Dance With Me
Little World
Eleven year old Olyvia Maxwell paced around her best friends house. It was 9:30 PM and a school night. Her parents would have called by now...
"Olyvia, don't stress. I'm sure they'll-" Courtney Sim began to say but the rest of her unspoken words were interrupted by a knock at the door. When she opened it, Olyvia's older brother Tommy stood there with a flushed face and red eyes.
Olyvia bit her lip, hard. He'd been crying! She muttered a goodbye to Courtney and rushed to her brother's side. He said nothing as they walked back home. It was only three doors down- but a good exercise considering they lived on a steep hill.
"Tommy, what's wrong?" She asked, her stomach doing little flips.
"Don't worry about it." He replied and that was the end of that.
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When I got home, the house was quiet and empty. I rushed into my room, turned on the radio to a rap station and layed down on the bottom bunk bed. I sang to the words of a new song from Rihanna that had a nice beat to it. I danced in my room and sang along, pretending I was a superstar.
A week later, I'd noticed that my whole family was distant and that something was really wrong. My mom was starring off into space a lot, my stepfather was furious all the time, and Tommy stayed away from home. My oldest sister Francesca stayed locked up in her room and my other sister Hannah (whom shared a room with me) didn't talk to me anymore. Hannah, being three years older than me, we were like the best of friends. Her rejection set me over the edge.
So on a Thursday night, while we were eating dinner, I cleared my throat and asked, "I'd like to very much know what is going on around here."
It was only me, my mom, my stepfather Carol, and Hannah that were dining. I had no clue where Tommy and Francesca were.
My mom burst into tears and ran out of the room. Carol had a look of disgust on his face and stormed out, following my mother.
Hannah looked at me. "Are you sure you wanna know?"
I nodded eagerly. "Yes."
"Francesca is pregnant." And with that, she got up and bolted upstairs.
I sat there, shocked, trying to swallow the news. But it stayed there, stuck, and sent me back into my own little world of trying to ignore the reality of my life.
"Olyvia, don't stress. I'm sure they'll-" Courtney Sim began to say but the rest of her unspoken words were interrupted by a knock at the door. When she opened it, Olyvia's older brother Tommy stood there with a flushed face and red eyes.
Olyvia bit her lip, hard. He'd been crying! She muttered a goodbye to Courtney and rushed to her brother's side. He said nothing as they walked back home. It was only three doors down- but a good exercise considering they lived on a steep hill.
"Tommy, what's wrong?" She asked, her stomach doing little flips.
"Don't worry about it." He replied and that was the end of that.
-------------------------
When I got home, the house was quiet and empty. I rushed into my room, turned on the radio to a rap station and layed down on the bottom bunk bed. I sang to the words of a new song from Rihanna that had a nice beat to it. I danced in my room and sang along, pretending I was a superstar.
A week later, I'd noticed that my whole family was distant and that something was really wrong. My mom was starring off into space a lot, my stepfather was furious all the time, and Tommy stayed away from home. My oldest sister Francesca stayed locked up in her room and my other sister Hannah (whom shared a room with me) didn't talk to me anymore. Hannah, being three years older than me, we were like the best of friends. Her rejection set me over the edge.
So on a Thursday night, while we were eating dinner, I cleared my throat and asked, "I'd like to very much know what is going on around here."
It was only me, my mom, my stepfather Carol, and Hannah that were dining. I had no clue where Tommy and Francesca were.
My mom burst into tears and ran out of the room. Carol had a look of disgust on his face and stormed out, following my mother.
Hannah looked at me. "Are you sure you wanna know?"
I nodded eagerly. "Yes."
"Francesca is pregnant." And with that, she got up and bolted upstairs.
I sat there, shocked, trying to swallow the news. But it stayed there, stuck, and sent me back into my own little world of trying to ignore the reality of my life.