The Better Life // Ryan Ross

Before The Better Life~Part 1

"Hi Mama, im home." I said as I walked into my moms apartment from my grandparents with a bag in case I stayed the night.

"YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT!" yelled my mom from her room.

"AS IF YOU COULD DO BETTER!" yelled my moms boyfriend right back.

They were doing the usuall, fighting over something stupid. I knew things going to get bad so I sat down on the couch in the living room waiting since I don't have a room at my moms house because I live with my grandparents.

I turned on the TV and started watching Sponge Bob. It was the episode when Sponge Bob and Patrick were arguing about who's "Dirty Dan". I could never help my self when I watched that episode. I started to laugh slowly bringing up my sprint. I got bored after about 2 hours of yelling and went to knock on my moms room to play with my 3 year old brother.

*knock, knock, knock*

"Mama, can I play with Jeffrey? I'm bored." I said through the door.

She opened the door and I went straight to my brothers bed to play with some of his toy cars with him. Right after, they got back to the yelling. I looked at my brother and saw him with watery eyes. I knew what they did but I never confronted him about it in front of him when they were at it.

"Do you want to go to the living room?" I asked him a quitely as I could in spanish since thats all he speaks at home.

"Si" he replied.

I took his hand while we both got a hand full of toy cars with our spare hands. We walked out of the room and into the hallway and sat in the middle of the living room. He kept on looking down untill I got up to go get a couple of ice cubes from the freezer and wrap them in a paper towel.

"What did you say to them Jeffrey?" I asked while wrapping the cold cubes.

"I asked if they could stop because my head started hurting, but then my dad hit me really hard. Then I started to cry and he yelled words at me that I don't know." he said in spanish while getting teary eyed again.

"Where did he hit you?" I asked. He pointed to his right arm. When I placed the ice on his arm he yelled because of the pain. Not soon after we heard a door slam. Hard, and I knew exactly who it was since his dad already got his anger out on my only brother.

"JAMIE, MOVE AWAY FROM MY SON" yelled my mom as she smacked me across the face. The pain was too great, especially for a 7 year old like me. I fell to the ground and started crying while she called me terrible names in spanish. I knew I wanted to leave at that moment. When my mom left and I had the strength to get up and walk, I grabed my bag and opened it to get something for my brother.

"Jeffrey, take these." as I gave him a handful of crayons and paper.

"You got them for me?" he asked happily.

"Of course! You told me that you wanted to get better at drawing so you could be just like me so, practice because it makes perfect."

"Thank you, Amy!" he replied since he couldn't really say my name right. He got up and hugged me and kisses my cheek even though I was still in pain from before. I didn't care, as long as he's happy, its okay.

Soon after I got up and walked out the door to walk back to my grandparents house.

I walked down a set of stairs and walked past a willow tree. I saw a couple of kids at a small park and waved to my best friend. When she noticed me she came running towards me.

"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie!" she said.

"What, Audrey?" I asked.

"Do you wanna come with me and hear people sing?"

"Who and why?"

"I think Fall Out Boy? I want you to come with me because my mom has to take me and I don't want to be alone so, she told me to ask a friends to come. So can you?" she asked with her bright blue eyes filled with excitement and hope.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask my grandma and grandpa."

"Are you going home right now?"

"Yea."

"Are you gonna come back outside? We're playing hide and seek."she knew me so well. I could never turn down a game of hide and seek.

"In that case sure. And I'll ask my grandparents if they will let me."

"Okay, but hurry up!" with that we said our good byes and I went past my favorite tree, another willow and walked up another couple of stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Im sorry if its short. I tried my best and it took me a while. I've never really been good at writing so im just hoping I can progress over time. Don't hate me please! I think im probably going to update about twice a week or more since I have nothing to do when I come back from school besides draw and listen to music even though I already do one of those 24/7. THANK YOU IF YOU'RE READING THIS!!! ( I would understand if you don't like this know but think positive and its going to get better )