Sometimes i hope for change but it gets worse and worse everyday. Nothing will ever change- i'm not strong enough to get myself out of this rut. Unlike every other fourteen year old i'd rather be at school than at home and the holidays are my idea of hell. I would spend every minute of my life watching the clock if i didn't have work to do. I AM NOT STAYING HERE! I will suceed- i will not be a let down and a waste of space just like the rest of my family.

"RUTHIE!"

"Shit," she murmers, gentally putting down her biro in the middle of the page and brushing behind her ear the curtian of hair that has fallen in front of her eyes. She couldn't face this again, not now, it was too much for her.

"RUTHIE!"

She ignored him. Maybe if she didn't reply then he would just leave her alone. But, as she hears heavy footsteps asending the stairs, her chest falls and she lets go of that last shread of hope.

"Ruthie- OI I'M TALKING TO YOU! Inside again on a saturday night? Do you even have any mates? Why can't you be more like your brother aye? You're pathetic. No wonder no man will ever look at you."

And just like that, something inside off her snaps. The pressure has just been building for so long that it explodes out.

"Excuse me?"she snaps, rising to her feet in anguish "I'm pathetic? I'm not the one who gets his KICKS in making his own children feel small. Yes, i'm inside on a Saturday night but thats only becuase unlike you i want a future away from this dump and i am going to work for it."

A feeling of calm floods her veins as she realises that she is finally in control.

"It is almost the end of the summer holidays and just over a year until i'm sixteen. The sooner i'm out of here the better."

"Well good!" he sneers "Not like i'd ever want you around anyway. Your no daughter of mine. Your a frigid, ugly, cold fish."

Ruth felt her heart pang. Even now, he could still hurt her as easily as ever. But it wasn't over yet

"No wonder your mother wanted out. Couldn't stand to be around you- no one everr could."

"EXCUSE ME!" She screamed "She loved me- she wanted to be away from you just as much as i did! Thats why she killed herself- because of you!"

"You bitch" he growled, his face set into a cold hard mask as his fist swung forward and crushed into his jaw. She gasped with the pain, and just when she looked up at him through her fringe he collapsad.

She looked at him lying there with his mouth hanging open, reasting on her purple carpet.

"Great," she sighed "Just great."

She leant forward, her hand on her jaw, to see if it was breathing when he let out an almightly belch. Ruth straightened up.

"Yep, definatly breathing then." she said, and smiled to herself. She felt wetness on the outside of her hand and only when she put her hand to her cheek did she realise she was crying.

She had to get out of here and quickly- before he woke up. Ruth grabbed her school rucksack an shoved in her revision books, her diary, her phone and a few t-shirts. She then sidestepped past her unconcious and undoubtably drunk father and ran through the front door and down the concrete staircaseoutside stairs. The night wind was so cold and bitter that it almost blew her over. But hen she then stopped dead. It was him.

Ruth dived behind a wall, keeping her breathing as silent as possible. She rested both hands behing her on the cold bring wall, feeling the corse texture. She couldn't here a thing. Maybe he'd gone. Slowly, and cautousily she poked her head around the wall only to see him staring in her direction.

Shit! She pulled her head back. But maybe she was in luck- maybe her hadn't noticed her.

"Ruuuthie!"

Oh god.

"Ruthie!"

She calmly walked out from behind the wall. He was sanding there, smoking a joint with that useless gang of his

"Hey Johnathon."

"You wanna come hang with me and the guys?" he asked casually, his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Come on baby!" Shouted one of Johnathons mates "You wanna come have a drink- come get cosy with me?"

"I'm fourteen!" she said, disgusted.

"Old enough," he shrugged

"You're sick!" she exclaimed and took off in a run, away from them. She wasn't even wearing any shoes- she had been stupid in her haste. Ruth could feel every step she took in the soles of her feet. Even though she knew they wern't following her she didn't pause for breathe until she reached his house and banged on the door franticly.

"Ruth!" exclaimed Tony, and she watched and his expression changed from one of shock to one of joy "What's up?"

Ruth opened her mouth, the words forming in her head, ready to answer him when she burst into tears.