Based On A True Story, chapter 1
I wonder what it's like to be invisible? I don't know. Even though I wish it on myself every second of every day. Why can't I be normal? Ask someone who cares. On the outside, I am just a normal kid. Brown hair to my shoulders. Brown eyes. Good grades. One of those people that doesn't hang around in a group. Just kind of socialises with everybody. That's me. On the outside. Hell, most people don't even know what goes on on the inside. That is, only me.
I don't know why he does it. We used to be so nice together. A real family, Mom used to say. Used to say. She doesn't say that any more. She doesn't really speak any more. She daren't. Incase she says something wrong.
Edward Blake, Eddie to his friends, beats his wife and children. Edward Blake, my father.
From what I gather, it's been going on since my mother's third child was born. My younger brother, Matty. He's almost four. Four years of it. Four whole years. It's a long time if you're in that position.
Nineteen black eyes, four broken arms, a broken leg, broken collar bone, and various other injuries. That's just me. In my thirteen years of life. Kinda something isn't it. I've lost count of my Mother's injuries. Bless.
I sometimes fell like I'm living a lie. Keeping all this from everybody. Other family members. Friends. Teachers. Doctors. Even members of the public. When you've got a cast on, and they look at you and smile, you just want to run up to them and shout at the them to take you away. Then I scold myself. If I did do something like that, the social's have a field day. I've considered running away. Never attempted anything though. I couldn't leave my family. I just couldn't. My Mom, my brothers. My Dad, yes, but, yeah. But, there's a twist. When I call my Dad 'Dad', well, it's just a name. He's not my biological father. All I know about my real Dad is that he's American. Yeah, narrows it down, doesn't it. You know, when I've had a bad day, I like to sit in my room, on my bed, and just think about him. Am I like him? Does he even know I exist? My older brother TJ has the same Dad. He's lucky. Our father actually met him. Mom even lived with our biological dad when TJ was born. When she fell pregnant with me, she moved back from America to crummy England, where she met Edward Blake. I was born. He raised me as his own. They got married. Had two kids together. And that's where we are now. Unfortunately.
I go to school like any other normal kid. The only difference is, they have people who love them. They have the latest CD's. Their own style. I don't. I'm not allowed. Yeah, I hear all the other kids. Rules are meant to be broken. Try telling that to 'Daddy'. The only thing that would be broken was your collar bone and your will to live.
Dragging my school bag behind me, I left the school grounds.
"Nevada!" called a familiar voice. I turned around to see my older brother running towards me. He caught up, putting his arm around my shoulders.
"You okay?"
I nodded, not taking my eyes off the gum plastered pavement. I heard him sigh. His arm fell from around my shoulders and he shuffled a few paces ahead. It's funny how people act different with different people. Take TJ, my brother. At school, he's the rebel, the 'popular guy'. But, at home, it's a different story. Like a soldier going into battle. All the 'coolness' and rebelliousness just drops out of him.
I turned the corner and saw the house. Mom was just climbing out of her car, and getting Jake out the back seat. Matty was stood on the pavement, stiller than any other four year old should ever be. I walked straight passed all of them, over taking TJ who was talking to Matty and Mom
I put the key in the front door. It creaked open and I walked in, leaving my shoes in the hall. TJ ran in after me. He blonde hair looked slightly windswept from his running, and he was slightly out of breath.
"Moms...Gone to...Get some...washing crap...come up...stairs...I...I. Got something..."
I didn't get the last bit as he ran upstairs. I followed him. He was in Mom and Dad's room. I hesitated before walking in. We weren't allowed in here. Yet, there my brother was, laying on his stomach rummaging under the bed. Then he pulled out a box. Blowing the top layer of dust off, he ran his hand over the lid.
I scuttled in, getting on my hands and knee's beside him. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest.
"I found something the other day that I want you to see."
I frowned as he opened the lid. A handful of photo's fell out. I picked them up and looked. It was a picture of a load of people, maybe a bit older then TJ. One looked exactly like him. I frowned, looking closer. He had his arm around a girl of about the same age. She had short red hair, and bright blue eyes. She looked almost exactly like me. Then it hit me. Mom. I flicked through the rest of the photo's. OF the same boy and girl, with some other people. A guy with longish hair which varied throughout the photo's and light eyes, a boy, a bit shorter than him, with short brownish hair and a girl with long dark hair. She was pretty. I looked on the back. In blue ink, someone had written ; the guys, summer 89. The other photo's varied in dates from 1982- 1992. They all looked really happy.
"That's our Dad," muttered TJ, pointing to the blonde guy. I looked even closer. He looked cool. Nice, laid back, relaxed. Even kinda handsome. I kept flicking through them. Finally, I fingers hit a piece of paper. Glancing at it, I put it away. But two words caught my eye. Birth Certificate. I examined it. It was TJ's. I looked closer at the two signatures at the bottom where it read parents. Mollie Jebb. That was my Mom. Then the second one.
Michael. Ryan. Pritchard.
I don't know why he does it. We used to be so nice together. A real family, Mom used to say. Used to say. She doesn't say that any more. She doesn't really speak any more. She daren't. Incase she says something wrong.
Edward Blake, Eddie to his friends, beats his wife and children. Edward Blake, my father.
From what I gather, it's been going on since my mother's third child was born. My younger brother, Matty. He's almost four. Four years of it. Four whole years. It's a long time if you're in that position.
Nineteen black eyes, four broken arms, a broken leg, broken collar bone, and various other injuries. That's just me. In my thirteen years of life. Kinda something isn't it. I've lost count of my Mother's injuries. Bless.
I sometimes fell like I'm living a lie. Keeping all this from everybody. Other family members. Friends. Teachers. Doctors. Even members of the public. When you've got a cast on, and they look at you and smile, you just want to run up to them and shout at the them to take you away. Then I scold myself. If I did do something like that, the social's have a field day. I've considered running away. Never attempted anything though. I couldn't leave my family. I just couldn't. My Mom, my brothers. My Dad, yes, but, yeah. But, there's a twist. When I call my Dad 'Dad', well, it's just a name. He's not my biological father. All I know about my real Dad is that he's American. Yeah, narrows it down, doesn't it. You know, when I've had a bad day, I like to sit in my room, on my bed, and just think about him. Am I like him? Does he even know I exist? My older brother TJ has the same Dad. He's lucky. Our father actually met him. Mom even lived with our biological dad when TJ was born. When she fell pregnant with me, she moved back from America to crummy England, where she met Edward Blake. I was born. He raised me as his own. They got married. Had two kids together. And that's where we are now. Unfortunately.
I go to school like any other normal kid. The only difference is, they have people who love them. They have the latest CD's. Their own style. I don't. I'm not allowed. Yeah, I hear all the other kids. Rules are meant to be broken. Try telling that to 'Daddy'. The only thing that would be broken was your collar bone and your will to live.
Dragging my school bag behind me, I left the school grounds.
"Nevada!" called a familiar voice. I turned around to see my older brother running towards me. He caught up, putting his arm around my shoulders.
"You okay?"
I nodded, not taking my eyes off the gum plastered pavement. I heard him sigh. His arm fell from around my shoulders and he shuffled a few paces ahead. It's funny how people act different with different people. Take TJ, my brother. At school, he's the rebel, the 'popular guy'. But, at home, it's a different story. Like a soldier going into battle. All the 'coolness' and rebelliousness just drops out of him.
I turned the corner and saw the house. Mom was just climbing out of her car, and getting Jake out the back seat. Matty was stood on the pavement, stiller than any other four year old should ever be. I walked straight passed all of them, over taking TJ who was talking to Matty and Mom
I put the key in the front door. It creaked open and I walked in, leaving my shoes in the hall. TJ ran in after me. He blonde hair looked slightly windswept from his running, and he was slightly out of breath.
"Moms...Gone to...Get some...washing crap...come up...stairs...I...I. Got something..."
I didn't get the last bit as he ran upstairs. I followed him. He was in Mom and Dad's room. I hesitated before walking in. We weren't allowed in here. Yet, there my brother was, laying on his stomach rummaging under the bed. Then he pulled out a box. Blowing the top layer of dust off, he ran his hand over the lid.
I scuttled in, getting on my hands and knee's beside him. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest.
"I found something the other day that I want you to see."
I frowned as he opened the lid. A handful of photo's fell out. I picked them up and looked. It was a picture of a load of people, maybe a bit older then TJ. One looked exactly like him. I frowned, looking closer. He had his arm around a girl of about the same age. She had short red hair, and bright blue eyes. She looked almost exactly like me. Then it hit me. Mom. I flicked through the rest of the photo's. OF the same boy and girl, with some other people. A guy with longish hair which varied throughout the photo's and light eyes, a boy, a bit shorter than him, with short brownish hair and a girl with long dark hair. She was pretty. I looked on the back. In blue ink, someone had written ; the guys, summer 89. The other photo's varied in dates from 1982- 1992. They all looked really happy.
"That's our Dad," muttered TJ, pointing to the blonde guy. I looked even closer. He looked cool. Nice, laid back, relaxed. Even kinda handsome. I kept flicking through them. Finally, I fingers hit a piece of paper. Glancing at it, I put it away. But two words caught my eye. Birth Certificate. I examined it. It was TJ's. I looked closer at the two signatures at the bottom where it read parents. Mollie Jebb. That was my Mom. Then the second one.
Michael. Ryan. Pritchard.
