Something That I Can Confess

Chapter 1

The wind hit Toni in the face as she was riding her 2004 Honda Nighthawk 250 back home, or at least what she called her home. Ever since she moved out of Thistlehouse, she went back to her grandfather's apartment that she had to share between both of them and her uncle Clarence. If we're being totally honest, he wasn't really a fan of hers and if he was the one making the decision, she would still be living in the street, but thankfully her grandpa offered her the couch as a bed.

She ran up the 50 stairs and opened the door 405 B before she crashed on her ''bed''. She set an alarm on her phone for 6:25 a.m. for school the next day, even though technically it was just in a few hours. She closed her eyes and drifted away, sleeping peacefully.

~ Flashback

''Ant, wake up!''  Lorraine said to her 12 years old daughter, who was still sound asleep even though her baby sister has been crying nonstop for the past hour. A little Antoinette Topaz tossed and turned in her bed before finally getting up, letting a groan out. She walked to the bathroom to pee, her eyes almost shut before getting herself some pancakes her stepfather Arthur had prepared for them. She inhaled her food and ran to the school bus, not forgetting to kiss her parents and her sister goodbye.

When she came back home at 2:30 p.m she was by herself, like usually. Her mom and her stepdad were at work and little Charlotte was at the kindergarten. Around 5 p.m. she started dinner when she got a phone call from the caregiver, telling her that nobody came to pick Charlotte. She stopped everything she was doing and walked to go get her sister. When she came back home, police officers were searching her house for drugs. There was still no sign of her parents, she soon understood that something bad happened, probably gang-related.

Before she knew it, both her and Charlotte were living with Albert, Arthur's brother, and Charlotte's uncle. Not really living, more like surviving, Toni had to do everything, he got himself a maid and he was living on his welfare money, not willing to share it so Toni had to get herself a job if she wanted food for her and her sister. She lived in these conditions for the next 3 years until her paternal grandfather stepped into her life. Since he was not related to Charlotte, he couldn't save her as well. Toni moved to Riverdale while her sister got sent into foster care up in Chicago. Almost 2 years later and Toni haven't seen her ever since.

~ End of Flashback

The alarm on Toni's phone made her jump.

''Already? '' She thought, looking around her.

She was back in these poor conditions of life. Beer bottles spread across the floor, cigarettes stubs sitting on countertops, she had to be careful of where she put her food because you never know if there's still a trace of cocaine or other drugs there. How could she decide to go back to this, when not even three months ago she was sleeping in a warm, comfortable four poster bed. She used to wake up to the scent of cherries and whipped cream instead of smoke and alcohol, she used to open a walk-in wardrobe and chose whatever was in there, but now she opens her little backpack. There was also the bathtub she and Cheryl used to spend hours in, talking about whatever and now she has to shower in a cramped up shower with any barely hot water. I mean, Cheryl and her did break up but now they're back together and if she really wanted to take a warm shower Cheryl wouldn't stop her. but things were still weird between them. Toni was still keeping her distance even though she loved Cheryl.

She looked back at the time on her phone.

6:32 a.m.

''I better get ready,'' she told herself, stretching before sneaking in the bathroom. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and threw on a skirt overall with a striped blue and black shirt. She grabbed her backpack, jumped on her bike and drove to school. She was late for the 4th time this week but let's be honest she didn't really care. After all, she had the highest SAT score of her school, thanks to Cheryl. Toni always had high grades, even when she had to work 45 hours a week and take care of a toddler but this year she was positive she was destined to fail the SAT's.