Tryst

Chapter 1

"You have 5 minutes!  If you aren't out by then, I'm dragging you out, naked or not!" My mother yelled at me in French.

I rush to my room, grabbing a pair of panties and my pajamas.  I run back to the bathroom, strip myself, and step into the scorching shower.  This has happened so many times before, I envy the kids that have as much time in the shower as they want.  I have always been jealous of them - the kids that always get what they want.  It may be selfish of me to think that, but I have nothing but good grades.  An ugly face, a fat body, and a gorgeous yet annoying older sister.  On top of all that, I have parents that hit me everytime I do something they think is wrong.

The next thing I know, tears are running down my face.  It seems like I cry everyday because of my stupid life, ever since middle school.  I scrub my skin with body wash frantically, slap on my sister's facial cleanser, and step out of the shower.  Just as I am putting my panties on, my mother pounds her fists on the door loudly.

"Get out right now Dawn!"

"I'm putting my clothes on, I will be out in a second," I reply through her loud banging.  I slip my pajama on just as she unlocks the door and pulls me out of the bathroom.  Her tight grip on my arm doesn't loosen as she drags me toward the kitchen.

"Do you see these dishes?" She motions to the mountain of dishes in the sink.  My mother uses so many dishes to cook that they take up the whole sink.  Another reason why we should just get a dishwasher.  "You were supposed to wash them.  They have been here since lunch.  Today is Tuesday, are you really that fucking dumb?" She tells me in French with a thick accent.  My blood boils whenever she curses at me, and I clench my fists behind my back tightly.  Tuesdays are my days for washing the dishes.  So are Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  The rest of the days are for my older sister, Manon.

"Sorry Mom, I will do them all right now." I reply.  As she turns and walks away, I stick two middle fingers up at her and begin washing the dishes. 

She is such a bitch.  There is nothing wrong with her hands, she can just wash the stupid dishes!  I will have plenty of dirty dishes to wash when I have my own family.  Right now is her turn.

The telephone interrupts my wrathful thinking and I dry my hands with a towel to pick it up. 

"Hello?" I ask into the telephone that I share with the rest of the family.  My parents believe that kids should not own cellphones, so Manon and I use the home phone whenever we need to make a call.

"Hey, Dawn.  It's Karina.  The biology project is up on Google Classroom, me and you are partners!"  my best friend says through the line.

"That's great!  What is it on?" Thank goodness it's Karina and not someone that doesn't do any work.

"Mitosis and Meiosis,"

"Ok, thanks for telling me.  Manon has the computer right now, probably talking to one of her boyfriends or something."

"And your parents are okay with that?"

"Of course not, they don't even know about her having boyfriends.  They probably think she's still a virgin," I whisper into the telephone.  Karina laughs on the other line and I can just imagine how she looks, eyes closed, head fallen back, mouth hanging open as her laughter fills the room.

"Dawn, are you done with the dishes?" My mother's annoying voice calls from the hallway.

"No, almost, I have a science project with Karina and we are talking about it right now." I reply. 

"Listen, Karina, I have to go.  I'll talk to you tomorrow," I tell Karina.

"Okay, goodnight." She answers back.

"Dawn, you cannot do anything until you finish washing the dishes," My mother scolds me.

I know its wrong of me to talk back to my mother or even disagree with her, but I do it anyway.  "But it's not fair, I wash the dishes four days a week, and Manon only three.  And on Tuesdays your friends come over so its even more dishes to wash," As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I regret them.

She walks over to me and I know what's going to happen next.

She lifts her arm and I flinch.  The next thing I know, she slaps me across my face, leaving a deep burn.

"Don't you ever talk back to me!  Life isn't fair, Dawn!  It never is!" She yells into my face.  She turns and walks away, and I don't even bother holding up two middle fingers like I always do.

I turn and walk back over to the sink, continuing to wash the dishes.

~~~

As I walk into the bedroom I share with Manon, I hear her whispering into the screen of the computer.

"Just remember that I love you, Justin.  I have to go before my ugly ass sister gets back-"

"Watch your mouth Manon, I can always spill to Mom and Dad." I tell her.

"Oh, she's already here.  Well, bye Justin."

"Can you stop?  Seriously, your boyfriend doesn't need to know anything about me,"

"He's not my boyfriend, jackass,"

"What was he doing in your bed then?  And don't curse at me bitch.  I'm keeping your secret and I don't have to."

"Whatever," she dismisses me.

I plop down onto my twin-sized bed and cry myself to sleep, dreaming of a skinny body, a stunning face, and a loving family.