My phone buzzes and a groan escapes my mouth. I reach my hand out blindly to silence my phone when I hear a thud on the ground. Of course it had to fall off. No rest for the wicked I guess. I crack my eyes open and I find my phone among a pile of clothes on the floor. My thumb swipes across the screen and the noise stops. I slowly sit up and swing my feet over the side of the bed. Izzy lifts her head and looks at me with hopeful eyes, a whine escapes her mouth. “Alright girlie, let’s get some food.”

  I stand up and open my door to go downstairs. Izzy makes a mad dash between my legs and I grip the door as an effort to stay upright, “Gosh Izzy, hold up a sec.” I walk down the stairs and am thrown into the craziness of the morning.

  My mother is at the stove with her brown hair up in a messy bun, making eggs and watching the toaster for someone’s toast. “Good morning Grae! Sleep well last night?” I murmur an affirmative as a high-pitched squealing rings through the kitchen.

  I look at the table and see a puddle of orange juice and pieces of egg scattered across it’s worn wooden face. At the head of the table is Brent, my step-dad, reading something on his phone and drinking some coffee. His brown hair is messily strewn across his face as he tries to wake up. Night shifts do that to you and Brent is not known for being a morning person. Next to him is my little sister Belle, the banshee in the kitchen. Her red curls frame her chubby face as she cries for my mom’s attention. Bits of food are in her fat little fingers and her eyes are red and wet from tears.

  Mom looks at me and adjusts her red glasses. “Get some breakfast, you can’t go to school on an empty stomach dear.” I reach for a piece of toast when she adds, “Can you make some cereal for Belle before you go? She doesn’t seem to want the breakfast we have for her.” I nod and look in the pantry. A pink bowl catches my eye and I grab a box of something, I didn’t check the label. I pour milk and brightly colored circles into the bowl. I grabbed Fruit Loops, Belle’s gonna love that. With a spoon in hand, I give my screaming sister the cereal and turn back to the pantry.

  Izzy is sitting anxiously beside her empty food bowl, her tail thumping against the ground at an astounding pace. She whines a little and tilts her head, her soft brown floppy ears hanging from her head. I grab the container, pour the food into the bowl, and tell Izzy to leave it. Her brown eyes are solely focused on her food bowl and how much she wanted to have it. Little droplets of drool fall from her mouth as she pants anxiously, waiting semi-patiently for her food. After ten seconds, I mutter the word, “Okay” and she races as fast as she can to get some of her doggy kibble. Her nails click across the kitchen floor and she launches her head into the metal bowl. Bits of dog food fly everywhere as she inhales the remaining food in the bowl. I laugh a little while my mom mutters under her breath about how that dog acts like she starves all the time. After the food bowl is empty, Izzy takes it upon herself to clean up the remaining kibble and scraps of food that Belle has thrown off the table.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  I pull out my phone and look at the time, 7:40. “Mom I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late..”

Mom flips the eggs in the pan and turns to look at me, “Grae, get some breakfast before you leave,” Her nose wrinkles when she adds, “did you even brush your hair this morning? It looks a little messy.”

  I sigh, grab a leftover elastic from my pocket, and put it into a ponytail. “Love you Mom. Gotta go.” She quickly kisses the top of my head and waves me out the door. My keys jingle as I grab them from the hook by the door and proceed to exit the house. An old rusty what looks to be black car sits outside of my house on the street. I smile slightly and unlock my car. It took me a good two years for me to save enough money and convince my parents to let me buy this beauty. I throw my bag in the passenger seat, climb in, and start the ignition. She rumbles to life as I check the different mirrors to make sure that I can see. I shift into drive and then pull out onto the road.

  The radio quietly plays popular songs as I quickly drive to the high school in my town. I tap my finger on the wheel in beat of the song that’s playing amd sing the song in my head. I pass the temple, all lit up like a beacon in the dark, and other houses getting ready for the day.

  The city passes by as I drive down the streets to my school, also known as my personal type of heck. The tall building looms over me as I pull into a parking space and shift into park. For a second, I sit in the seat and stare at my prison. Students run across the campus to their first class and cars are desperately trying to find a spot with minimal walking distance to the school. I grab my bag and lock my car. I breathe in the damp air and look at the grey sky. I close my eyes momentarily to try and gain some peace or composure before I step into the devil’s playground. I open my eyes and start to walk toward the brick building. Well Grae, welcome to a new day.