• Why save someone that doesn't
    deserve to be saved?
    by:Serena Sykes






    It's 2:30, my mom is late by 30 minutes again like always, suddenly I see a small black car come out of a corner. Finally She pulls forward
    then gives me the head signal to jump in the car. I look at her, not even a "how was your day" or "hello."
    Realizing she'll probably will never say it, I just stare ahead. A bluff of smoke reached to the edge of my nose, I turn and look at the cigarette in
    her mouth.
    "I thought you quit!" said turning away in disappointment to look out of the window.
    She did a large sigh "you dont need to worry. It's my body I can do what I want"
    why did she have to??? I said in my thoughts.

    The light is blinding me as she parks the car in are driveway. I gather all of my books and set them in my bag. I look at her as she throws the killer in on the ground. She reaches in her pocket and starts to light another one. She realizes im staring at her and gives me a frown.
    "You can go!!!" she said as anger reached her eyes.
    " You forgot to unlock the door" I said as she looked at me like I was retarded.
    She reaches for the unlock button and presses it in disgust. I hoped out and ran inside.
    "Im home" I said looking at the messy floor and the t.v on. Suddenly Ashley runs out in to the living room and jumps on me to the point all my books run out my bags.
    Ashley is the only one who cares about me besides my dad. She is very small and silly. She is the only sister I have.
    "S***" my mom said as she stepped on a baby doll of Ashley's. Ashley rushed over there to grab her little doll.
    "never, if I step on another one of your toys I will stop buying them for you, you understand!!!!"
    There was a gust of silence tell I saw Ashley's eyes water up. A tear rushes down her cheek and she started crying.
    My dad looks back. He was making food for us sense mom is always to selfish to cook. But what gets me the most mad is my dad is always making dinner and my mom is always saying she can't cook because she's had a long day when really she douse nothing but pick me up!!
    but on he other hand my dad is always fixing the house or helping out or cleaning up after all of us and on top of that he has to get up at 5:00, every day for work and is still doing all of this stuff!!!!!
    "Alice why did you do that to ashley?!?!?!?" my dad said slamming the spatula down on the stove, and running to Ashley."Are you ok?"
    "sniff, sniff" said Ashley wiping her nose on her blanket.
    He takes her by the hand and sets her on are dining room chair. While this is happening my mom slumps on the couch with a sigh, then grabs the remote with a cigarette between her pointer finger and her middle finger, with the smoke burning like the devil in the sun. She clicks a button and closes her eyes and begins to sleep.
    "Are you eating Alice" my dad asks, peeling a band aid in his hand.
    "Sure, whatever" she says with her eyes still closed.
    He stops paying attention to Ashley and gives me the band aid to finish her off. He picks up his spatula and continues to cook.
    "There your all better, now go and play and i'll tell you when to eat, ok?" I said to Ashley.
    She nods and skips to her room with the doll still in her hand.


    "Ashley, it's time to eat" my father screams in a soft voice. He sets the pot on the table under a potholder and sets the juice next to me."Poor them some juice ok"
    "Is clay eating?" I ask
    My dad nods and sits in the chair.
    " Heray were eating, hipay were eating!!!" said Ashley as she runs in her chair with her bunny in her hand(fake of course, my mom hates animals.)
    I sit down and hand Ashley her cup. Then I poor clay's cup. I set that aside and start to poor mine.
    "Alis, were eating"my dad said
    "Ok i'll be there!!" she said as she smears the cigarette in her ashtray. She gets up and slowly walks to the table."No animals at the table Ash"
    My mom grabs her fork and knife and scoops some mash potatoes.
    "but Barry said he likes sitting at the table!!!"
    My mom slams the knife on the table."Ok first of all Barry is a stuffed animal, and he smells like crap, and second of all im in charge and when I say no animals at the table you drop every stupid animal on the ground and you don't touch it until were done and if you touch him your not eating!!!"
    Ashley gets this look like someone's giving her the hardest decision ever. She looks at me first, then my dad, then my mom.
    "Then I choose not to eat"
    She gets down from the table and walk away in courage and belief with the bunny pushed against her chest, lucky bunny, someone actually loves him.
    My moms face was pure horror. But on the other hand my dads face was proud and happy. Weird family, huh?

    The phone starts ringing and my mom answers it.
    "Uhu...........sure............why couldn't he?............fine.....ill be there in 10 ok....bye"
    she slams the phone shut and says she has to go to work.
    "Ill pack you a to go box so you can still eat" my dad said getting up.
    "Im not hungry and besides, who would want to eat crap?" She grabbed her purse and left.
    My dad slowly sat down in disappointment. He slammed his napkin down and covered his eyes.
    "Dad?"
    There was a moment in silence, it was so quiet we could hear the crickets chirping on the other side of the road Finally he said "Scoop the rest of the food into a bowl then go give it to Clay, split it in half and give the rest to Ashley."

    I walk upstairs and into Clay's room which is right next to Ashley's in the hall.
    He was not in his room, he never is. He is always on the roof by the stars and by the animals out side. He likes it quiet. And he also go's out there to get away from the parents and just forget anyone is even living in the world except for him.
    I wish I could do that. But I'm to much of a wimp.
    "Clay,I brought you food" I said watching my footing as I climbed to where he was. My shoes were so old I could feel the grip on the roof sink into my feet.
    I still don't remember the last time my mom got me shoes. The only thing I could remember was her holding a cigarette. That's the only thing I will ever remember about my mom. Makes me think, about all the things she douse and how life is so very special and how i love my mom so much but I can barely feel that feeling anymore. And I bet I will never be able to have a descent mom that will kiss me in at night or hold me or tickle me to the point were both crying or even a mom who doesn't care about anything but me and my family. Why cant that happen?
    "What is it"
    "it's dads home made speggetie."
    He looked at it.
    "I'll give half of it to the animals."
    I bet you are wondering why he said "I'll give half to the animals"
    I believe it's a gift but no one else likes the idea of that. You see Clay can like interact with animals so well they will eat stuff out of his hand!!
    Like at the zoo one time we were by the lions and Clay had a Popsicle that he was almost done with when he stuck the popsicle in his mouth, a lion jumped out over the fence keeping it in, and over are heads. Everyone was screaming and my dad told us to run. But Clay was all amused and let the lion come close. The lion look at him so freakishly that I thought Clay was going to pee his pants. But of course, he didn't.
    The lion did something no one ever expected. The lion took one step foreword.
    All hearts were pounding thinking the lion found food, on an innocent boy. It was those moments were no one was in control, it was all fate.
    Clay looked at his popsicle then at the lion which was no more farther than a foot away. He kept concentrating, thinking, wondering.
    Finally Clay took the move and stuck his popsicle right up the lions mouth. There was a gasp in the crowd when suddenly all of the trainers came in the ring that the crowd had formed.
    "We need everyone to stay as still as possible." said one of the trainers with a net in his hand.
    seconds went by,
    minutes went by,
    Finally they stepped closer to the lion.
    The lion took it offensively and growls. The lion steps over the boy in protection.
    I thought the lion was saying "everyone stay away from the boy"
    Then I finally resized, no one else did. The lion was protecting Clay!!!
    Ever sense then we have always thought if that happened again would clay still be like that I mean now that he's older?
    I handed the food to clay and started walking down with both hands out like a birds wings, except I'm trying to balance and get down.
    "Hey Layla?"
    I stopped and turned around to look at him "ya Clay."
    "Why was mom yelling?"
    I did a big breath. I tugged on my jean jacket, It was really cold out and I couldn't understand how Clay could be out in this weather.
    "Ashley wanted her stuffed animal to sit at the table with us"
    He thought hard."So did Ashley stand up for what she wanted?"
    "Ya she did, mom asked if........."
    "Why do you call her mom" Clay said interrupting me "she dosnt treat you like a daughter"
    I thought a bit. One thing about Clay that is so true, He is always right. Not in a snoughty way it's just he is really smart and knows what he's talking about. I love him for it but, it can get annoying sometimes.
    "I can't answer that question"
    "Why not, I mean all you have to do is not call her mom." Clay said getting angrier the second.
    "Clay what do you mean I mean think about it, she gave birth to us, she fed us she took us to the hospital when you got your leg broken."
    "Are you sereise? That was all dad who did that, Alice was always getting another cigarette out or grabbing a beer out of the fridge!!!"
    I thought a bit. "Clay you don't have to call her mom, But I am going to wether you like it or not."
    "God Layla, your so wrong, why call her that she doesn't care about anyone but herself and your just going to have to deal with that wether "YOU" like it or not so..............egggghhhh" he started walking higher up the roof. Birds flew besides him.
    "Clay, get off of the roof now." My dad said as he walked out into where we were.
    Clay didn't listen.
    "God danget Clay when are you going to listen to me!!!" My dad said as he slammed the door behind him.
    I looked around. What was are family getting into? What next? Murder? Robbers? Even suicide??
    I climbed down and walked away, leaving Clay with the birds eating out of his hand.





    Chapter 2


    "Beep, Beep, Beep" Went my alarm clock. I slammed my sleepy hand on the snooze button and crunched my eyes open. I layed there a wile just to wake up and feel the day pass me by slower then anything ever thought of. I got out of bed and walked to my closet. I looked out of my window and I saw the birds chirping and the mother birds feeding there little bald-headed babies. Hmm. The momma bird treats the babies way better then are mom douse. Thats just unfair.
    I take a slight move to the point I can see the roof of are house on the oposite side of me, where Clay's room is and I see him with a thin sheet on over him, laying on the roof with strange enough, a raccoon, curled up against his chest.
    The sun peeks over the houses and blinds my eyes. I turned away. I turned once I was in a shadow. I look at Clay on the roof again.
    The raccoon was gone, Shokingly so was Clay.
    I get downstairs and see my father and Clay.
    "Good morning" my dad said as he took out the orange juice out of Clay's hand.
    "Dude come on I had that first." Said Clay as he snatched it out of my dad's hand.
    I sat at the table and stared at them squezing the juice to get a better grip, and they went back and forth, back and forth.
    Boys.
    Suddenly the whole house ecoed with a slash as the juice went flying every where all over my dad and Clay.
    There was a gust of silence. Ashley came out and took one look at Clay and dad and started laughing. Suddenly everyone started cracking up.
    And just to make it even more funny, Ashley said "Uhh dad I think you have something on your face."
    Suddenly mom, I mean Alice stepped out and said "shut the hell up Im trying to sleep."
    She had a cigerette in her hand as she walked back in her room and shut the door. We all looked at eachother. And started laughing again.