Happy Birthday To Me

CHAPTER 1: Dis-Owned.

MARISSA

Hi.

My name is Marissa and this is my story.

But before I begin I think it's best to tell you a little bit about myself and my background.

I am 18 years old and I graduated from high school earlier this June.

Now it's summer and I'm waiting to see if I got into the colleges I applied to.

My parents aren't exactly 'dream parents' or any kind of parents for that matter, but I have learned to just live with it.

My mother would have been a perfect candidate for that show on MTV called 16 And Pregnant but she was 15 when she had me. Basically she feels that because she had me at such a young age she has missed out on too many things in her life. Because of that, she goes out of her way to avoid me.

My father doesn't really act like a father toward me. On that MTV show he would have been the boyfriend who felt trapped and wanted to get out but couldn't so now he's stuck. He's mad about the fact that because of the unexpected pregnancy he didn't get to go to a big-name college and make millions like he had always dreamed. Instead, he ended up attending a community college and now he has a desk job that is nothing special.

He has become a workaholic and is away from the house 6 days a week from 10am-11pm. He has practically no home life, but that doesn't stop my mother who has guys over all the time and she has become a sexaholic.

As for me. . .

I listen to music nearly 24/7; literally - even when I sleep.

I want to go to college for Photography and Marketing.

I would consider myself a simple person, but my parents have told me time and time again I am beyond complicated.

I guess I'll let you be the judge of that.

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I was somewhat sleeping peacefully, thinking about the Avenged Sevenfold concert I had missed the night before. I had everything I needed to see the show - except for the tickets.

. . .And wouldn't you know it. . .

Tickets were sold out.

Even the scalpers didn't have any tickets left!

I tried to sit outside of the venue and listen, but soon the local police came and flushed everyone out saying if you didn't have a ticket, you couldn't stick around.

Damn.

After I was told to vacate the premises I went home, flopped down on my bed and drifted into dream land which is where I was now.

. . .That is, until my door was slammed open and my blinds were ripped up allowing that horrible bright thing called the sunlight to flood into my room.

I groaned and maneuvered my pillow to block out the blinding light.

"Marissa, honey, it's time to get up?" my mother said quietly.

Okay.

What's going on?

My mother is never nice to me.

I rolled over and peeked at my mom through one eye to see she was really dressed up and looking nice.

What the hell?

"What's going on?" I mumbled.

"Sweety, you need to get dressed. Your father and I are going to take you out and we are going to celebrate your 18th birthday." she said in a sickly sweet tone of voice.