How should I start this story? I was born in Huntington, West Virginia on September 2, 1998. I was just nine months old when my mom decided to move back down to Bowie County. Out of the three kids my mom had, I was the only one that was not born in Texas. I did not know what was wrong with us staying up there but she wanted to moved back down to Bowie County in the middle of nowhere.

Next, I was about three when I started Pre-K at this little school, that no one ever heard of, named Sams. Not knowing anyone at the school was hard at first because all I did was sat there. After finally getting to know some of my classmates, we started hanging out outside, playing together, and walking everywhere with each other. I met this one girl named Melissa and we became best friends. Melissa and I played together everyday on the playground and even played with each other in the classroom, when we got to play.  After being in Pre-K for about two years because I was the oldest, it was finally time to go into Kindergarten. Not having that many friends at the age I was, I still had Melissa as my best friend. Not like any other friendship, mine and Melissa´s  friendship could not be broken.  After about two or three months this new kid came to Sams and wanted to be friends with me and I was okay with that. After a couple of days, Melissa found out and was mad at me because I was not hanging out with her all the time.

Then, after all the time in elementary, it was time to grow up a bit and move into middle school. Being in middle school was a lot different than being in elementary and more work to do. Having homework to do at night if you did not finish it in class. After the first week in middle school, I had homework in every class I had. It sucked big time! Being in middle school meant you could do more stuff like band and pre-athletics. Band, I thought it would be fun to be in until it came to football and contest season and I had to march. Marching and holding a horn up did not work out that well for me. Band was fun getting to play a horn that I have never seen or heard of before and actually being halfway good at it. After being in band for about four or five years, I did not think I wanted to be in band for the rest of my school life. So I got out. Pre-athletics was different from being on the playground and getting to do whatever I wanted to. I actually had to listen to the coach. The first few weeks were fine, then he made all the kids run… No thank you! I did not like running. After running almost everyday, I was use to running and wanted to be in athletics in high school. After a while, volleyball season came around and I knew that I was going to play and be good at it. HA! I lied, I sucked at volleyball and never wanted to play it again in my life. I knew that I wanted to be good at it but volleyball was just not my sport to play. Next thing I knew was volleyball was over and that meant it was basketball season and I was going to be good at that and not give up like I did in volleyball. Basketball became my favorite sport and I figured out that it was not that hard to play basketball. The only hard part was dribbling and running at the same time. That took some time to get down but like I said before I was not going to give up. So I busted my butt at dribbling and running. I even did it at the house when I had nothing else to do. Basketball was my sport! Not long after that, I got up the next day and knew basketball was over. Not wanting it to be over but it was. After basketball it was either run track or play softball. I liked softball but I knew it was not a sport I wanted to play because I did not want to get hit in the head with a hard but small ball. So I decided that I was going to run track. They put me in the mile relay and the two hundred meter dash, knowing that I was not a fast runner. My eighth grade year came and it was track season. One of the coaches yelled across the football field at Mallory and I to try jumping hurdles. I was all for it because I did not want to run any of the events that they had my name down for. So I go over and was jumping the hurdles and figured out that I was good. Track meet comes around and they were telling us what events we were in and they got to my name, Ann, you are running the one hundred and three hundred hurdles. In my head I was yelling yes because I was not in any other event. End of the year came, which means next year I will be in high school.

Later, high school! I remember walking to my first period class and could barely move, there were a lot of people in high school. Thankful my best friend, Hannah, was in high school with me and I could depend on her helping me find where I was suppose to go. Lunch time came around and the cafeteria was so full there were barely any seats left. Not long after lunch was athletics, beginning of the year and it was volleyball season. Yup, I knew I was not going to play, so I just got dressed in my workout clothes and went outside with all the other girls that were not playing volleyball. Thank gosh, my friend Hannah was not playing volleyball, so she was out there with me. Hannah was my best friend since we both were babies. We grew up together ever since I moved to Texas. So the school day was over, that means going home. My house was filled with a mixture of love and hate. My mom just had to met this guy name Vince and get married. My sister Megan did not like him at all, they never got along, they would always b**** at each other. Which was the hate part of the family. The rest of the family got along with each other until about four years ago. About four years ago, my sister, Megan, graduated and moved out. After that my step dad, Vince, started saying that I was acting like Megan. I came flat out and told him, ¨Well, someone has to be like her.¨ Let's just say he did not like that. So my birthday rolls around, my step dad calls my name from the other room and ask when my birthday is and I said “It is tomorrow, why?” and he said “ Well here is your birthday present!” Well let’s just say it was something that I did not like. So I walk back into my room, where my best friend, Hannah, was at. She asked why he called me into the other room and I told her that he got me a ticket to a LSU football game. So Hannah and I walk outside where my mom is sitting and smoking. I gave her the piece of paper and she asked what this was. I told her that it was my birthday present that he got me and also told her that I did not want to go because I do not like LSU. Well that Friday came and there was a home football game and Hannah and I stayed after so we could watch the game. No my mom calls and asked where I was and I told her that Hannah and I stayed after to watch the football game. No she just had to come get me and makes me mad. When we got to the house, we walk inside and there was Vince sitting. He looked at me and told me that I had five minutes to pack a bag and I walk to my room. My mom opens my door and was like, “Just pack a bag and go, it will be fine.” I told her that I did not want to go and she said that I did not have to go! Then next thing I know he was standing in my doorway and was like you need to hurry up. I told him that I did not want to go and mom said that I did not have to if I did not want to. He was like, “Well I do not care what she said, so pack a damn bag and let’s go.”  My reaction was “I do not have any f***ing shorts here, so I guess I can not go.” So he sat on my bed and waited for me to pack my bag, so I threw some shirts, underwear, socks and other things that I would need and then I told my mom to take me down to Nini’s house so I can get some shorts.” So she told him that she was going to take me down here so I could get some shorts, yeah no I did not go back to that house. I went into Nini's house to get some shorts and she asked why I was crying. I told her that it is because they were trying to make me go to the football game and I did not want to go. So she went outside and talked to mom and told her that I did not have to go, that I could stay there. So mom left and I did not have to go, thank you Jesus! That is how I got to live with Nini. So I would go and visit with my mom but yet I was not allowed in the house. I could not even go inside to get some clothes, and the bad thing is my own blood mother did not say a single thing and went in and got a bag full of clothes for me.

In addition, living with Nini, I was able to do a lot more stuff. Living with Nini is a lot better than living with my mom. If I was still living with mom, I would have to get a job, not have a phone, pay rent, buy my own car, and be home and in bed by eight o´clock. Yes, I did say I would have to pay rent at my own mom´s house. So I went back to Nini's house and told her that I was not allowed in the house anymore. After a while of me staying at Nini’s house, we found out that she has been claiming me on her taxes, getting all my child support from my dad, and other things she is not suppose to be getting. She will not even help get me a car or would not help me get my license. About the only thing she will do is try to get me a job where she works. Honestly, I do not want a job where all my family has worked or works at. Anyways, I do not want anything to do with her. Living with Nini is a lot better because I get to do a lot more than I would at Sarah’s house. With Nini, I take care of things that need to be done and not get yelled at if it is not done right. Even though Nini is not kind to me, I love her with everything I have.

Due to the stuff I said earlier, my mom has nothing to do with me or with my life anymore. Even though I know she still loves me and wants me to come see her and other dumb things, it is not going to happen. If she would help get a car or truck for me, give me my child support money from my dead dad, and stop claiming me on her taxes, I just might come see her and talk to her more. Until then, I will not talk to her that much. I have more important things to worry about than her dumb comments about my life and what I am doing wrong with it. She has no say in my life anymore since she let her husband kick me out. When I get my stuff that she owes me, she may get to say that I should not do something. But that does not mean I will listen to her.

However, living with Nini I have got my license, looking for a job, and looking for a car. Having my license, I help out with going to the store and getting stuff for the house and for Nini. After a while it gets old and half the time I do not feel like going. But it gets me out of the house when I do not want to be there and I stay gone for a couple of hours at a time. The only reason I help out with this family that is not any kind of kin to me, I do it because I love them more than anything in the world at this point in life. Having to take care of a 11 year old boy is so stressful, I think that is why my hair keeps falling out when I brush it. I take care of him because Nini has breast cancer and has to go to the hospital. Ethan, the 11 year old boy, keeps me on my feet day and night no matter what. I am looking for a job because Nini does not have a job and at this point she does not have a income at all. So if I get a job, I would help out with bills, food, and what not. I will do anything for this family because they are the only thing I have besides my boyfriend, Seth. Seth helps gets me to places I need to go and gets me whatever he thinks I might like or need. He has helped with this family in the past four months more than Amber, Nini’s oldest daughter, has. Having a family that is not kin to you and loves you like your actually family. They love me more than my mom has ever loved me in the past 14 years of my life. They have been there for me for four years now and I love them and thank them every day for it. They mean the world to me.

As can be seen, my life has not been the perfect life or any where near perfect. My life has been through thick and thin a lot of times but I have to be the grown up and do the right thing. I do not want to have the perfect life like everyone else wants to have or has. I am a different person, I do not want to have anything to do with other people. Other people likes to start creep and every thing. Good people should not and does not do that to other good or somewhat good people. Having a long time good friend want to fight you over something dumb and stupid is just plain retarded. So like a grown up, I defended myself. But anyways that is not what my story is about.

In conclusion, my story was to tell you how my life has been since I was a baby.  I hope that my story about my life will change a lot of minds. I have been through a lot and at this point in my life, I am still going through a rough time. My story about my life is not a fairy tale story like everyone wants to have. I just want to be the best person I can be and go on with life. I hope you all like my story.