Ellie laid on her bedroom floor, trying to finish her math homework. She could hear her mother moaning in the other room. Ellie stood up and put a Three Days Grace CD into her CD player.
Ellie's mind drifted away from her homework as she heard her mom rush to the bathroom. *Why does she do this to herself? Why does she do this to me? I know I'm not exactly the perfect daughter, but I'm trying as hard as I can!* She began to pull her hair. *I don't like her at all! She's a horrible mother!* Ellie couldn't believe she was thinking these things, and began to pull harder on her hair. *What am I doing?*
She let go of her hair, and was startled when she heard her mom retching in the other room. She hated that sound.
Ellie turned the stereo up, and caught the end of "(I Hate) Everything About You".
Only when I stop to think about it
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
Only when I stop to think
About you, I know
Only when you stop to think
About me, do you know
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
You hate everything about me
Why do you love me
I hate
You hate
I hate
You love me
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
Sean dropped the coat and tried to see who the dark shadow in the hall was. *Please be Jay.* Sean thought to himself as the figure entered the room.
Sean shook his head. *Oh crap.* It was Brad.
"What the hell are you doing?" Brad asked as he got closer to Sean.
Sean wasn't afraid of Brad. He had already fought him, and won. But if Brad called the other guys, well, even Jay wouldn't tolerate stealing from another friend.
Sean tried to think up an excuse, "I was just . . ."he punched Brad square on the nose, grabbed the coat and ran.
He knew Jay would wonder why Sean ran out in such a hurry. Jay would probably go into the bedroom, find Towerz sprawled across the bed, and Brad knocked out. *This isn't good. Soon as Brad comes to, he'll tell everyone what happened, and Jay won't want to stop them from getting me. I should've just told Jay what happened in the first place.*
Sean kept checking over his shoulder, until he finally reached his house. He sighed as he opened the door. Sean felt himself turn red with anger. Somebody was sprawled out on the livingroom couch. He clenched his jaw, and approached the person. Sean threw the coat onto the ground. He looked at the coffee table. *Bottles. Of course there are bottles. There's always bottles.* Sean resisted the urge to break the vodka bottle over his father's head. Instead, he carried them to the kitchen, and rinsed the liquid down the sink.
*Where the hell is Tracker?* Sean stomped down the hall to Tracker's room. Nobody was in there. He turned and went into his room. He was about to turn on his stereo, when he heard somebody moan.
Sean snapped around, and found his mom lying on his bed. *Great, this is just great. This is why I moved in with Tracker. To get away from *this** He went to put the trash can beside her, when he noticed she was holding something.
Sean carefully pulled the object out of her grasp, and saw it was his memory book. He glared at his mom for going through his personal property.
*I haven't look at this in forever.* Sean carefully closed the door behind him, and went into Tracker's room. He laid down on the bed, and opened the memory book to the first page.
Sean smiled when he remembered the first day he got the book. He had just moved in with Tracker, and they were feeling uncomfortable around one and other. *It was my first night here, when Tracker came into my room. He kind of shrugged his shoulders, and handed me this package. He said, "To remember the good times." When I opened it, there was a picture of me as a baby, and around it was what seemed to be Tracker's attempt at decorations.*
Sean turned to the next page and saw a photo of himself and Tracker. Sean smiled. *I was about seven when that picture was taken, so Tracker must've been around . . .fifteen. That explains the pissed off expression.*
With every page, and every picture, memories flooded Sean's mind. There were a few pictures of his parents, and still, only happy thoughts filled his mind. Soon, he got to the pages he put together himself. There was one of the pictures Emma's mom had taken on their first date. Sean remembered how many bad things had occurred that night, and yet they still had a good time. *That's what our whole relationship was like. I did a lot of terrible things, but overall, we had a good time.*
Sean looked at a few more pages. The last page had a picture of Craig, J.T., Toby, Spinner, Manny, and himself in it. *Liberty took that picture. She was upset that she couldn't be in it.* He looked at how happy he looked. *That was six days before Emma and I broke up. I wasn't happy. I felt neglected.*
Sean realized he didn't have any pictures after he and Emma broke up. That's when he remembered the jacket. He closed the book, and jumped up to go get the coat off the floor in the livingroom.
He picked it up and looked in one of the pockets. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter. *I should only take Ms. Hatzilakos' belongings. Though I really could use another lighter . . .* Sean reluctantly put it back, and checked another pocket. A wallet. Sean opened it and found two bucks and a ticket stub. *This is just great!* Sean shook his head as he opened another pocket. A necklace. *Okay, getting better.*
Sean finished checking the jacket. One necklace is all he could find. *I'm screwed. He probably sold everything to a damn pawn shop, so he could buy car parts.* Sean was trying to control his breathing. *I'm not going to see Ellie again. If I do, they'll make her life a living hell. I can't do that to her. She's under enough stress as it is. But I don't know how I'll survive without her right now.* He glared at his father passed out on the couch. *I'll find a way to get the money.*
Tracker came home to a quiet house, "Sean?" he called into the dark house. There was no answer, "I got a job," he continued as he entered the livingroom.
He saw his father on the sofa. Tracker shook his head. *I hope Sean didn't see this. He'd be pissed.* Tracker passed by his dad, and went to see if Sean was in his room.
Sean wasn't there, but his mom was. *That's it. They're out of here. Tomorrow.* Tracker closed the door, and went to his own room. There was a book lying on his bed. He recognized it as the one he had made for Sean when he had first moved in.
Tracker opened to the second page, where there was a picture of himself and Sean. *I was so angry Mom made me take that picture with him. I wanted to be as far away from my irritating little brother as possible.*
He looked at the clock on the wall. 2:00 A.M. *Now I just wish I knew where he was.*
Ellie's mind drifted away from her homework as she heard her mom rush to the bathroom. *Why does she do this to herself? Why does she do this to me? I know I'm not exactly the perfect daughter, but I'm trying as hard as I can!* She began to pull her hair. *I don't like her at all! She's a horrible mother!* Ellie couldn't believe she was thinking these things, and began to pull harder on her hair. *What am I doing?*
She let go of her hair, and was startled when she heard her mom retching in the other room. She hated that sound.
Ellie turned the stereo up, and caught the end of "(I Hate) Everything About You".
Only when I stop to think about it
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
Only when I stop to think
About you, I know
Only when you stop to think
About me, do you know
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
You hate everything about me
Why do you love me
I hate
You hate
I hate
You love me
I hate everything about you
Why do I love you
Sean dropped the coat and tried to see who the dark shadow in the hall was. *Please be Jay.* Sean thought to himself as the figure entered the room.
Sean shook his head. *Oh crap.* It was Brad.
"What the hell are you doing?" Brad asked as he got closer to Sean.
Sean wasn't afraid of Brad. He had already fought him, and won. But if Brad called the other guys, well, even Jay wouldn't tolerate stealing from another friend.
Sean tried to think up an excuse, "I was just . . ."he punched Brad square on the nose, grabbed the coat and ran.
He knew Jay would wonder why Sean ran out in such a hurry. Jay would probably go into the bedroom, find Towerz sprawled across the bed, and Brad knocked out. *This isn't good. Soon as Brad comes to, he'll tell everyone what happened, and Jay won't want to stop them from getting me. I should've just told Jay what happened in the first place.*
Sean kept checking over his shoulder, until he finally reached his house. He sighed as he opened the door. Sean felt himself turn red with anger. Somebody was sprawled out on the livingroom couch. He clenched his jaw, and approached the person. Sean threw the coat onto the ground. He looked at the coffee table. *Bottles. Of course there are bottles. There's always bottles.* Sean resisted the urge to break the vodka bottle over his father's head. Instead, he carried them to the kitchen, and rinsed the liquid down the sink.
*Where the hell is Tracker?* Sean stomped down the hall to Tracker's room. Nobody was in there. He turned and went into his room. He was about to turn on his stereo, when he heard somebody moan.
Sean snapped around, and found his mom lying on his bed. *Great, this is just great. This is why I moved in with Tracker. To get away from *this** He went to put the trash can beside her, when he noticed she was holding something.
Sean carefully pulled the object out of her grasp, and saw it was his memory book. He glared at his mom for going through his personal property.
*I haven't look at this in forever.* Sean carefully closed the door behind him, and went into Tracker's room. He laid down on the bed, and opened the memory book to the first page.
Sean smiled when he remembered the first day he got the book. He had just moved in with Tracker, and they were feeling uncomfortable around one and other. *It was my first night here, when Tracker came into my room. He kind of shrugged his shoulders, and handed me this package. He said, "To remember the good times." When I opened it, there was a picture of me as a baby, and around it was what seemed to be Tracker's attempt at decorations.*
Sean turned to the next page and saw a photo of himself and Tracker. Sean smiled. *I was about seven when that picture was taken, so Tracker must've been around . . .fifteen. That explains the pissed off expression.*
With every page, and every picture, memories flooded Sean's mind. There were a few pictures of his parents, and still, only happy thoughts filled his mind. Soon, he got to the pages he put together himself. There was one of the pictures Emma's mom had taken on their first date. Sean remembered how many bad things had occurred that night, and yet they still had a good time. *That's what our whole relationship was like. I did a lot of terrible things, but overall, we had a good time.*
Sean looked at a few more pages. The last page had a picture of Craig, J.T., Toby, Spinner, Manny, and himself in it. *Liberty took that picture. She was upset that she couldn't be in it.* He looked at how happy he looked. *That was six days before Emma and I broke up. I wasn't happy. I felt neglected.*
Sean realized he didn't have any pictures after he and Emma broke up. That's when he remembered the jacket. He closed the book, and jumped up to go get the coat off the floor in the livingroom.
He picked it up and looked in one of the pockets. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter. *I should only take Ms. Hatzilakos' belongings. Though I really could use another lighter . . .* Sean reluctantly put it back, and checked another pocket. A wallet. Sean opened it and found two bucks and a ticket stub. *This is just great!* Sean shook his head as he opened another pocket. A necklace. *Okay, getting better.*
Sean finished checking the jacket. One necklace is all he could find. *I'm screwed. He probably sold everything to a damn pawn shop, so he could buy car parts.* Sean was trying to control his breathing. *I'm not going to see Ellie again. If I do, they'll make her life a living hell. I can't do that to her. She's under enough stress as it is. But I don't know how I'll survive without her right now.* He glared at his father passed out on the couch. *I'll find a way to get the money.*
Tracker came home to a quiet house, "Sean?" he called into the dark house. There was no answer, "I got a job," he continued as he entered the livingroom.
He saw his father on the sofa. Tracker shook his head. *I hope Sean didn't see this. He'd be pissed.* Tracker passed by his dad, and went to see if Sean was in his room.
Sean wasn't there, but his mom was. *That's it. They're out of here. Tomorrow.* Tracker closed the door, and went to his own room. There was a book lying on his bed. He recognized it as the one he had made for Sean when he had first moved in.
Tracker opened to the second page, where there was a picture of himself and Sean. *I was so angry Mom made me take that picture with him. I wanted to be as far away from my irritating little brother as possible.*
He looked at the clock on the wall. 2:00 A.M. *Now I just wish I knew where he was.*