11

Mom and dad walk in with their luggages, shocking both of us. Mike stands up and goes to help mom with her luggages while I just sit there looking at them in shock. Dad looked at me in disgust and sighs in disappointment.

"I thought you were talking to one of your friends." Dad says in a rough tone while I stand up to go greet them. He walks past me without saying anything. Mike stands in front of me with luggages on his hands he looks at me in shock. I look back him shrugging my shoulders. He puts the luggages down and walks up to me.

"Tell them." He whispers in my ear. I push him aside and he sighs.

"Mom, dad." He calls out to them. They look at him in full alert. "Ava has something to tell you." He say while pushing me forward. I look at him in shock.

"Are you crazy?" I whisper to him while I walk backwards. He stands behind of me while he pushes forward so now I am fighting him.

"You have to tell them?" He whispers while he is trying so hard to push my forward.

"No." I whisper back. I hear someone clear their throat, we stop fighting and look at the parents, who are now sitting on the couch.

"Whatever she has to say I don't care. Just go to your room." My dad says while looking away from me. I don't even remember the last time my dad had eye contact with me. I nod and head to my room. Mike looks at me defeated.

"Why don't you just hear her out dad?" Mike asks trying to fight for me. I look at him and shake my head, disagreeing.

"I already said I don't care. So be a good son and drop it." Dad say harshly.

"But dad it is important." He argues back which is making him angry.

"I don't care what an insignificant child have to say." Dad say angrily.

"But she is your daughter." Mike says in a low voice.

"Mike!" Dad's voice beams all around the house in anger. "She is not my daughter. She is an extra mouth to feed." He says. I look down feeling those word hit me in my heart. I turn to walk away from them. Mike grabs my had to stop me from walking away. I look at him and he look sad while he stares at me. I put my hand on his checks while I stare at him, seeing him this sad amazes me.

"It's okay." I say in a low voice. He nods and turns back to face them while still holding my wrist.

"Why are you guys back anyway? A week hasn't past. It has been only two days." He asks them.

"We messed up our flight tickets. We will go next week." His mom says while she lays on the couch. She looks at me in annoyance. "Why the hell are you still here?" She asks. I look at her unable to say anything. My body tenses up.

"I want her-" Mike starts to talk but I cut him off while pulling my hand away roughly.

"I'm leaving." I say in low voice while I head to my room fast.

I shut the door while I enter my room. I sigh in relief and take out my sketch book, colour pencils, pencils and paint. I walk to the small desk on the corner of my room and start to draw a picture, in order to waste time. today I am going to draw a girl in chains and her mouth closed while she is trying to set herself free but someone is holding on those chains. I want to portray how it feels like to be oppressed.

I sit in my room for about an hour just drawing my picture. I think it is about time for lunch but I am not going downstairs if the parents are there. There is a knock on the door followed with someone entering my room. I turn to look at the door and it is Mike with a brown paper bag. He smiles at me while he walks up to me.

"Mom had ordered KFC but she didn't get you anything so I ordered food from Burger King." He says while he walks up to me with the food. I look at him confused while I smile at him.

"How did you know that it was my favorite?" I ask him while I take the food.

"I called Haley and she told me about it." He explains while he sits on my bed. I take the burger out of the bag and my tummy starts rumbling. He laughs while looks at my room. I have just realized that he has never actually looked at my room properly. I bet my dad doesn't even know what my room looks like.

"If you are so hungry why didn't you come down and look for food?" He asks while he lays on my bed and stretches his arms.

"Our parents don't want me there so I don't find the point." I tell him while I take a bite of the burger.

"So are you tell me that if I didn't bring you food you would have not eaten food?" He asks me.

"Yes." I say bluntly. He sighs sadly while he sits upright on my bed.

"When was the last time you ate with us on the table or when you stay home how many times to eat in a week?" He asks me seriously .

"I eat about 2 days in week." I tell him and he gasps in shock.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because I am used to eat. If food is made there is not enough food for me and if food is bought there is not enough food for me so I would only eat what is left." I explain to him, He sighs sadly while looking at the room. He nods and pulls out his phone and starts to play on it.

I hear loud footsteps coming upstairs, with the rhythm of the footsteps it is probably mom. I panic and quickly swallow the piece of burger I was chewing and put back the rest in the paper bag, I hide it behind my desk quickly. I look at the door in full alert all my defenses are up while I wait. The feet are already at my door. She opens the door harshly and glares at me.

"What are you doing?" She asks angrily while she storms up to me and slaps me across the face roughly.

"Mom!" I hear Mike shout while I look at the ground completely frozen. I didn't say anything or move, I just stay still I don't cry.

"Mike, what are you doing here?" She asks him sweetly.

"I was just sitting here with her and watching her eat." He say it and I feel like I literally hear the switch flip in her head. i raises her hand and slaps me again.

"You piece of trash light-skinned child. How dare you eat in front my child while he not eating anything! Where is the food and give it him now! Are you trying to starve my child!" She shouts at my while she slaps me again. She grabs me by my hair and throws me to the ground roughly. "We should have put in the basement or left you on the streets!" She shouts while kicks me on the stomach. I cough out blood while I hold onto my stomach in pain while I feel everything I have eaten want to come out.

"Mom! Stop it!" Mike shouts while he grabs his mom and looks at me in shock, still I do not cry. He walks up to me and reaches out his hands. I slap it away out of anger.

"What did you just do?!" She shouts again while trying to reach to me again but Mike stands in between us, blocking her from reaching me.

"I bought her food so that she can it. It was all my fault so if you are angry talk it out on me." He explains. Does he think that is going to help? We all know that she wouldn't dare to hit her lovely son. Of course she wouldn't he doesn't even know how lucky he is. He is such an angel, he could never do anything wrong. I could be sitting still but still doing the wrong thing. If he really believes that this is going to help, he is a bigger idiot that I thought.

"Okay, I am going to shower now." She says calmly while she turns to leave. She closes the door on her way out and Mike turns to me.

"Ava are you okay? let me help you?" He asks while he reaches out his hand again and I can't help to fell this boiling anger inside. She walked away like nothing happened just because Mike admitted his faults. I can't help but hate how he is treat and hate him right now. I know I should be greatfull but all I feel now is anger.

"Get out." I tell him in a venomous tone while he looks at me in shock. "I said get out, Mike." I tell him louder, he withdraw his hand and looks at me sadly.

"I am just trying to help." He says in a soft tone.

"I don't want you help, Mike. Leave me alone." I tell him and he nods slowly. He walks to the door but before opening it he looks back at me. I am still laying on the ground, he sighs then closes the door on his way out. When the door slams shut that is when it hit me like a truck, there it was, the tears I was holding flow out while I lay on the ground shaking and crying silently.