beef. I slice the chicken. I run back to the stove. I took the tortillas off. I let them cool as I place the chicken and beef into the oven. I sliced the fruit and gathered the fixings for tomato soup. I placed the fixings with cream on a stove. I fixed the soup and placed it in twenty serving sized bowls. My phone rang again.

"Hello?" I ask into the phone.

"Hey, Alli. It's Kennedy." Kennedy says.

"You excited for the driver's test?" I ask.

"Oh my God, yeah!" Kennedy squeals.

"I'm making dinner," I say, "I have to go."

"You MAKE dinner?!" Kennedy asks in shock.

"Yea." I reply, hanging up the phone.

"Whew!" I yell in relief.

Kennedy CANNOT know about this. If she does, then I will... I will... It will just make my relationship with Father even worse. It's already BAD. It is AWFUL! I finish the enchiladas with one last seasoning and the soup.... I finished making the soup. I started baking the dessert. I put just a pinch of salt in the recipient and a bunch of sugar. I placed the desert in the oven and baked the desert for twenty minutes. While that's baking, I set the table. I sweep the floors like my life depends on it.

"Allison!" Father yells.

"Yes?" I reply.

"Guests are here in the other room. Place dinner on the table." Father ordered.

I put on a fake mustache and placed dinner on the table. I saw Laura, Dara, Mrs. Mason, Mr. and Mrs. Smith... I shake people's hands as they walk by. I see a young woman walk into the room.

"Susannah Kartaham." She introduced.

"Antonio Martinez." I reply in a manly way, my voice firm.

Susannah looked at me with a smirk. She is so rude. I run up to my room with dinner. I realize someone is in there. Someone that I know. I am Antonio now.

"Alli?" Kennedy asks me.

"Kennedy, what are you doing in my room?" I ask.

"Dan Martniez assigned it to me. Your dad." Kennedy replied.

"Let's just have a sleepover." I say proudly.

"Want an all-nighter?" Kennedy asks with excitement.

"Not tonight. We don't want to fail our driver's test tomorrow. How bout tomorrow night?" I ask.

Kennedy squeals.

"Is that a yes?" I ask.

Kennedy nods in excitement. I take out dinner as Kennedy takes out hers. She takes a bite.

"OMG!" She yells, "Your dad is the best cook!"

I shook my head with a genuine smile.

"What?" Kennedy asks.

"Nothing." I reply.

I jumped into my bed and fell asleep.