Two hours later...

After two hours of Netflix, I jump out of my seat and rush outside. Thank God Im alone. I turn my head sideways. I see Susan, standing by my side. She jumps into the pool, in her blue and white dress that she wore to church this morning, probably making her mother embarrassed, but also happy that Susan's having fun. I smile when I look at her, but inside I feel really sad.

I feel mad at Father, because he scarred me forever. Mentally and physically, breaking my souls into minute pieces, so tiny that I could shatter if he touches me once more. I feel pity for Joe, because he's a runaway. I feel sad about Mom. I'm jealous of Kennedy, Susan, and Ellie. And everyone else who has normal parents. I feel my love for Joe as we kiss under the lights at Starbucks.

"Alli?" Susan asks with a sense of confusion, obvious by her facial expression.

"What?!" I ask, kind of yelling at her but not exactly.

I'm more angry at Father for doing too many things at once and asking me to take care of him. I have to do the laundry, do the dishes, clean the house, clean the wounds, I had to walk the old dog, feed the old cat, and fix all the meals during the day. This is the most sad part of my life. It's like the belt hits my skin and bam! My life changes once more.

Bring!

Bring!

My phone rings. I answer it.

"Hello?" I ask, not looking at the caller ID of the person who's calling me.

"Alli?" Joe asks in reply, "It's Joe."

I laugh in reply.

"Hey Joe, what's up?" I ask.

"Hey, I'm just going to ask you, if there's anything going on at home. I know you might get this a lot, but I just really want to know. I know you like to kick butt sometimes and people usually aren't like that. And you never talk about your family, Alli." Joe says.

"There's nothing for you to worry about." I mumble with frustration.

"Alli, what's wrong?" Joe asks.

"Nothing, Joe, trust me." I reply.

"Really, what's wrong?" Joe asks again.

"Nothing... I gotta go." I reply.

"Kennedy, Susan, I have to go." I say quickly.

"Okay then." Susan says.

"Bye Alli!" Kennedy and Susan say at the same time.

"Bye." I reply.

I have to fix Father dinner before he kills me. Personally. He might burry me alive, or make me frozen in time, or something. I jump into my bike and ride around the medical center in order to get home. I ride by the Buffalo Bayou and breathe in the dirty, polluted air of Houston. Houston is the most polluted city in the United States. I ride by the TUTS Humphrey School. I maneuver my bike around all the trees.

"Alli!" Joe yells.

"Hi." I reply.

"Are you okay?!" He asks like a yell.

"Yea." I reply, laughing a bit.

Joe grabs onto the handle bars on my bike, stopping my bike from moving anywhere. I hop off. Joe puts his arm around me, making sure to get his grip on his hips. I laugh. His lips touch mine and then he suddenly releases, shocking me and paralyzingly me at the same time.

"Just like Starbucks?" Joe asks, laughing.

"Just like Starbucks." I reply surely, laughing as well, a genuine smile suddenly appearing on my face.

My lips touch his for once. He returns the grip on my lips with the same amount of strength as mine. I feel the same fiery sparks as I felt in Starbucks, but this time more intense, like I'm actually comfortable doing this. It's only my second time, but it feels so natural. Joe pulls away from my embrace.

"Two for Alli!" He yells.

I laugh in reply. I check my phone for any text notifications. I look at the time. God darn it I'm going to be late.

"Gotta go!" I yell.

I hop back on my bike.

"By Alli!" Joe yells.

"Bye, Joe!" I reply, yelling with the same kind of excitement as Joe did when he said bye to me.

I maneuver around the traffic that lies right next to the Houston Medical Center. I ride this long and windy road, filled with traffic, called Holcome Boulevard, until I get to my house. When I arrive, I hop off my bike and rush into the house. I slam the door with my right palm, not caring about anyone else but myself for a moment. I suddenly hear a mumbling sound.

"Hello?" I ask, "Is anyone there?"

I feel a sharp pain in my back.

"Hello?" I ask with confusion.

"You came home late." Father says mysteriously behind me.

"Whatever?" I ask, raising my left eyebrow.

I feel like a plummeting down a large cliff until my stomach hits the cold hard wood floors of my house. I see a bit of blood trickling down my fingernail and onto the wood floor staining it and changing the espresso shade of wood into the color of blood immediately, like a curse. It's like I'm a God or something, the change is so fast. I feel something moist and damp, sticking onto my scarred body like glue, damaging my olive brown skin slowly but surely or everything that's going on.

"I'm trying to help you, become better, as a person, as a human, as a soul." Father says

The belt strikes my back once more, going through Kennedy's shirt, and creating one heck of a mess from all the blood that is suddenly pooling onto the floor.

"Mom, help me." I say with desperation.

The belt strikes me once more. I feel a sharp pain in my back.

"Help!" I yell and the world goes black.

I guess that's a good thing, because I have always wanted death.