Brittany Richert
Hour: 4
Due: Monday, February 9, 2004
Teacher: Mrs. Weiss
"Living for Change"
The first thing Alicia noticed when she awoke was the light. She sat up and yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes so she could see better. Sunlight was streaming through the dusty window, illuminating the cluttered room. She was mesmerized for a few moments by the glinting particles of dust slowly descending in the shafts of golden light. The whole room seemed to glow, making her feel warm and content.
Wait a second - why was she getting up now? Normally she was up before dawn, rolling out of bed only to escape her mother's wrath. She had to do the morning chores before her mother woke up if she wanted breakfast that day. First she ran out to get the paper, bringing the trash out with her if it was a Wednesday. Then she hurried inside, set the paper on the kitchen table before putting on a pot of coffee, and ran around the house picking up her little brother's toys. When she finished, she did the laundry, and started breakfast while getting herself ready for the day. She spent the weekends cleaning the house in addition to her regular schedule.
When her mother and two-year-old brother came down for breakfast at seven, she was to be standing in the kitchen, waiting for permission to eat. So why was she in bed at (Alicia glanced at the old clock) nine in the morning on a sunny summer Monday? She quietly made her way downstairs, and saw a note on the kitchen table, written in her mother's messy script. It said that she and Joey had gone on a short vacation, and would be back that Thursday, and they had better not come back to find the house a wreck or there would be dire consequences for her.
Wow, three days to myself, Alicia thought dazedly as she looked at the foot long list of things for her to do. Most were the usual chores, but there was also a grocery list and money strictly for the shopping.
Alicia drifted back up to her room that was hardly bigger than a closet. Her mattress was lumpy and old, and her single drawer held all of her clothes. There was a candlestick next to her bed, and her threadbare blankets were lying partly on the floor. She crossed to the window, hardly noticing her pitiful living space. Her whole life had been like this, for as long as she could remember, and it would never change.
It could change, she thought, wrenching open the window and sitting on the sill. But I'm the one who has to do it. I'm the only one who has the power to change my life. Jess did it; she got away from mom and this hellhole. Now it's my turn.
She sat for awhile, dreaming of school. She loved school because she was there the whole year, and not here. Almost everyone was astonishingly nice, and she was good at both her classes and sports. There were her friends, and her favorite troublemaking redhead George. His warm, happy brown eyes were always sparkling with mischief, and he always made her laugh and enjoy life.
Yes, I can change my life, and I will. Sure it'll be hard, and there'll be loads of waiting, but I can do it. My friends will be there, encouraging and supportive, but in the end I'll be the one who truly saved myself. Just me, Alicia Spinnet.