Lexie struggled to move closer to the bus. The inside of the vehicle that was now packed with passengers made it harder for her to move. With grocery bags in her hand, it's hard to keep her balance. She saw a couple of boys blocking the bus. They saw her, but refused to move. She had to personally go up to them and asked them to make way before she could even enter the bus.

"Ouch !"

She heard the voice of a woman complain when she accidentally stepped on her toes.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it. I'm really sorry, excuse me," she said, feeling guilty every time she pushes someone or steps on their feet accidentally. It's not like she meant it.

As soon as she was walking again, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. She looked at the watch on her hand. It's a little after 1, that means she's already late. Her step-brother will be back any time and he usually wants a sandwich after school.

She looked right and left before crossing the road, quickening her pace. The back of her shirt was already soaked through. The nearer she was to her house, the faster her strides were. She had to reach home in time, otherwise her step-brother won't eat and she'll be blamed, as usual.

She was busy grating the cheese when she heard her step-brother come in. He didn't even bother to greet her, he just wanted his sandwich, and he wanted it quick.

"Just wait a while, Ashton. I'm finishing it up," she told him, gently.

"Hurry up !" he screamed at her. "You're so slow."

"I'm sorry Ashton, the bus broke down halfway home," she answered.

He stormed off to his room and purposely colliding his shoulder to hers, causing her fingers to be sliced by the grater. Ashton smiled in triumph. Lexie turned her body around quickly turned the tap on, running her bloody finger under the water. Ashton who was still in the kitchen knocked off the cheese, bread and tomatoes off the table. The whole kitchen was a mess. Once he was satisfied, he went to his room.

At the same time, Lexie's stepmother came back home from a friend's house.

"What is the meaning of this," the voice screamed.

Lexie's face turned pale when she heard that voice. The tone of her voice was enough to give her a heart attack.

"Are you deaf ?" her stepmother asked again. "I asked, what happened here ?" she said, louder this time.

"Umm, uhh, I accidentally sliced my finger and knocked over all the ingredients," she lied, covering up for Ashton. She knows even if she blamed him, it won't make no difference. She was trying to make her stepmother sympathize her, but instead it had made her more angry.

Her stepmother, Isabel, took a step closer to Lexie, raised her hand over her head and slapped Leixe, hard. The pain she felt caused Lexie to groan.

"That's what you get," Isabel said. "You can't even do the simplest chore."

Without either Lexie or Isabel noticing, Ashton was watching from a distance. He came out of his room when he heard all the commotion in the kitchen. He hid a triumphant smile. Serves you right, he thought to himself even though he knew it was his fault that his stepsister is being chewed out by his mother, he doesn't have an ounce of guilt in him. Instead, he feels happy. He loves seeing her getting chewed out.

"Clean this mess up," Isabel oredered. "That is, if you make it. Your father will be home soon. He won't be happy when he sees the mess you've made. I won't be able to help you then. Even if I could help, I wouldn't" she said, half smirking.

Lexie didn't even feel offended by her remark. She knows where she lies in the eyes of her stepmother and also her father. She has gotten used to all the insults and condemnation.

After she was done with her rant, Isabel walked out off the kitchen and into her room.

Like Isabel had said, her father returned home shortly after that and she hadn't even started cleaning. Her father wasted no time at all and started shouting at her.

"I thought that after a long day at work, I could come home to some peace and quiet, but no," he shouted. "You're such a troublesome." another slap was given to Lexie.

"As punishment, you're not allowed to eat tonight," he continued as he too, walked out of the kitchen, leaving Lexie to clean up the mess Ashton had made.

Lexie didn't mind, she didn't even feel like eating anymore. After cleaning up, she went straight to her bedroom that was situated next to the kitchen. It was small, not as big as Aston's or his sister, Sophie's room, but she was thankful for it. At least she had her own space in the house.

She still remembered when she was told that she had to sleep in that room, a few months after her mother died, when her dad re-married. She cried her heart out and wailed in fear. But nothing ever made her father changed his mind. The first time she entered the room, she felt like the walls were closing in on her, wanting to crush her small body. She spent the first few weeks crying herself to sleep. She realized now that it was an advantage for her. Being at a young age and was already told to do housework, she got scolding from Isabel and her father. All that had made her a very brave young girl.

She spent the whole night flipping through albums. She didn't know her mother very well since she had only been four years old when her mother died, but from when she heard, her mother was a very nice woman. Loving and caring. She flipped the page and saw a picture of her one and only brother, Liam. How he missed Liam so much. It must have been a little over 7 years since Liam last came home. But he call nearly every night, recenly. That makes up for not seeing him.

She finally dozed off to sleep.