Into the Dark

Chapter 2

Bare with me through this chapter, guys. I had to get some details in there so it's not the most entertaining.
_______________________________

Tuesday, three days after my argument with my parents, I decided not to get out of bed. Thanks to summer vacation, I wasn't required to go to school so I technically had nothing else better to do.

Dad had tried a few more times to convince me that moving was the next best thing right now. I denied every time.

Mom gave me that scolding I had been expecting, along with a good smack on the back of the head for talking back to her and Dad. Can't say I didn't deserve it.

Lastly, adding on to my mental list of annoying things, Daniel and Lilly still weren't saying anything to our parents to try and change their minds. I'd probably get in more trouble if I tried to convince them to stand up to Mom and Dad.

My mind was restless with worries and thoughts on how I was supposed to keep this house ours. Laying in bed feeling sorry about myself wasn't going to help anything, first of all. But it was normally how I could get some good thinking in when life became stressful. To be honest, I was surprised I hadn't stared a hole through my ceiling yet.

I was still deep in thought when my silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was soft but with what was going on, I was sure it wasn't an apology from Mom or Dad. And according to Mom, I was supposed to be the one with the apology.

"Go away," I barked. There was a long pause and silence which meant whoever it was didn't walk away. I would've heard their footsteps on the hardwood floor outside.

Another knock.

"It's Daniel," my brother's meek, little boy voice mumbled.

"And Lilly!" my sister added.

A few more seconds passed as I stared at my ceiling, debating whether or not I should open the door. I shouldn't really be mad at my siblings since I knew they were just trying to avoid trouble. But it wouldn't hurt to have at least a little backup. I mean, that's what siblings are for, right?

I finally gave in with a groan and threw the pillow I had hugged against my chest to the foot of the bed. My feet stomped across the room and over to the door which I opened to two little faces staring up at me.

"What?" I tried to ask nicely but it come out as the complete opposite. Daniel's eyes saddened slightly at my irritated tone and Lilly just frowned. God, why'd I have to go and do that?

"I'm sorry for snapping at you it's just..." I began to say before I was at a loss for words. It's just what? Me being a jerk towards my siblings for something they did...or didn't do? It wasn't them I was necessarily mad at. They weren't the ones getting a new job and forcing the whole family to move to Texas.

I wish I was eighteen already. I could already be finishing high school and going off to college to get a good job and be living on my own. But nope. I was stuck at the struggling age of seventeen.

"It's okay, Izzy!" Lilly reassured, her face lighting up with a smile. I was about to say "Lilly, you know that's not my name" but that'd be even more rude. The name was Isabella, Mom, Dad, and Daniel using 'Bella' for short, but to Lilly it was 'Izzy'.

I liked Bella better than Izzy... but no need to kill a six year old's creativity.

"Mom told us to come get you. She said to tell you to go clean out the attic," Daniel explained without looking at all soothed by my apology. After a long pause, he then added, "She said it was time to start packing."