Buckle Down

Subway To Venus

"You look at me when I'm talking to you, understood?!" I nod and then she slaps me across the face. Mom wasn't like this when I was little. She would bake me cookies and tell me stories but she never hit me. Not until recently.

"I'm sorry, mom." I drop my head down to look at my shoes.

"Good, now go up to your room, the bus will be here soon and I've gotta take Frankie to his band recital." I nod and walk away to my room. I walk up the endless flight of stairs before I get to my room.

On my bed lay a box with a giant logo that writes Amber Green Academy. Mom decided she couldn't keep me in the house. She's told me that I'm too much trouble for her to keep around. She doesn't want me to stay home and be a bad influence to Frankie. I've asked her what I've done that's so bad, but I haven't gotten a straight answer. She also says I'll behave well if I get sent away to that school thing, but I don't understand, I don't misbehave. I open the box I was supposed to open months ago and then see a note, I open it uninterestedly and quickly read through it.

'Hello all dear students, welcome to Amber Green Academy! In this package, is your uniform and backpack that you must wear all Wednesday's. For further instructions, check inside your sleeping gear and we'll see you soon!'

I check inside, the uniform is only a grey t-shirt with their logo and khaki pants. Whoever made up the uniform does not have a sense of style. Yuck. Then see a folded blanket with rules and whatnot. I wasn't feeling like reading the rules, so I decided to pack my things to leave quicker, I want to get the hell out of here already.

After emptying half of my closet, emptying my drawers and tried to fit most of my junk and a few cassettes to my suitcase and bag, all I was left was with the pile of jewelry I have accumulated for the past five years or so.

I took a random purse I had in my closet and shoved most of it there, not trusting anyone enough to leave my things here.

"ANNA! BRING YOUR BROTHER'S GUITAR DOWN!" Mom screams from downstairs. I honestly though she had left already but I was wrong as always.

I get out of my room and slam the door shut behind me, it angers and bothers me that they can never do a thing by themselves. I always seem to be the fucking servant of the house and they enjoy it every time they get to humiliate me. At least that won't happen once I'm away at that shitty school.

"I'm on it!" I screamed and picked up his greasy guitar from my bed. I wouldn't doubt that this might have a chunk of a burger inside or worse around somewhere as well... it's always greasy and sticky. If playing guitar was really Frankie's passion, he would give his instrument a better treatment.

I like playing around with the guitar, I've been exposed to it since I was little. My grandpa was in a weird flamenco band when he lived in Spain decades ago. I can't afford a guitar for myself yet, hopefully I can get one with that weird school program thing. I've heard that school that pays you to go, it seems a little suspicious to me anyway, but whatever.

I steal one of the picks that Frankie keeps around wedged in between the strings. Who knows if there's a music class I could join. I look down at my suitcase, a fat drop of blood lands on top.

Oh no!

I wiped my nose and the bleeding has started again! I run to the bathroom and shove a piece of toilet paper into my nose. I don't like staining my clothes with blood, it's annoying having to scrub to get rid of a stain.

Walking back to my room, my little sister runs in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks. She died around six years ago. Why am I the only person who can see her?! Do I have Schizophrenia? Surely I must have something wrong with me to see dead people.