“You’re home late! How long does it take to grab some eggs and chocolate?”

As long as it does, I can’t change how fast time goes by…

I walked over to the kitchen without saying a word. I unpacked everything and started making the cake. Mum had better be happy with this…

I put my earphones in and made the cake. It actually turned out pretty nicely for once, and there was some left over batter, so I made a mini cake for snack over the next couple of days. I was happily cooking, and while the cakes were baking I started on the dishes. The pile seemed larger than it should’ve been, but I started to make my way through it.

But I was interrupted when my ear phone was ripped out of me ear.

“So you think you can listen to music and ignore your mother, huh?”

I pulled off my washing gloves and took out my other ear.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to ignore you…”

She gave me an exasperated sigh, I could smell some alcohol. She had been drinking again.

“You, you have to…”

I stood there and waited for her to finish her sentence. She often forgot what she was saying when she was drunk. Well, she either forgot what she was saying or she got really narky and often whacked whatever was in her way…

“You have to cut back on the food for a while…”

“What!?”

“I didn’t get this fortnights pay yet, it might come next week… so don’t eat unless you have to…”

“That’s not right…”

“WHAT!? Speak up when you talk to your mother!”

“You should’ve gotten the pay yesterday, why didn’t it come?”

She looked at me with her drunken eyes.

“JUST DON’T ASK QUESTIONS! FINISH THE DAMN…”

She lifted her arm ready to whack something. I quickly shrank away to stand in the corner next to the oven, out of the way.

“CAKE!”

She swept her arm across the bench, and knocked off some plates I had just cleaned. They smashed all over the floor, with the most horrible clank I had ever heard. I had jumped at the sound, and burnt my hand on the side of the oven.

“You clean this…”

I looked up at her shocked. How could she just go and destroy the kitchen like that and expect I clean everything?

“This mess up now!”

She walked off, staggering as she leaned against the wall while she lost her balance.

I cleaned up the broken plates and threw them in the bin. The timer went off for the cakes, and I pulled them out. I left them on the bench to cool as I took the garbage out. I tied up the bag and walked out the front to the bins. When I did though, I saw what mum had spent her money on. She didn’t miss her pay, she had gone out and gotten a whole bunch of alcohol.

Seriously!? Why is she so irresponsible? Can’t she at least buy bread and meat for me to make sandwiches?

I walked inside in a fury. She couldn’t even take care of herself while she was sober, let alone drunk. She left all the housework up to me! Now I can’t even eat to keep up my energy…

I went straight to my room and got into my pyjamas. I curled up under my covers and cried. Why was everything left up to me? It was already stressful at school as it was, but with mum on my case too, it was just too much.

I reached out for my phone and called dad.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Come on dad, pick up! Please…

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Hello, I’m just a bit busy at the moment, try calling again in twenty minutes.

Come on dad! Why? I don’t want to spend any longer here with mum.

More tears welled in my eyes as I dropped my phone next to my pillow. I just wanted to get away.

Suddenly my phone buzzed. Dad was calling me back! I picked up immediately.

“Dad?”

“Hey Kristen, what do you need? It’s late…”

“Can I come over tomorrow?”

“Why?”

I sniffled a little and wiped my tears so my phone didn’t get wet.

“Are you crying?”

“Yes! Please can I come over tomorrow? I’ll bring everything and you can pick me up from school…”

“I don’t know Kristen… I’m busy…”

“Please! I don’t want to stay with mum anymore…?

“Why?”

“She spent all her money on alcohol and we don’t have enough food to eat! She lied about it too, she said she didn’t get paid, but I found the boxes in the rubbish!”

“Kristen, don’t make your mother sound bad! I’m sure she didn’t meant to spend it all on booze.”

“Why do you care if she is good or bad? You broke up with her for god’s sake!”

“Is it illegal for me to still feel attached to her?”

“If you’re already dating someone else, yeah, it kinda is!”

“How did you know I was dating?”

“I just do, can you please come and get me tomorrow?”

“…”

“Dad! Please? Dad!”

He hung up on me. How dare he? I couldn’t stay at either house, this was horrible.

I cried myself to sleep in my bed. Alone, no one cared about me. This was the worst, what had I done to deserve this? Sure, I was an annoying kid growing up, but I’m not now…

I woke up early after a nightmare. I checked my phone, it was 4:32. I got up and packed all my clothes so dad could pick me up after school. Then I got dressed into my uniform, and gathered as much food as I could find. There wasn’t much, some half eaten biscuits, enough bread for one sandwich and the cake I baked. I made the icing, and started to ice the cakes. When it came to decorating, I was just so angry that mum was treating me like this. I put the chocolate chips on with a little message for her.

YOU

I avoided using bad words, but that was the only way I felt I could decorate the cake. I put sprinkles around the rest of the cake, and bagged the rest of the chocolate and sprinkles for me to save for later. I walked out the door feeling a little bit better, and put on some music while I walked to school. I had my backpack filled with the food I scavenged, and I duffel bag filled with my clothes. I walked up to my school grounds, and stood in front of the gate. I stared at it for a while. It was closed, and I didn’t know what to do. I decided to walk around the school, and I found a gap in the fencing around our sports ovals. I crawled in, and found a nice little spot near a tree. I sat there, I was so tired. I put an alarm on for half an hour before the bell went, and fell asleep using my duffel bag as a pillow.

It felt like I had just put my head down for two minutes, and then my alarm went off. I walked over to my locker, some other people were here already, so it didn’t look too strange that I was there early. After I just managed to stuff my duffel bag and backpack into my locker, I went straight to the bathrooms to fix my hair. It was a mess, and I had left my brush in my locker. Some more people were starting to arrive, so I quickly tied it back in a braid and twisted it into a bun. I never do that, because buns usually annoy me. They just look really odd, and they get heavy as the day drags on. But it had to do for today. I left the bathroom, and grabbed my books for first period. I decided to sit and wait in front of my class instead of being seen by people. I put on some music, and I didn’t realise, but I had fallen asleep. I woke up to the teacher pulling out my earphone gently and shaking my shoulder.  I freaked out, thinking the rest of the class was there watching me. I got so embarrassed, but I looked around to see that no one else was there.

“Kristen, why are you sleeping in front of class?”

“Uh… I… was just…”

I probably looked like a big mess, and my eyes still felt puffed from crying last night.

“Come in, you can wait in class with me until the rest arrive.”

I nodded and slowly got up. I walked in after my teacher, and sat down at the back.

“Why are you so tired?”

I looked up at him confused, I wasn’t thinking right.

“What sir?”

“Why were you sleeping before?”

“Oh, I… uh… had a busy night last night… and I had to come to school early today…”

“I see, well, I’ll let you catch up on your sleep until first period starts.”

“Thank you sir!”

I laid my head down on my books and closed my eyes.

“But please make sure you get to bed early tonight!”

“Mmmm…”

I was already drifting asleep.

The rest of the day was a pretty big blur, it dragged on so slowly, but it went fast at the same time. I just couldn’t wait to go home to dad.

I waited behind for a little bit, so I wasn’t seen by people with my duffel bag. I walked out the front after a while, and sat against the wall on my bag. I texted dad to tell him I was waiting, and I didn’t mean to, but I fell asleep again.

I woke up a few hours later to a cold wind. It was starting to get really cold now, almost winter winds. It was almost five, and dad still hadn’t picked me up. I opened up my phone to check if he had texted me at all, and he had.

 

3:32 pm   Hey dad, I’m waiting out the front, so please don’t be long...

 

 

4:17 pm   Good news and bad news! Good news, I got a job interview! I’ll be able to buy better food and clothes for you, maybe some times we could eat out…? Bad news, The interview is out of town, so I’ll be away all of tonight, and next week for training if I get the job… Sorry…

 

4:53 pm   Prick

 

 

Great! Now I had nowhere to go! I laid my head back against the wall, and sighed.

“Ah! Oh, you scared me!”

I jumped a little when I heard someone else, but when I looked up I saw Zelo.

“What are you doing here this late?”

He came and sat down next to me as I asked him.

“Ah, well, I was just doing some quick research in the library, but I realised how late it was, and decided to do the rest of my studying at home… what about you?”

I took a deep breath in and looked out to the road.

“I don’t know… I was supposed to be picked up by dad tonight, but he bailed…”

“Why don’t you go to your mum then?”

He was so cute, he really had no idea.

I looked at him, and tears started to well in my eyes.

“Can you promise not to tell anyone?”

He nodded as his face turned serious.

“My mum just spent all her money on alcohol, and there isn’t enough food there for me… I can’t go back…”

Zelo looked shocked, he didn’t know what to say. He was so lucky he had a great family, he didn’t have to go through what I had to.

He turned around and searched through his bag. He pulled out a couple of fruit & nut bars. He handed one to me.

“I can’t take your food!”

He kept his hand out, and insisted that I have one. So I took it and started to unwrap it. I heard him open up the other bar and start eating too.

We sat in silence, eating our bars awkwardly.

“So… Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?”

I shook my head. I was starting to feel really nervous. He was right up close to me and he had offered me food! I had seen him eat with his friends, and he almost never let anyone else eat his food…

“Wow… what are you going to do?”

I sat and stared at the road in silence for a moment.

“I don’t know… maybe I’ll just camp out in front of the shopping centres…”

“Ya! You can’t do that! What if some creep finds you?”

“I don’t know… Maybe I’ll talk with him…”

He sighed in disbelief. He was so lucky that he didn’t have massive problems like me.

“Well, I could ask my mum to help if you want…”

“No… I don’t want to drag you and your family into my problems…”

“Well, at least come over and eat something. Maybe relax a little, mum won’t mind…”

“I don’t know…”

We sat in silence again for a moment, then his mum rolled up in her car.

“Oh! Hello Kristen! What are you doing here?”

I sat awkwardly and tried to avoid eye contact. Zelo ran up and talked quietly with his mum. After a moment, he turned around and looked at me.

“Hon, come home with us and eat something. I’ll help you sort something out!”

Zelo opened the car door and motioned for me to get in.

“I don’t want to intrude…”

Zelo walked up to me and took my duffel bag.

“Ya!”

He threw it in the back seat, and then he turned around and grabbed my arm. He pulled me up without an effort and dragged me into the front seat. He closed the door quickly and jumped into the backseat.

“Don’t try to make an excuse! You’re not thinking right from not eating!”

I smiled as I put my backpack at my feet.

“Now, don’t feel like you’re interrupting anything, you need to come and eat!”

They were so nice, and pretty funny too! I felt comfortable for the first time ever. I couldn’t believe the luck I had, with becoming fairly close with my crush now, and I was going to eat dinner with him too!

 

<><><> Zelo’s P.O.V. <><><>

 

I had a lot of homework to do. I don’t even know how it piled up so high! I went straight to the library to try do some stuff there, and I worked really hard on it. It wasn’t until I got a text from mum that I stopped working.

 

4:32 pm   Jonghongie! You’ve been away studying too long! I’ll come around to pick you up in 20! Love mum xx

 

4:34 pm   Ok, fine… I’ll be out the front. And why can’t you call me Zelo? All my friends do, it’s cooler!

 

4:35 pm   Because you’re my little Jonghongie!

 

4:35 pm   I hope you never call me that in public…

 

4:37 pm   Oh I will! And when you get a girlfriend, I’ll tell her to call you that too! She’d probably love calling you that!

 

		4:38 pm   Why mum… Why…?
4:50 pm   Well, Jonghongie is cute! Just like you!

 

4:51 pm   Mummmmm….

 

4:52 pm   I know, I know… you’re too cool to be cute! Just make sure you’re out the front, I’ll be there in 5-10 now. Love you Jonghongie! xx

 

Geez my mum was crazy, but she was the best! I was so glad she let me out to study, it was good. I walked out the front with my bag, and I heard someone sigh.

“Ah! Oh, you scared me!”

I saw Kristen sitting next to a duffel bag against the wall looking pretty beat. Her hair was different too…

“What are you doing here this late?”

She sounded really tired as she asked me that. I walked over and sat down next to her, she looked like she could use the company.

“Ah, well, I was just doing some quick research in the library, but I realised how late it was, and decided to do the rest of my studying at home… what about you?”

“I don’t know… I was supposed to be picked up by dad tonight, but he bailed…”

That sounded rough, I didn’t know her parents weren’t together…

“Why don’t you go to your mum then?”

She looked really upset when I mentioned her mum, I didn’t mean to upset her though. She looked up at me, and I could see she was about to cry. Her eyes were kinda puffy too. Had she been crying before?

“Can you promise not to tell anyone?”

I nodded seriously, this seemed to be really serious.

“My mum just spent all her money on alcohol, and there isn’t enough food there for me… I can’t go back…”

I felt my jaw drop, I didn’t mean to be rude, but I didn’t know that parents could be that heartless! How could she make her go through the day with barley anything? I know I probably would’ve died by now if I didn’t eat.

Then I remembered I had some fruit & nut bars in my bag that I was supposed to eat while I was studying before. I held out a bar for her to take, but she stared at my hand blankly.

“I can’t take your food!”

I kept my hand out, she had to eat! She looked kinda sick after she said she hadn’t eaten, I was worried she was going to faint.

We sat in silence, and I ate that bar thankfully. I was so glad I decided to pack them.

“So… Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?”

She shook her head. How could she not have somewhere to go to? She was a really confusing girl.

“Wow… what are you going to do?”

She turned her head to look out onto the road.

“I don’t know… maybe I’ll just camp out in front of the shopping centres…”

“Ya! You can’t do that! What if some creep finds you?”

“I don’t know… Maybe I’ll talk with him…”

I sighed in disbelief. How could she think like that? Throwing away herself in a situation like that was crazy…

“Well, I could ask my mum to help if you want…”

“No… I don’t want to drag you and your family into my problems…”

“Well, at least come over and eat something. Maybe relax a little, mum won’t mind…”

“I don’t know…”

We sat in silence again for a moment, then mum rolled up in her car.

“Oh! Hello Kristen! What are you doing here?”

I ran up to mum and talked quietly with her. I had to help Kristen somehow, at least give her something better to eat.

“Mum, Kristen can’t go home to her mum tonight, and she asked her dad to take her but he didn’t come…”

“Oh my god, that’s awful… why can’t she go to her mum?”

“She said she spent all the money on alcohol… Mum, she hasn’t eaten properly all day because of that… can we give her some dinner and help her?”

I turned around to look at her. She had gone all shy, and it was kinda cute.

“Hon, come home with us and eat something. I’ll help you sort something out!”

I opened the door, and motioned for her to get in.

“I don’t want to intrude…”

Why did she always think she was a problem? I wanted to see her eat… well, not that I wanted to see her eat, but to make sure she didn’t faint. Plus she’ll love mums cooking. I marched up and grabbed her duffel bag. I threw it in the backseat, then turned around to grab her. I pulled her up, she seemed a bit lighter than yesterday when I pulled her up. She was already starting to starve!

“Ya!”

“Don’t try to make an excuse! You’re not thinking right from not eating!”

I smiled cheekily as I jumped in the backseat and watched her put her bag at her feet. Her hands were cute and delicate, just like her…

“Now, don’t feel like you’re interrupting anything, you need to come and eat!”

She sat and smiled after mum said that. I really just didn’t understand how she was so apologetic all the time, it’s almost never her fault… Why was she so afraid of everything?

I pondered my thoughts for a while, and then I looked at her. She was still smiling, her smile eyes were really cute in the moonlight. This was probably the happiest I had ever seen her. Now that I thought about it, she seemed pretty uncomfortable and unhappy a lot, I wonder what was bothering her all the time…?

 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

 

Well… that was a bit interesting…

I don’t know for sure, but the story might get a bit more depressing as we find out more about Kristen… But our handsome high-school Zelo will probably add some laughs in too…

Big thank you for reading this far, you guys are all so awesome!

Comment and tell me what you think so far!