November 2032

It's been an hour since we arrived home and mum hasn't said anything, Nicholas and dad will be her in less than ten minutes I guess.

Mum and dad will wait until we are asleep to 'discuss' my punishment. They won't discuss, they'll end up fighting. They do it all the time. I don't know why I'm not used to it. Nicholas doesn't really notice, at least he acts like he doesn't.

I hear the door open and close, so Dad's already here. Nicholas cames to my room and knocks the door.

"Can I enter?"-He asks.

I want to tell him that he can't, I want to tell him to leave me alone. But I won't, I don't want to make mum and dad even angrier.

"Yeah come in."-I answer. He enters and I ask him what he is doing here.

"Seeing my sister. I can leave if you want."-He says.

Connor usually bothers Nicholas when I get in trouble with him, so he is a collateral victim.

"No, don't worry, you can stay. I'm sorry Connor messes with you, it's my fault anyway."-I mutter. Nicholas has a very good hearing, so he definetly heard me.

"Yeah, but don't worry about me sis, they don't bother me that much"-Nicholas says. I think he's lying, but if he tells the truth I'll get in trouble with mum and dad.

He's very weird, sometimes he lies like this so mum and dad don't punish me more, but sometimes we start fighting and I end up punching him in the face.

"Thanks"- I whisper smiling. I hear some sound outside.

It's mum and dad. I try to hear the whole conversation.

"Again"-That's all mum says. Well, there's nothing else to explain. It's true I've gotten in trouble again.

"We should do something! I told you to let her skip grades! She could be in a better grade right now, studying something, actually doing it, in school she doesn't learn!"-Dad says.

"How are you supposed to let her skip grades? It won't get better! If she's younger than anyone in her class she'll get even more bullied! And they'll bully her anyway."

"Yeah, people like you bully her."-Dad says.

Woah dad, good point! As if we didn't know but did you really have to tell mum? She feels very bad for it and you know it.

I get up and walk to the door of the living room, just to see how this ends.

"I know I was the type of person who bullied people! But I've changed! I've changed a lot I'm not that person anymore, you know it..."-Mum says with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, that's what you say. Anyway, what do you suggest? What should we do?"-Dad asks.

"I don't know..."-Mum says. I know it hurts her but I don't even know how to control myself, how are they going to make my behaviour better?

"That's all you say all the time. You don't know, you don't know anything! So, you don't know why I saw you with another guy two years ago?"-Dad is yelling now.

Wait... When did that happen? Mum with another guy? Was she kissing him? Were they doing... you know what?

No, no, don't even think that Taylor. Don't. Mum doing that with other guy, yuck.

"You know we did nothing! He was just telling me that his wife was pregnant and he didn't want anyone else to know! You keep reminding me that, can't you just get over it? We did nothing. You are just an idiotic paranoid."-Mum is yelling too. Nicholas comes near me and reaches for my hand.

"I'm an idiotic paranoid? I'm surprised you know that words, did the people who you bullied tell you that?"

"Stop it dad. Our story is different. Mum wasn't exactly a bully, but you aren't me either. You didn't react when people hit you, I do. Mum didn't do what this people do to me."-I say. I'm angry again.

"They don't do anything Taylor. You just hit them, because you feel like it! You must have inherited that from your mum."

What the actual heck is dad saying.

"No I haven't, stop blaming mum for everything."-I say.

"Sweetie, it's ok. Dad had a hard day at the university."-Mum tells me.

"Dad always has a hard day at work."-I say emphasising the word always.

This is constant. Dad and Mum are always fighting, they start with my problems at school and end up saying stuff like this. Something happened at that party but they act very weird since then.

"Taylor, to your room. Now. And if you dare talk to your dad like that again..."-Mum says.

"He treats you like that. I'm learning from my father figure."-I say winking, and go to my room.

Nicholas follows me.

"Tay, you've cut your allowance way too much. You are going to get a big punishment you know."-Nicholas tells me.

"I know, but it was worth it. Maybe it makes them think."-I say smiling.

"Yeah, they'll think about how many weeks you stop getting pocket money and take away your stuff."-Nicholas laughs.

I laugh, of course I know they are going to do it, but I don't even care a bit anymore.

Mum and dad come to my room.

"Taylor Eleanor Hofstadter, this is enough, you can't treat us like this. We are done with this. One month without pocket money and without your books, consoles or comics."-Dad says.

I shrug. I don't really care anymore. If is not for this it'll be for other thing, I'll always get punished.

They leave the room. Nicholas goes to play with his toys.

I get a paper and start drawing circles. I don't know why, but I have a fascination for circles. They look so perfect. Why am I even doing this?

I don't even know.

I miss Marie, she was always here when I wanted to talk to her. She would always let me vent on her, even when she had bigger problems. I sigh.

It's been a lot since we both talked...

I keep drawing circles with my pen, then when I get bored I get my felted pens and start drawing again.

I don't really know what to do, if I start doing my homework or reading some of my science books (the only ones my parents didn't take) they'll know that punishing me works.

I get up and walk to the door, mum is in the living room watching TV and dad is doing something in his computer.

"Where are you going little girl?"-Mum asks.

"To take some air. And talk to someone alone."-I say.

"Okay, go, but remember to be here before dinner."-Mum sighs.

"You know I will!"-I say and leave, dad gives mum a glare as I close the door.

Finally out of our small flat. We don't live in Los Robles anymore, we moved out when Nicholas and I became too big to share room.

But it's still small, Marie's house was very big, auntie Amy and uncle Sheldon bought it with their Nobel Prize money.

I start walking through the streets, I don't really know what to do. To be honest I thought I wouldn't be allowed to leave, this shows how much my parents care about me.

I'm just there annoying and disturbing people.

I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I was like Nicholas.

He is a bit annoying sometimes, but cute annoying. You know what I mean right? Like asking us to call him Nicholas instead of Nick.

But no, I'm just me, stupid Taylor Hofstadter. I don't even like my name. I prefer my middle name, Ellie sounds cool. Maybe I'll change the order when I'm 18. I laugh at that thought, I'd be disowned if I do that. If I'm not already.

I sigh again, I'm just wandering without an actual place to go. I want to do something. There's times when I feel like leaving California forever, my parents and Nicholas will be better without me, I know it.

But I have some happy memories here. Lots of sad ones too.

I don't know, the idea sounds stupid and the best option at the same time. I sigh again, nothing makes sense in my head right now. I want to go back, but I'll probably find mum and dad fighting in the living room. I don't really want to get in more trouble, but I know I will. I keep walking and see a park. I've been here before. I close my eyes and try to remember when, or with who.

Nothing comes to my mind, I can't remember anything. But I'm sure I've been here! Maybe with Nicholas when we were younger? No, none of us really likes parks. Maybe with Mum and Dad's friends? None of them actually likes parks.

I'm so lost.

Summer 2028 Summer Camp

Taylor just woke up from an almost sleepless night. She sighed and looked around, no one seemed to be there, or so she thought, so she got up, at the same time three kids threw some cake at her face.

She looked up and saw the same kids that didn't let her sleep that night.

"Can't you guys like leave me alone?"-She asked.

"If we left you alone this wouldn't be fun, so no."-One of them replied.

"Well, then we'll have a problem."-Taylor said with a smile in her face.

"What problem?"-The second kid asked.

Taylor got close to them and made two of them fall, and punched the other on the stomach.

"This problem. Do you still want to mess with me?"

None of them replied, they just went to tell it to one of the girls in charge.

"What a pile of idiots."-Taylor thought to herself.

She decided she wouldn't go out that day, she'll stay in the room reading.

She didn't understand why her parents sent her there. She did, but she preferred not to think about it.

She sighed and opened one of her comic books. She wasn't going to read science stuff knowing that this was like a 'punishment'. At least it was just two weeks, but she just came here three days ago. So it was still a bit until she could go back home.

This place wasn't really cool, she had to share room with five more kids. Which wasn't very cool. She even preferred sharing room with Nicholas before than sharing room with five strangers that had already made her days horrible.

She didn't like it her. What if she escaped? No one would really notice until the night. I'm going to do it!-She told herself. She packed her stuff in the backpack and slowly opened the door. No one was near, so it was the perfect moment.

Out of nowhere some older boys appeared. They looked 13 more or less.

Without saying anything one of them punched her in the face.

Taylor was used to this, but it was usually kids of her age. But it shouldn't be that hard right? That's what Taylor thought.

She ended up a bit hurt at the end, but less than the older kids. She wanted to complain about this to the camp. But that would mean admitting that she had fought back, and that meant another punishment when she came back home.

She had completely forgot about her plan of leaving the camp. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but she didn't want to spend one minute more there.

Maybe I can go to Texas with Marie and Elliott. They are probably having a good time there while I'm here trapped because my parents can't bear with me. -Taylor thought.

She sighed. There was no one near, this time for sure. She had brought some of her money, her parents didn't let her, but at this point she didn't even care anymore. She had also brought her phone, her parents did agree to this, with the condition of calling them everyday. But Taylor had just called them the first day.

She was mad at them, for sending her here.

Before leaving the camp her phone rang, her mum.

"Mum?!? Why are you calling?"-Taylor asked. The answer on the other side left her in shock.

I hope you liked this chapter! The end took me a while to write because I didn't know how to express it, but here it is!I'm planning to make a Christmas special with this story, it'll probably be the next chapter :DI'd really appreciate your reviews! What do you think Penny told Taylor when she called her?