At the beginning of the year, on the first day of school, my English teacher told us to write a six word story about ourselves. I wrote mine about my life. I wrote “strict, complicated, easy, that’s my life.” That is really how my life is. I live at home with my stepdad, my mom and my three younger sisters. I don’t know my biological father, and the only thing I do know is that his name was Ron, and he was a total asshole. He never came to my birthdays, family barbecues or anything. I guess he had better things to do than spend time with his family. From the time I was born to when I was about 5, it was just me and my mom. I remember when my mom used to cry in her room so, me, being so young and not knowing any better, I used to go into our kitchen and sit in a corner and cry with her.

When my stepdad came along, everything got better in a way. We built a new house on the South side and when my stepdad took over the Adult Family Home business from my great grandma. That’s when the money started coming in. People who know me but don’t really know me, used to call me rich and sometimes spoiled, but like I said, they just don’t know me, and they don’t know the half of what I have to deal with. Every day I go home and wonder what stupid thing my stepdad will yell at me for today. I know you people reading this may be parents yourselves and have teenage daughters but still. I mean, I’m pretty sure that you ground your kids too, but my stepdad gives my sisters spankings to the point where they are in so much pain and grounds us, but he just goes way over the top. I know how they feel because I went through it too. I probably sound like I am exaggerating but if you knew how I felt, how much this affects me, you would know.

Now that I got that off my chest let me tell you why my life is easy. In my English class on a Friday my friend Nate mentioned how some people live life through the motions. Well, that’s kind of how I live my life. Everyday it’s pretty much the same. I have two jobs, so I’m almost always busy. I go home from school, do my homework, get ready for work, go to work, get home and go to bed. That’s after school. Before school, I get up, do my chores, eat breakfast, you know all that jazz. I have to get done by 6:30 and read for the rest of the time. Every day is exactly the same. Also, people calling me rich, is putting it way out of proportion. Yeah, my parents got money, that’s all them, and yeah, I get stuff but my parents don’t spoil me, and they keep me in check. My life is easy compared to other teens my age, but at the same time it’s tough.

Sometimes life is hard, and I wish that I could just go somewhere else and live on my own. No parents, no drama, no siblings to piss you off, just me. To any kids out there that feel the same way I do let me just say that I know what you’re going through, and I really wish that our parents could see how the things they do to us that make us so mad or upset really affect us. The only thing that I could think of that is holding me back from going on my own is the question “Where will I go?” The only people I trust are my friends and a few teachers at school. They are the only ones I can talk to. Guess that’s just how life is as a teenager.