Five children, Ten souls

Prolouge

I hear shouting in the kitchen as I wake up around 5am.
Here we go again. I think with a sigh. I am kind of used to my parents fighting now. Sure I was shocked when it started but, it still tears at my heart to hear them shout at each other when they should be talking to me. I get out of bed and go see what the commotion is about this time. "... and if you weren't so damn selfish she wouldn't have such bad grades!" I hear my father shout as I exit my room. I wince. My grades again. I go upstairs to the kitchen where my Father's face is red and my mother is cowering.
"You should be teaching her better!" My father shouts.
"Enough!" I yell, catching my father off guard. "If my grades are declining it is because of my own lack of effort not hers!" I say referring to my mother.
"Stay out of this Shino." My father says. I smell liquor on his breath.
"You stay out of this. Don't involve my mother in things that have nothing to do with her. If you have a problem with me then talk to me instead of verbally beating up someone else." I say a bit quieter but more firmly. My father gives me a look then leaves. Stomping out the front door and slamming it behind him. I hear his car start and he drives off.
My mother bursts into tears. I give her a hug as she cries. I wish my father would be a bit less harsh. It really takes a toll on her health. Especially her problem with weak spells.
"He is right. I'm not teaching you well enough." She manages to say between sobs. I lead her to the couch and brush down her hair.
"My grades are my problem. Heck, they probably wouldn't be much better if you did help. Its just that I'm a bit of a slow learner." I say in a gentle voice. Her sobs slow and she takes in shakey breaths trying to calm herself.

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3 weeks later
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I put my remaining books back in my bag a the bell rings.
"Yo Shino-shino!" I hear someone yell as I walk down the hall. I sigh. Here we go again. I turn and face the ones following me. Just your regular band of bullies.
"Have you given any thought about going out with me?" Says their leader, Mylo.
"Sorry my-wrong. I'd rather sleep in the depths of hell than with you." I say giving him a smirk with puppy eyes.
"But who knows you might like it." He says in his sexy voice. Honestly he sounds like he is constipated, not the sexy effect he was aiming for. I smirk as he takes another step towards me. His girlfriend is a few feet away. I slap him. "You disgusting pervert! You have a girlfriend! And you shouldn't be trying to go for the dike anyways!" I shout a bit louder than nescesarry. 'Going for the dike' is a school term for grabbing someone's butt without their consent. It usually is single boys trying to cope a feel. Mylo's girlfriend gasps and then runs away shouting "Mylo you cheater!" Rude, I know but it was partly for the girls good and partly to keep him off my back for a while.
"Vanessa, wait!" Mylo says running after her. The other bullies jaws drop and I turn and walk away. I go to a café after school to study and grab a smoothie. I get about 9/10 of the way through when my dad walks through the doors, with some woman other than my mother. They order and sit where I can see them but they can't see me. I pull my hood over my head just in case and eavesdrop on their conversation. I aso notice my father isn't wearing his wedding ring like he usually does.
"This was really nice of you Connor. How did you know this was my favorite café?" The woman asks. I slip out my camera and hit record.
"That is a secret." My father says with a playful wink I have only seen him give my mom. The woman chuckles.
"I guess buying me dinner and a movie counts as a date. Do you want to come over to my house afterwards?" She says.
"I wouldn't turn it down." My father says. Oh Lord, is he Flirting? Flirting is one thing but cheating on his own wife?
I leave after they do and follow them. They do indeed go to a movie. I go back to the café and grab my bike, glad I recorded at least part of their conversation. I get home and park my bike before going in the house. "How as school Shino?" My mom asks finishing the dishes.
"Good. I stopped at the café afterwards and found something surprising." I say pulling out my camera. "Dad's cheating on you." I say.
My mother gives me a stern look and I show her the video before she says anything. As the video finishes a look of intense sadness and anger passes over her face.
Later that night my father gets back. "I'm home honey." He says as if nothing us wrong.
"How was your date Connor? My mother asks. In a threatening tone. My father puts a look of confusion on his face after a flash of surprise.
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"This" my mother says showing him the video. My father looks surprised then angry.
"How did you get this?" He demands.

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The next week
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Here I am. My father is leaving. I found the woman he as dating and explained that he was cheating on his wife and she and my father broke up. Now my mother and my father are divorced. My mother had a heart attack and is in the hospital using up half of her savings on treatment for the breast cancer she just discovered she had. I visit her and tell her I am leaving. She asks why and I tell her that it is so that she doesn't need to worry about paying for me. Besides, I just graduated. She lets me go after confirming it is what I really want to do. After that, I lived on the street and the voices on my head begun.