My Life Exposed

A new home

I get off the airplane not knowing what to expect and wondering if anyone is even here to meet me. That's when I see a man holding a sign with my name on it. He's wearing all black and a driver's hat on his head. I guess that is my ride. "Mrs. Anderson, I am Micheal. I will be your driver; I am here to take you home." "Home". Yeah right, like that place will ever be my home. I get into the luxury limousine parked out front and we drive off. I stare out the window and wonder what a girl like me is doing in a city like this. I come from a small town, with a drug-addict mother that couldn't care less about me. My father chose not to stick around. Now, here I am, moving in with him because my mother decided that her life wasn't worth living anymore. I'm sure that he only agreed to take me in so he would look like a good guy in his campaign, but he's a stranger to me. As we approach the massive, two-story, plantation style home standing in front of me, I realize just how afraid I am to face the father that never wanted me. Looking at this huge house also makes me angry, knowing my father had such an amazing life while me and my mother lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment filled with roaches and no hot water. I wonder to myself how he could do this to me. How could he abandon us like this and not once try to help or contact me? I reluctantly make my way up to the door and push the doorbell. The Tiffany colored door swings open and I am greeted by a beautiful young woman. Long, wavy blond hair flows down her back. She's obviously had quite a bit of plastic surgery, but still, she is gorgeous. Behind her is another young woman that is walking down the stairs. I can already tell that she looks a snotty, spoiled brat with her only problem being what new designer shoes she should wear for the day. "Mila, I am your father's wife, Tracy, and this is my daughter Jade." My father's stepdaughter that I never knew anything about. Of course she is tall, beautiful, and blonde just like her mother. Jade gives me a cold hello, like I am definitely not wanted here. I have never felt more unwelcome in my entire life. It really upsets me that my dad has given this family everything they could possibly dream of, and there I was just trying to make it day by day. I can feel them judging me. Honestly, I don't blame them, I come from a terrible home. My mother was a horrible person, but I loved her. After my father left us and we lost everything, she went down a dark hole that nobody could pull her out of. She tried the therapy and the 12-step programs; that lasted about two months. After that, she went completely out of control. Since I didn't have any other family to turn to, I began staying with a close friend to avoid things at home. On my 17th birthday, I decided to come back to visit my mother and I found her on the kitchen floor. She overdosed and died all alone. I wanted to feel bad for her, but I just couldn't. All the years of neglect just wouldn't allow me to. The next thing I knew, I'm whisked away by a social worker and shipped to my father's until I turn 18. Now I'm stuck here in this huge house with no one but strangers. My father is nowhere to be seen, so Tracy tells me to grab my things and follow her to my new room. All I can feel is coldness here. We head upstairs and she leads me to the furthest room in the house. It's a small room, much like a closet, with no windows. A twin size bed sits in the center of the room with a small side table next to it. She leaves me to my new room I just sit on the bed and cry. This is my new life. There's a knock on my door and a man peeks his head in. "Mind if I come in?" my father asks. I haven't seen him in 12 years. I give him a small nod. He comes in, sits on the bed with me and apologizes for the room. "With such short notice, your real room isn't quite ready yet." We sit in an awkward silence for a bit, until he clears his throat and says, "I've missed you, Mila, and I'm excited that you're here now. I don't want to start off with you thinking that I never loved you or never wanted you because I did and I do." "Thank you", I respond. We just look at each other for a moment until he says, "Well, you start a new school tomorrow and you'll need a few uniforms and supplies. I'm sure you'd also like some new clothes and shoes for your new start." I don't decline. He hands me his black card and calls for Micheal to take me shopping. Of course, I completely forgot, a new city means a new school to kick off my senior year. It's a prestige high school which means it'll be full of rich snobs - great. As I head out the door to meet Micheal waiting outside with the car, Tracy stops me and asks where I'm going. "My father offered to buy me some things for school tomorrow", I tell her. She gets a frown on her face and storms off, to yell at my father I assume. It's clear that she doesn't want me here, but I'm starting to suspect that my father does. As I'm riding through town, I see billboards of my father running for District Attorney. The people must like him because there are signs of him almost everywhere we turn. Micheal stops the car and lets me out near the shopping boutiques. I enter the first clothing store and I begin looking for outfits. It takes some time to find some that are more "me". I take a look at a few of the price tags - WOW. Everything here is $300.00 or more. How can people pay this much for an outfit? I manage to find a few pairs of straight-leg jeans, a couple of cute tops, and a new pair of Converse. The cashier gives me my total of close to $2000.00 and I hand her my father's credit card. "So this is what rich people find normal for shopping," I think to myself. The next shop over is where I find my school uniforms and supplies. I head back and find Micheal where he told me he would be with the car. I tell him that I would like to find a place that I could get a coffee and maybe some lunch. He brings me to a cute little place called L.A. Café. I invite him to eat with me, but Micheal waits with the car again. I get a table and look over the menu. The waitress is quick to say hello and I order a tuna melt and a caramel latte, my favorites. The next thing I know, I see my stepsister walk in with her girl friends and who I assume is her boyfriend. Jade and I lock eyes and I see her wicked grin. I realize that she's probably thinking that now will be a terrific opportunity to humiliate me. They seat themselves at the table across from me. I hear her tell them that I'm poor and that I come from trash. They all start laughing and whispering. I look over at the boy and see that he isn't laughing; he's just looking at me with sad eyes, almost like I didn't deserve what just happened to me. I finish my meal and begin to leave when I almost run into the boy from Jade's table. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you not to let Jade get to you. She's just threatened by you because you are beautiful. Don't let her or anyone bring you down - remember that." He gives me a kind smile and walks back to his table as Jade gives me dirtiest look anyone has ever given me. I leave the café and get into the car to head back home. I can't help but replay what that guy said to me. Why would he tell me that? Was he just being nice and feeling sorry for me? I return to the house with my new things and I head straight back to my room. I start going through all of my bags, hoping to start feeling more at home. All I can think about is that tomorrow is my first day at a new school. I want to throw up because I'm so nervous. I finally just fall into my bed and close my eyes while I await for what tomorrow will bring. I finally drift off to sleep.