CHAPTER TWO
(chapter title – Clairessa's Point of View, part 1)

Where to begin? I'm Clairessa (yes, that's how it's spelled – dad said something about it being the traditional Irish spelling – I think). I was born September 21st, 1984 at 10:25 AM. I am the only daughter of Roger Davis and April Ericcson. Everyone growing up said that I reminded them of my mother – maybe it's because I act like her sometimes. My parents were eighteen when they had me, but I didn't mind – they were the best parents a girl could ask for.

My mom killed herself when I was four-years-old. She went to take a bath and never came out. It wasn't until the paramedics rolled her body out on a stretcher and my father's pitiful wails that I knew that my mother was no longer on earth.

It was two years later that my dad met Mimi Marquez. I really liked Mimi – she was sweet, fun and really cool. She would help me get dressed for school, read me stories and played with me. My dad was the one who taught me how to play the guitar. I am in love with it – he even gave me his old Fender (which I had restored) and named it Musetta.

Mimi and dad were married and welcomed my sister, Natalie Joy, three years later. Following her were my brother, Jackson and sister, Ashleigh.

Since Mimi and Dad died, I've been in charge of my younger siblings and keeping them in line.

"Has anyone seen my lucky hair tie?" I asked my siblings, looking around our industrial loft that dad had left it to us in his will.

"Did you check your dresser?" Natalie inquired, channel surfing. I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand and entered my room, which was my uncle Collins' old room. I saw my green and white striped hair tie sitting on my dresser.

"Thanks, Nat. You're a lifesaver." I told my sister, hugging her around the neck.

"Where are you going?" Jackson inquired, looking up from his drum set.

"Juliet and I are going out to lunch. She's dropping Honor by here shortly." I told my siblings. I heard Ashleigh squeal with excitement – she loved Honor as much as I did.

I really loved going out to lunch with my best friend Juliet Coffin-Gray. We usually talked about everything and nothing.

"I got a job." Juliet told me, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Really? Where?" I asked.

"At Honor's daycare center." Juliet answered. I smiled, reached across the table and squeezed her hand. She smiled and drew her hand away. I slapped my hand to my forehead – I had forgotten that she didn't like to be touched – she had been raped two years ago.

"I'm really happy for you." I told her. I then remembered my job – I worked part time at Ben's Jewels – a jewelry store. I also went to school part time.

"Thanks." Juliet thanked me, smiling slightly.

"You're welcome." I told her.

We finished our lunches and went our separate ways.

"NATALIE! GIVE IT BACK TO ME!" Jackson was yelling at my sister.

"NOT UNTIL YOU TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT JULIET!" Natalie yelled, her face red with anger.

"Whoa – what's going on?" I asked my siblings. I saw Natalie holding Jackson's iPod in her hand, inches above the garbage disposal. I ripped it out of her hand and handed it to Jackson.

"Natalie said that Juliet was a stupid whore that should not have a baby!" Jackson nearly screamed at me. I turned to my sister – I knew she would never say something like that.

"Nat, is that what you said?" I asked, rounding on my sister. She nodded her head, blinking back tears. Juliet was my best friend and I was really angry that my sister would say something like that. "How dare you!"

"Claire – I didn't mean what I said!" Nat exclaimed.

"I don't wanna hear it – you're grounded!" I yelled, watching Natalie storm to her room and slammed the door behind her. I then sat on the couch, leaning my head back. "Argh!"

"What?" Jackson asked, unplugging his headphones from his ears so that he could hear me talk.

"Sometimes I hate being the oldest." I told him, turning on the TV and flipped to a random channel.

"I'm sorry." Jackson told me, getting out his laptop.

"Where's Ash?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Out with friends – Sarah and Gracie, I think." Jackson answered.

After Jackson and I had dinner (Chinese takeout from Wong's), I went to check on Natalie. I knocked on her bedroom door and let myself in.

"What do you want?" Natalie asked. She was lying on her bed.

"To talk to you – what's going on? You're usually so happy."

"Aaron broke up with me." She blurted out. Aaron was her boyfriend of eighteen months.

"I'm so sorry – what happened?"

"He said that he wanted to see other people. It's no big deal."

"What did that have to do with Juliet?"

"He was the one who called Juliet a whore and also said that he shouldn't have a baby. I slapped him across the face-"

"Whoa, Nat – YOU DID WHAT?"

"I was defending Juliet – Aaron doesn't know what he's saying sometimes."

"Still, Nat – that doesn't give you the right to hit people. You need to call Aaron and apologize."

She shook her head.

"Nat, what you did was wrong – you have to apologize."

"Aaron won't talk to me." She got off his bed and walked over to her stereo and put on some loud music.

"NATALIE!" I yelled over the music. She turned off the music and turned so that she was facing me.

"What?"

"Adjust the attitude, please."

Natalie rolled her eyes at me. I was starting to get really sick of her attitude.

"No, I won't adjust the attitude."

"You're grounded for two weeks."

"You're not mom!"

"I'm the oldest, therefore, I get to give out the punishments."

"That's not fair!"

"Do you want to make it three weeks?"

Natalie was silent.

"Good. Now, I want you to call Aaron and apologize. Then, I want you to clean the bathroom and your room. Once those are done, you can have some Chinese food in the fridge."

I then exited her room and walked to mine. I then plopped down on the bed and let out a deep sigh.

"I wish you guys were still alive – I need all the help I can get." I told the ceiling.