Are You Ready

Wake Up

 BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"It's time to get up, Brea!" Zack yelled in my ear. He must have heard my alarm clock go off. He always wakes me up even if I'm already awake. I threw my pillow over my face.  "Wake up, Brea! I need to get to school!" Damn. Now I really do need to get up. I forgot he had summer school. I tossed my pillow off my face and got out of bed. I ran down stairs. "Get breakfast. Now Zack."  "I already ate. But you need to get pants on. And shoes" He laughed. I looked down and saw I really did need to get pants on. I ran back up stairs and look for a clean pair. I couldn't find a clean pair so I put the pair on the I had worn yesterday. a pair of navy blue jeans my mom had gotten me when she was still around. Now the only time I see her is when she brings men home. Last night it was guy named Jack she met at a bar. I ran back down stairs and found my shoes. I didn't bother tying them. "Are you ready? Do you have all the things you need or do I have to go pick something up?" I asked even though I knew he had everything. "Brea, come down. I have everything I need. Why are you stressing so much?" He can normally comfort me, but today he just couldn't. "I'm stressing so much because I still have to get to work and I might not be able to afford dinner tonight because we don't have anything to eat here. Ellen and the guy she brought home last night ate what we were going to have for dinner tonight." I cried. "Brea everything will be ok. I can skip school today and go to work with you today. If we both work, we'll be able to earn enough money for dinner tonight, right?" He said with a shaky voice. "Zack, you can't work. You're only 11. I'm just a little scared that we won't be able to keep going the way we're going right now. Nothing was the same when Ellen started acting like a whore." "She's not a whore!" Zack screamed at me. "I'm sorry. It's just she's not the same." I sighed and turned, going for the door. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm a whore? BECAUSE I'M NOT! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I DO FOR YOU!" "YOU DON'T DO SHIT FOR US! YOU SLEEP WITH RANDOM ASS MEN EVERY NIGHT!" I screamed, not giving a shit if I was hurting her. "I work all day long and put the money in a box in the wall. It's for when I die. So you guys will  have money to live off of. You're normally gone by now. I was gonna get up and go work." "That still doesn't forgive that every damn night I hear you moan. EVERY FUCKING NIGHT!!!" I  yelled. "That's not me. There's this girl. I bring men home for her. Not for me." She whispered. I'd heard this lie so many times, I was used to it. I turned and walked out the door. There was no girl in her room, I had been in her room a million times. "Come on, Zack. You're gonna be late." He grabbed his bag and followed me out the door. I got in the car and turned the radio on. Zack jumped into the passenger seat. we rode in silence. As we pulled up to his school, I stopped the car. "You know I love her, right?" I asked him. "Yeah, I know. And I understand where you're coming from. I miss when she was the best mom anyone could ever have." He sighed as tears ran down his face. I pulled hi  into the biggest hug I was capable of giving without crushing him into pieces. "I'll you later! AND NO SKIPING SCHOOL!" I yelled.

 To Be Continued