Sparkling Tears
Chapter 1
Ciara slammed her front door shut and hung her coat. She turned around, half expecting the house to be empty.
"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" She called. And in a whisper, she added, "I don't expect anyone to answer.." Her hunch proved to be correct, the house was empty.
“Great! I was hoping that they are home, but oh well…” She muttered to herself as she stomps into the hallway. Her mother must have been out for groceries, she’ll be back soon. Her father, on the other hand…
Ciara suspected that her father was having an affair outside. He barely came home before midnight. However, she kept her mouth shut. Her parents’ relationship is already stretching to a breaking point, she don’t want to be the one to cause them to separate.
They would separate sooner or later, her family wasn’t exactly close to each other, and the only time they ever talk is to pick a fight at one of the family members.
How silly of me to hope that Dad would be at home, she thought sadly. She can never picture how is it like having a proper family who love each other, and prefer spending their time together instead of hurling accusation to and forth.
As she passes by the long mirror in the hallway, she stopped to take a look at herself. She can see traces of her mother’s features imprinted upon her. Her mother had been a beautiful lady when she was young, that was the reason why her father had tried to woo her mother.
When her mother had gotten pregnant, he had no choice but to marry her. This marriage happened not because of love; Ciara was not born out of love, just because her mother had felt that an abortion was too risky.
She continued to gaze into the mirror. Her grayish eyes stared back. Her strawberry blond hair trailed all the way down to her waist. She had a very charming smile that could have dazzled half of the guys’ population at school.
To her, it didn’t matter whether she is pretty or not, because she had never actually bothered to dress up or put on make up. As a result, she looked like the usual plain Jane in jeans and sweater everyday.
It doesn’t matter how she looked like, because looks isn’t everything. Maybe this is the price she had to pay for looking gorgeous, by living in a family which has no love.
She thought of how she had won the first place in the singing competition. She thought of what her father had said when she mentioned about her participation in the competition.
‘What? You’ve joined that? You can forget your dreams my girl, face it, you had no talent at all. Every time you sing you sounded like a sick cat calling for help!’
Ciara had glared at her father before walking away quietly. He doesn’t understand at all, what does he know about talent?
Many times, she found herself wishing for her senior year at her high school would end faster. With a sickening thought, she realized that even if she graduated from high school, her parents can’t afford to send her to college. Her only chance is to study hard enough so that she can get a scholarship, which would mean her ticket way out of here.
Ciara gave a yawn and walked inside the kitchen when she heard some screaming above her. She looked up at the ceiling above her. Well, so her parents were at home, and from the sound of it, they were quarreling, as usual.
She ignored the quarreling and went to take a Coke from the fridge. She could distinctively hear the yelling that was taking place.
“You never had time for me! Never! All you did was fooling around outside with that bitch of yours!”
Ciara froze with the can of coke in her hands. How did her mother found out?
“What in the world are you woman blabbering about?!” Her father snarled back, even though Ciara knew that he knew what her mother is talking about.
After that came a list of cursing and swearing. Ciara was gazing at the sink, trying to shut out the noises when a horrible shriek and a thud rang out from the living room.
She dropped the can and rushed outside. Her mother was lying at a heap at the bottom of the stairs, not moving. She looked up and saw that her father was staring at her mother, a strange smile plastered over his face.
"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" She called. And in a whisper, she added, "I don't expect anyone to answer.." Her hunch proved to be correct, the house was empty.
“Great! I was hoping that they are home, but oh well…” She muttered to herself as she stomps into the hallway. Her mother must have been out for groceries, she’ll be back soon. Her father, on the other hand…
Ciara suspected that her father was having an affair outside. He barely came home before midnight. However, she kept her mouth shut. Her parents’ relationship is already stretching to a breaking point, she don’t want to be the one to cause them to separate.
They would separate sooner or later, her family wasn’t exactly close to each other, and the only time they ever talk is to pick a fight at one of the family members.
How silly of me to hope that Dad would be at home, she thought sadly. She can never picture how is it like having a proper family who love each other, and prefer spending their time together instead of hurling accusation to and forth.
As she passes by the long mirror in the hallway, she stopped to take a look at herself. She can see traces of her mother’s features imprinted upon her. Her mother had been a beautiful lady when she was young, that was the reason why her father had tried to woo her mother.
When her mother had gotten pregnant, he had no choice but to marry her. This marriage happened not because of love; Ciara was not born out of love, just because her mother had felt that an abortion was too risky.
She continued to gaze into the mirror. Her grayish eyes stared back. Her strawberry blond hair trailed all the way down to her waist. She had a very charming smile that could have dazzled half of the guys’ population at school.
To her, it didn’t matter whether she is pretty or not, because she had never actually bothered to dress up or put on make up. As a result, she looked like the usual plain Jane in jeans and sweater everyday.
It doesn’t matter how she looked like, because looks isn’t everything. Maybe this is the price she had to pay for looking gorgeous, by living in a family which has no love.
She thought of how she had won the first place in the singing competition. She thought of what her father had said when she mentioned about her participation in the competition.
‘What? You’ve joined that? You can forget your dreams my girl, face it, you had no talent at all. Every time you sing you sounded like a sick cat calling for help!’
Ciara had glared at her father before walking away quietly. He doesn’t understand at all, what does he know about talent?
Many times, she found herself wishing for her senior year at her high school would end faster. With a sickening thought, she realized that even if she graduated from high school, her parents can’t afford to send her to college. Her only chance is to study hard enough so that she can get a scholarship, which would mean her ticket way out of here.
Ciara gave a yawn and walked inside the kitchen when she heard some screaming above her. She looked up at the ceiling above her. Well, so her parents were at home, and from the sound of it, they were quarreling, as usual.
She ignored the quarreling and went to take a Coke from the fridge. She could distinctively hear the yelling that was taking place.
“You never had time for me! Never! All you did was fooling around outside with that bitch of yours!”
Ciara froze with the can of coke in her hands. How did her mother found out?
“What in the world are you woman blabbering about?!” Her father snarled back, even though Ciara knew that he knew what her mother is talking about.
After that came a list of cursing and swearing. Ciara was gazing at the sink, trying to shut out the noises when a horrible shriek and a thud rang out from the living room.
She dropped the can and rushed outside. Her mother was lying at a heap at the bottom of the stairs, not moving. She looked up and saw that her father was staring at her mother, a strange smile plastered over his face.