CHAPTER 1

AUDREY MAYELE

December 31, 2016, 10 days after the results came in and 12 days till I'm off to my first boarding school.
The past two years have been hectic, exhausting, and emotionally draining. The journey was tough but
I've become the most manageable teenager out there. I mean seriously, I don't drink, I'm a virgin, I've
never dated, over the holiday I've forgotten what rays from the sun feel like and I'm yet to get my first
phone or should I say mobile device. As boring as my life may seem, it's quite peaceful, my mother says
my biggest enemy is my mind. I, at this point just believe in yin and yang, in the sense that in the good
there is bad, and in the bad, there is good, as illustrated below.

The good

My grandpa is Superman, my mom is the best, and I am for some reason always in good health, with a
fairly good brain, personality, and family.

The bad

My dad is a punk, I'm a bit chubby, I have the shortest female hair in my family, I have huge cheeks, a
terrible dental formula, I have an uneven complexion, weird feet, and an inferiority complex(according to
my mom), last but not the least, a detached nuclear family. As quite clear, the bad outweighs all the good
which has led me to be a negative person when it comes to my life(also according to my mom).

My mom is a psychosocial counselor at a small clinic. She's a civil servant so she doesn't make much
aside from her small business. Dad or as I'd like to call him in my head 'mr mayele", has been
unemployed for the past 2 years. We've been living off of my mum and occasional aid from my grandpa
for the past year or so. Dad, sorry, Mr. Jelani and I have never gotten along, at first, it bothered me but
now I couldn't care, he isn't the best person to be around.

Regardless of what everyone says, I believe I was a mistake. Firstly my parents weren't married when
they had me, which isn't extraordinary. Dad was working at some huge software company and my mom
was interning somewhere, they had been dating for a while, things happened I was born unexpectedly
of course and they wedded. In my opinion, I was a mistake though Mom would never admit that.

Mr. Jelani is a very short-tempered, strong-headed, and big-headed person. He's humble at first
encounter but I think he has a superiority complex.

After quitting his job as a software engineer at Mobile. Co for the simple reason he didn't think it was his
calling, he went into some sort of depression.

According to what l heard him telling Lexi, he believes God has a plan for him, and all other sectors he
engages in will flop because God is ostensibly driving him along the road to his purpose.

I felt for the man, he has gone through a lot. He lost his dad at the age of 10, and his mum remarried and
later died. He's the fourth born in a family of 9 yet only 5 are standing. It eats him up when I was 8, I
figured he is disturbed because one minute his normal, and the next he was losing it over something as
trivial as a chair falling.

At first, his behavior bothered me, and the fact that mom would give me that I'm sorry to look when he
lashes out at me. It was infuriating knowing that she knew he had a problem and didn't do anything to
alleviate my concerns. She just stood there and watched, with time I became accustomed to it and
eagerly waited for the day I would leave her house.

Being the firstborn for quite a long time, I can proudly say I know him the most. We've never been close
and after our failed relationship, he polished himself up.

I'm older than Lexi and Leo by only three years so they got some of the anger too. The only one who got
spared was Ash who for some reason hates the name Ashlynn.

Lexi copes by acting like everything is ok, which is ok if you're not as vocal as I am when it comes to him.

Leo runs, and the kid just runs away from him, which is quite easy for someone who plays football as
much as he does.

He avoids contact at all times which is one of the reasons he's the mommy's boy he is.

Ash doesn't have to cope because, unlike the rest of us, they have a good relationship.

Unfortunately for him, I got tired of being his punching bag and frustration outlet, anyone would,
11years is a long time which is why on my mom's 32nd birthday we practically cut ties.

Mom's friends took her out, we had a petty argument, he hit me a few times, I cried, all my siblings
cried for some reason and things ended that very day.

I went to sleep early, and to my dismay, my siblings did not and ended up filling my mom with tea.

Mum the following day sat me down.

"How are you?"

"Fine, you?" though from the eternal view last night was sad, I'm quite happy about it, it's like I'm free.

_"I could be better_", no surprise there, that was always her answer when I asked the question because
she knew she couldn't lie to me.

"How can I help with that?"

"_An update, maybe_" Oh God

"We had a minor argument... " fight, fights involve physical contact "There was a small fight yesterday"

"Between who and who?” I sigh.

"Could we stop acting oblivious? Please'

“Uh, you like getting straight to the point, don't you? All I'm going to say is he's always going to be your
dad regardless of things like what happened last night, him being paralyzed, us not being together, him
remarrying" There's a brief pause, eye contact and she continues" My point is whatever happened is
between you and your father, to be completely honest I'm not at all surprised, but while you go on with
your relationship," she makes air quotes with her fingers, "he's still your dad and he'll

always my dad, my dads back at my home"

"This is your home"

"_No not for very long..._ " As she says those words, I for the first time experience mixed emotions. I'm
mad its been eleven years I've been a punching bag for eleven years, I know I'm young but that's so
much time, a lot could've happened, and you would've been happy, I mean not only are you beautiful
white woman, you're also a very nice person to be around, you could've found someone, you" now I'm
sobbing. "that's so selfish, I know it's your marriage and all but we were involved, do you know how
draining it is being here while you're out? Lexi is practically an actress, and Leo runs away from him every
chance he gets, we're financially struggling, you're tired as hell, I'm practically a maid, you've been
feeding a very much healthy grown man, and all he does is sit around and mope over his inability to
provide his children, your inaccurate timing of such a huge decision has directly or indirectly affected
everyone's lives."

_" _look I get where you're coming from, but I didn't say I made any decision, and yes I am well aware of
the affairs of my own home_____"_

"Oh, so it's your home now?"

"_Stop! You're a child, a teenager to be exact_" When I realized that she wasn't talking in my line of
thinking, I start sobbing again, this time worse than before.

"This coming year is a year of new beginnings and I've been thinking a lot and making big decisions, I just
want you to know that whatever I do I have your best interests at heart sweety, I love you" She kisses my
forehead, and tells me to lie down for a bit. I go to my room and all I'm thinking about is if I wasn't born
my mom's life would've been so great, I was a mistake that she can't admit to. In the middle of my
thoughts, my head starts aching, before I know it, I'm fast asleep.
CHAPTER 2

"_Audrey sweetie, good morning_"_

"Morning"

_"So sweetie, your acceptance letter just came in, you begin in a week."_

"Where?"

"Cavemond high_"

"uh ok that's great, can't wait" Another month of this and I'll throw up.

"get dressed, we need to start shopping asap"

Lexi walks in with that long hair of hers. For some reason, I have the shortest hair in my family. If Leo
kept his hair for 2 months it would outrun mine. Mum says I got dads genetics. Regardless of her better
hair, face, and complexion, I love her. That doesn't mean we're best friends, we have more of a love-hate
relationship, while Ash and Leo, especially Leo are my biggest fans.

"please please, Audrey dear, Mr. Peter would like to know what shoe size you wear. Is it still 4?_"I've
heard her, but I'm too distracted by the thought that crosses my mind. We're all happy just like this, us
kids and mom. Mr. J and his aura destroy every bit of happiness we sometimes have, they're all scared of
him except for Mum possibly. Though my mum is the wisest person I know, the idea of her being married
to Mr. J for so long is infuriating, is it for us, cause if it is, she's acting oblivious to our feelings. Is it love,
I've watched several romance movies, and yes they are exaggerated, but this doesn't seem like a love
marriage. Is she scared of starting over?

"_Audrey! "

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"_About_?"

"Life, it's funny isn't it?"

"_Have you noticed that you do that a lot? "_

I raise a brow. ___

"_You zone out a lot, especially when you're around us as a collective. I feel like you, I don't know,
overthink "_

"I enjoy thinking, is it a bad thing to do? "

"_Not if your line of thought is" she sighs"healthy, positive, self-building, in short um, good"_

"your point is?"

"Be a child, that's all I'll say today, go take a bath, get dressed, we leave in a bit." after she leaves, I look
around, this house is way bigger than the previous one. Mum is less stressed, she's around more, and
could be getting divorced soon, I've waited for these things so long that I'm in a somewhat state of
denial. Though life could get financially better, I'm feeling better than I was a few years ago. I sigh.
"Audrey! I'm done and you better be!"

Ahh"I'm coming!"

To my surprise, she bought everything I needed of course she crossed out all the unnecessary items from
my handwritten list, but after what she just revealed, I don't mind. To be honest, I don't have any feelings
towards Cavemond, I'm not excited, nor am I saddened by the mere mention of it which she has been
doing for quite a while now, but I know that this will do me well. I need this, it's what some Americans
call a breather. If I stay home for another year will explode.

"You hungry?"
"more like starved, let's go home, it's past lunchtime and today is Tuesday so we'll probably find sausage
in the fridge, that is if we're done here. ."

"Let's go for lunch at that new pizza place." due to financial circumstances, I haven't eaten pizza since
the time I last saw my grandpa." Are you sure? We have spent a lot of money on one day and I hear it's
quite expensive, I'm through the phase, I don't mind going home for lunch" she begins to drag me in the
direction of the pizza place.

"I'm not where I was last year, you know."

Mum wasn't joking when she said that, me hubby chubby were stuffed, and she probably was, and she
still bought an extra one for the rest.
CHAPTER 3

 LIAM CROMWELL

"So 2017, normal school or home school?"

"You, 're not my dad so I don't see how the matter concerns you."

"I was just asking a simple question that required a simple answer from you."

"Well, I don't answer rhetorical questions miss.. "

"miss? Liam I am your step-mother, show me a little respect for crying out loud, it's been five years, a
simple Mitchell would do."

Most sarcastically "I would like it quite a lot of you would from now on keep out of my business because
you're an important part of my father's life, not mine. It's been five years of this and I don know how
many more I can take so, if you care I'm considering normal school. Now woman, oh with respect, please
get out."

As any person would be, she's offended but it's all her fault, she's trying to be my mum and for some
reason, I don't like that, this all starts and ends with her. She's probably waiting for an apology cause
she's still here, after a good two minutes of teary eye contact, she leaves.

Unfortunately for her my dad isn't here to listen to her and her problems with me so she's probably
crying somewhere in this oversized house, such an emotional woman, I wonder how Dad manages.

My phone rings, I answer and am met with my mother's beautiful voice.

"Hi baby, how are you doing?"

"I'm surviving, you?"

"Well.."

"That's the well I heard when you introduced me to Tom"

"Baby Tom was an impulsive decision, I was lonely and I nneeded someone to bring me back to life.
Loves is one of the best feelings in the world, only the fortunate find their soulmates in one lifetime, and
I don't care if I'll find him when I'm 70, call me a hopeless romantic if you must, but I think this one is the
one."

"And who's the one?"

"his name is Mike, he's a store manager, 49 oh and he looks quite like you, probably what captivated me
to him.."

"meaning?"

"well his eyes a darker shade of blue"

"ooh"

"Dad’s eyes are blue, it's your type I assume.."

"Your dad was not my type"

"Mmm"

"yeah, yeah story for another day."

"ok, keep in my mind I don't enjoy being forgotten.