Issues- Daisy Johnson

mother

2005

My mother, Alexandra Ward née Gray was a stern woman, who was loud, rude and only ever cared for perfection. Being the only daughter in the family, with 3 brothers, there was a time where I was everything to my mother then there is a time where i'm nothing to her and that time is now. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't live up to her perfect standards, the fact I failed 10th grade math or the fact i liked women.

I was born in 1987, I realized that I liked women in 1995, when I met my eldest brothers Christians girlfriend, Heather. He was only 18 and she was beautiful. Always had a big smile, great hair and gorgeous eyes, they broke up of course when he cheated on her but I never forgot her face.

First there was Christian born in 1977 then Grant in 1983, me in 1987 and then Thomas in 1990. Only one girl with a perfectionist mother. My father never really cared for me, he cared for the boys. Christian wasn't very keen on me or women in general and never gave me a chance at anything. Thomas was always just a baby but Grant, he was nice to me and I liked him.

We would have the normal brother sister fights but I didn't hate him and he didn't hate me. When our parents were out, he would read me stories and help me with my homework and I loved him. But that changed when he decided to burn down our house. I remember him telling me to go out somewhere to be safe and I remember coming home to see our house destroyed and when I looked I saw him, pouring gasoline all over my bedroom.

After that, I never looked at him the same, I thought he was crazy, that he wanted me dead. He went to prison and I wanted to visit him so I did. He told me that it was too get every square inch of the house and he said it with a smile so I believed him but I really only did so that I felt like someone loved me.

It was August 17th 2003, I sat my parents down at our family dinner table and I told them. I told them that I didn't think guys were cute or hot. I told them that I thought girls were pretty, gorgeous and beautiful. My dad stood up and walked away. Didn't say a word and he didn't need too. I knew what his reaction would be like.

My mother looked up at me and said. "I raised you better than that, to turn out like on of those people" The words "Those people" they just stuck with me. I felt tears fall as she walked up and left. Christian was gone, Grant was gone, Thomas was only 13 and I was crying alone. My own parents couldn't accept me for who I was and hated me.

I thought they would kick me out but what they did was worse. They forgot about me, they deleted my contacts, my emails, went on trips without me, didn't look at me, left a room when I entered. They acted like I didn't exist. This went on for 2 whole years but now, it's different because now i'm 18.

I'm an adult now and I can do what I want. They only good thing about them was that I didn't have to be perfect anymore or listen to their rules. So I took all the classes that I wanted to take, I got 2 jobs and I paid for martial arts lessons. I always wanted to help people and recently this big spy corporation was announcing that they were searching for more applicants in their academy.

Grant had been given access to Shield, that's what it was called, from some guy named John Garret, seemed like a shady dude to me. I wanted that, I wanted that job and hell I wanted that title. So I worked and worked my ass off for it. My lessons paid off and so did my classes because I sent in my application about a month ago and I had gotten a call saying my letter was here.

I had gone and picked it up from the post office and I got back home but I didn't open it. I sat down on my bed and placed the letter next to me. This was something I wanted really bad. I didn't think it was fair that Grant had just been let in, so I wanted to be in more than ever. I finally built up the courage to open the letter. I took it in my hand and opened it. Gosh I was so nervous.

If I got in, then I would be sent to an elite academy, my mother would be furious that I was doing a mans job and not listening to her in general but that wasn't my problem anymore. I unfolded the letter and slowly taking deep and long inhales and exhales before looking at it. I just looked and I began to read the first sentence and it said.

"Dear Miss. Autumn Ward, it is of great pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into the Shield Academy."