Pretty, Ugly Girl

Hannah woke in a semi happy mood. Her dream hadn't been that good nor was the day before exciting good but she was joyfully in a semi happy.

Today was her birthday and she was finally leaving the awkward 'no one likes the eleven year old' stage of life and turning twelve. It was a Saturday so she didn't have to go to school and have the embarrassment of someone in her form telling their tutor that it was her birthday and said tutor making the class sing 'Happy Birthday' to her. She had seen other people's birthdays and concluded that it would be absolutely embarrassing having that happen.

Like any other weekend, Hannah left the room in her pyjamas and dressing gown, padding downstairs in her slippers. Despite the fact it was mid May, it wasn't all that warm outside or even inside. It wasn't really severely cold or anything; just not warm enough for people to walk around in shorts and t-shirts just yet. Well, any sane person that is. There were some people who Hannah believed wore shorts practically all year. They wore them in the summer and she had even seen some wearing them back in January time. She thought that they were absolutely mad but of course she didn't say anything because it wasn't like she knew them or anything.

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Abi came storming out of the sitting room and just barely missed pushing past her before marching to the front door and pulling it open. Hannah was about to say something but the door slammed shut, Abi on the outside of it. With a small sigh, she made her way down the hall and into the sitting room. She was greeted by Jade and James practically at each other's throat.

“Look what you just done! You just can't keep your thoughts to yourself, can you Jade?” James barked out, pointing behind him and in the general direction of the front door. Hannah assumed he meant that Jade had said something that had upset Abi.

Jade snorted, “What I done?! How about what you done, James. You're the one who brought your skank of a girl into this house, let her live in your room and have her knocked up at the same time. So if you want to blame anyone, fucking blame youself!” Hannah now took back her assumed thought.

Mel wasn't in the room but Hannah knew that she would be sometime soon. If she was in, that is. She could be out doing something and not be back in time and the argument could just end like it does at times. Though at other times it doesn't end because they want it to, it ends because Mel makes it end.

“Don't you spin this shit on me Jade!”

“So don't you dare try blaming it all on me!”

Hannah felt extremely left out because she could just tell that this argument had been going on for a little while as what was said at the beginning and middle was obviously being brought up now because she didn't understand what they were going on about. A part of her wanted to know what they were going on about because she was nosy and it seemed like a quite intense argument but another part of her didn't want to know because it had caused this argument after all, so it must be not that pleasant.

James was about to say something else, Hannah could tell, but Mel came in the room at that moment in time. She looked annoyed and pissed off which made Hannah realise that she had still been in bed. This felt like the first time she was up on a weekend without Mel being up. Hell, she realised, this was the first time that she had ever seen Abi up before Mel, not to mention both Jade and James too.

“You two are beyond a joke! You're both adults and yet you're here, bickering like a bunch of two year olds! Sort your argument out in a civilised way without raising your voices or get the hell out of this house and settle it outside,” Mel told them, her tone telling them that she wasn't playing with what she was saying.

Still, neither one liked being told what to do by Mel. “Oh shut up Mel. What makes you think we'll listen to you now of all times? We don't listen to you at any other time so why would now be any different?” the bitter tone in James' voice shocked Hannah but it seemed that Mel wasn't at all fazed by it.

“You're both legal adults. I can easily call the cops and have them remove you from the premises. I have absolutely no problem with that.”

This had James roll his eyes and mumble something that Hannah couldn't quite hear before pushing past Jade and storming off upstairs. A few seconds later Jade followed in his footsteps except she headed towards the front door and a few seconds later, Hannah heard it slam behind her.

For some unknown reason, Hannah had actually thought that maybe her birthday wouldn't be as disastrous as it had been for the past few years. In fact none of their birthdays, within the last few years, had been that good. They had mostly all been ruined by someone and an argument always broke out. It seemed like a never ending cycle of the days just being terrible and something that no one wanted to remember.

Mel's sigh brought Hannah from her thoughts. “I had hoped that there would be no arguing today. It seems that no one is capable of having compassion for others on their birthday. Most days it feels like I'm fighting a losing battle against them two...,” her voice trailed off which had Hannah curious. Before she could answer Mel started talking again, “Anyway, happy birthday Hannah. I don't know what, or if the others have even bothered to get you something, but you have a present from me and one from your father ready to be opened after breakfast.” They both knew the present from her father was one that Mel had found, wrapped up and signed his name on it.

It was a nice gesture and she got where Mel was coming from so she didn't say anything about it, not even to her dad. Sure, she felt let down over the fact that he couldn't even do something as simple as buy her a birthday present but Mel was doing her best to try and make it seem okay. It was what she tried to do every year but the older three didn't keep their thoughts to themselves and hated the fact that it was Mel who brought their father's present because he just couldn't be bothered doing it.

There was a feeling inside of Hannah that was disappointed and upset that no one had remembered her birthday except for Mel and there was another feeling that felt that Mel was the only one who cared about her. As much as she didn't want to believe the second feeling, she knew that it was most likely true.

Nothing could stop the feeling she got over the fact that someone who wasn't even related to her, the one person who she wasn't blood related to was the one person who gave a damn about her. She had known that for a long time because it was obvious but she didn't want to believe it because who would? Who would want to willingly believe that no one of the immediate surrounding blood related family cared but the one person who was non-blood related family did care? It was a horrible thought and something that she hated, but in a way, she was glad that Mel did care. Because at least someone cared and gave her something to find good within this family.

It was only Hannah and Mel having breakfast which did bother Hannah, a lot, but she tried pushing it to the side because she had to realise that they didn't really care about anyone but themselves and it should be how she is but she's not, for some strange reason. And in a way, she wished she was because then she wouldn't be lonely like she was, but then she was glad she wasn't like that because seeing how they all were was horrible.

But then, Hannah realised, they were all horrible in their own way. That included her too.