• As I slowly awakened from my vivid dream, I could feel the warm rays of new sunlight resting upon my eyelids. It was so reassuring, to always have something there to look forward to. Every time I woke up, this same sun was there. It was really amazing-- if you didn't care to remember to scientific part. How we can see the sun only because the earth always revolves around it, and how if the sun somehow wasn't there, we would all be dead. Well, I didn't care about that. It still amazed me. And all that warm light came through the sky and clouds, and buildings, and even through a window, and I could still feel the warmth on my shut eyes. It was so relaxing I almost fell asleep again. I didn't want to open my eyes and ruin the moment.

    As if he had no idea what a peace-filled, bliss state-of-mind I was in right then, my step-father decided to unleash some of his uncalled-for frustration on me. I kept my eyes shut, but he knew I was awake. Either that or he was going to wake me up anyway.

    "Brittani! Do you know what day it is?! And look at look at the time! If you don't get your lazy a** out of bed, you are never leaving this house again - especially to go shopping like you wanted to today! You know I always want your chores done by 7:09 every Saturday morning! What the hell are you doing in bed at seven?!! You just don't get to sleep in til noon like you say 'the rest of the world does,' because you have THINGS TO DO." At this point, he started screaming. "I'm gonna go downstairs, and when I get back up here you'd better be dressed, dammit!" I heard every word of his speech, and I knew what would happen if I didn't "obey". I spent 3 weeks trapped in our house one time. It was so unfair. The worst part was my mom didn't even notice. It's like she pretends her new husband hasn't completely destroyed my life.

    "Aw, s**t," I muttered as I rolled out of bed. I stepped on the end of my cell phone charger cord. I sighed. My mood had been changed so quickly this morning,

    I was going to have to get dressed and do my chores faster than I'd ever done them before. "Ouch!" I tried not to yell. I stepped on an earring, post-up. OW. It never usually hurt that much when I did things like that. I attempted to balance and I looked at my foot. I saw a sparkly stud in the bottom . . . but the rest was sticking inside. I pulled my earring out, and a little blood came with it.

    I quickly got a Hello Kitty band-aid from my purse (adorable), and put it on. I didn't have time to sit and cry about it. I put on some jeans and a Sesame Street T-shirt I got from my friend Alice, and headed to the bathroom. I brushed through my chin-length, almost-black, silky, shiny hair. That would have to do. I washed my face really well; no time for a shower. After putting on my makeup, I looked in the mirror and sighed. I wished I had more time to waste while getting ready in the morning.

    By 7:15 I was out of the bathroom. I flew right into him like he was a wall. An invisible (and very evil) wall. I drew in a gulp of air and held it, ready to take in any insult I had coming.

    This time he just said, "Well. At least you're dressed." Having nothing to rat me out about, he turned around in our little hallway and stomped back down the stairs.

    I breathed a sigh of relief when he was completely out of view. I was not in the mood for another one of Philip's tantrums (Philip is his name, but I always thought it should be more embarrassing. So I've called him Sir Philio ever since I first met him & noticed how much we dislike each other. The name really embarrasses him). I smiled to myself and started walking toward my room to tidy up my bed.