Clarity ~ m.c.

•Chapter 1•

I stood on the side walk looking out towards a park watching little kids running around playing.

"Look what I can do mommy!" a little girl stood in the grass yelling to her mom who was occupied with two little infants, and the girl did a cartwheel.

"Wow Lauren, very good! With some practice you could be in the Olympics one day!" the mother said enthusiastically.

"You think so?" the girl asked in awe.

"Of course!" the father bellowed placing the girl in his lap. "You'll be the world's next greatest gymnast!"

"Well I better get practicing!" the 5 year old giggled standing up and continued doing cartwheels and different tricks, falling in the grass, while her parents smiled watching her. I stood there smiling too, reminiscing back to my favorite memory, watching myself tumble in the grass and watching my mom laugh and smile.

The scenery quickly changed, I was no longer watching my parents and myself in the park. I was standing in the middle of a combat zone. Guns were shooting, smoke and small explosions were going off of all around me. I was surrounded by U.S. soldiers, but none of them noticed me. I saw my mom creeping against a wall with her gun raised and pointed, ready to shoot.

"Mom!" I tried yelling to her, but she couldn't hear me.

"Lieutenant Jacobs clear out that building!" someone yelled over to my mom and she disappeared into the building directed. Some Afghani women and children ran out of the building. My mom was standing in the door way when the building exploded right in front of me; taking the life of my mom and any civilian still in the house.

Before I could do or say anything, the scenery changed again and I was back home. The living room was covered with empty beer bottles and my little brother and sister, Andrew and Emily, were standing in the corner hiding and my drunken father was walking towards them. I quickly ran in between him and my siblings before he could take a swing at them and was slapped across the face and pushed down to the ground. I laid on the ground looking up at my once loving and supportive father as he approached me, anger raging throughout his body.

Right as he was about to kick me, my eyelids shot open and I shot up in my small airplane seat in a cold sweat. I was breathing heavy and I tried to calm myself down from the nightmare I just had. I looked out the plane window and could see it was dark out, I turned my attention to my twin brother and sister, Emily and Andrew sitting in the two seats next to mine, fast asleep and in no harm and I sighed with relief. We were on an airplane heading to Australia to live with our Aunt Susie and Uncle Tom.

As much as I would have liked my nightmare to stay a nightmare, it was my harsh and cruel reality. My mom died on her second tour of Afghanistan 3 years ago when I was 14 years old and Emily and Andrew were 8. I went through a tough time; I made some bad decisions like experimenting with some drugs and thankfully quit, but ended up changing my look instead. I went through a phase, dying my hair, it now being aqua blue, and getting industrial, lip, and noise piercings. My dad on the other hand became very depressed and tuned to alcohol. He would go to bars every night leaving me to take care of Emily and Andrew and would come home so drunk he would beat us. Well I say "us" I mean me; I took all the beatings every day in an effort to keep Emily and Andrew safe. It only took 3 years and many, many, beatings later for court to realize that our father is unfit to take care of us and is a danger to us.

The only relatives who would be able to take care of us were our aunt, my mom's sister, and our uncle, who happen the live in Australia. I didn't have many friends as is because of my appearance, I only had like two close friends Dominique and Garrett and now I have to make new ones. Then on top of all this I'll have to find a new gym.

Ever since that day I started tumbling in the grass I've been hooked on gymnastics. I want to make a name for myself and be like Gabby Douglas and Nastia Liukin and go to the Olympics. I've practiced every day and took dance classes to help with my flexibility and routines. I would end up taking Emily and Andrew with me to keep them safe and away from our dad. I always dreamed big, my mom always supported me home and overseas and I know she would have wanted me to continue with it even after her death.

I plugged in my ear buds and started listening to music; I quickly fell asleep and didn't wake up until Emily and Andrew were shaking me to get up.

"Lauren we're here wake up." My 11 year old siblings whined.

"Alright. Alight. I'm up." I said sitting up in my seat and saw all the other passengers un-boarding the plane. I stood up gathering our bags from the luggage bins above our seats.

"We can forget about Benny!" Andrew said.

"Yeah I know why else do you think they put us in the last row of seats on the plane?"

"True." Andrew laughed.

Benny was our German Shepard. He was mom's bomb sniffing dog, but got injured in their first tour in Afghanistan so he got to stay home with us and is why he didn't die alongside mom on her second tour. We went to his carat in the space the airline allowed us to keep him. He was still asleep from the medication we had to give him so he wouldn't cause a scene on the plane or anything.

"Stay close to me." I told them as we walked out of our gate toward baggage claim.

As we walked through the airport, liked I figured I would, I kept being stared at by passing travelers because of my appearance. New country and I still have to deal with the same old shit.

"There they are!" Emily pointed out our Aunt and Uncle and Emm and Andrew ran towards them.

"How are you?" Aunt Susie said with joy and hugged us all as we greeted each other.

"Lauren you look good." She tried to sound positive. She knew my struggle and what I've gone through. She supported me even though she didn't support the pricing and hair dying.

"Thanks." I lightly laughed and hugged her.

"How was your flight?" Uncle Tom asked.

"Alright, slept the whole time." I said.

"Well ok then." My uncle laughed and we grabbed our luggage and boxes of stuff for out rooms we were able to bring with us on the flight.

As we drove through Sydney they pointed out different landmarks and building that would be important to know. We drove over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and could see The Sydney Opera House.

"It's so beautiful here." I commented. "More beautiful than Boston that's for sure."

I had this feeling that it was going to be better here, I could tell. We passed a school reading Norwest Christian College. I recognized the name I looked up their website since that's where the three of us will be attending school.

We pulled up in front of a two story house at the end of a cul de sac. Three houses were next door to our new house and our new neighbors were starting to walk outside their homes to greet us. This was going to be interesting. New people, new life, I kept reminding myself. Trying to stay positive to how my new future was going to begin.