8 months before…
"Come on, Hampton," 16-year-old Marley Rose was walking her dog with her best friend, Tina Cohen-Chang. "Come on." They run to Marley's mom.
"Come on, baby!" Millie said.
"Mom! Come on, it's 7:40. Let's go, let's go," Marley said, excited.
"I'm ready. Hey, Tina," Millie opened the car door.
"Finn, come on!"
"Come on, Finn!"
"Where's the new backpack?" Millie asked.
"It's in the backseat," Marley said. As she was about to get into the car, Millie stopped her.
"Hey, wait. Let me fix this before somebody gives you the wedgie from hell."
"Thank you."
"Finn!" Finn walked out of the house.
"What's up, guys? Hey, Tina," Finn said as he got into the car.
***School***
"Bitch," Some random girl said to Marley as her and Tina were walking through the halls at school.
"What the hell," Marley asked confused. As they were walking they heard a teacher yell at a teenager for wearing inappropriate outfit.
"The teachers look mean here," Tina pointed out.
"I promise myself I wouldn't get anything lower than an "A." Careful." A girl almost knocked over Tina.
"Puta," the girl called Marley.
"God!"
The girls walked over to Finn and his friends.
"Finn, guess what just happened," Marley said. Finn ignores her and says "Ooh! Look at that shit! Damn!" to his friends.
"That shit is tight," one of his friends replied.
"Finn," Marley tried again.
"Hey. Um, guys, this is my little sister," Finn told his friends.
"Hi."
His friend ignores what happened and said: "Man, there's Kitty Wilde."
"Looks like she grew up this summer," Finn replied.
"No shit."
"What's up, girl? Let's go say hi."
"Hey, be cool, dude. What's up, Kitty? Come over here! We want to talk to you!"
Later at home, Marley was writing in her journal, sitting on the couch. Millie was working on dishing up dinner, when Marley brought up her dad.
"Did Dad send you the check this month," she asked.
"Lay off him, Marley," Millie replied.
"He just started the new job."
"We're fine. I worked all week."
"What?"
"Oh, you'd look great…." Millie started, stroking her daughter's hair. "With some honey-blond entertainment streaks…right here."
"It's not fair. I can't be mad at you when you do that." The door opened and Millie's friend, Sandra and her daughter, Alicia.
"Yoo-hoo," Sandra yelled.
"Marley," Alicia ran to Marley.
"Hey, Alicia," Marley exclaimed and hugged her.
"Hi. The bus never came, and then it did," Sandra said. "I have to pee, and she hasn't eaten anything."
"Well, that's okay," Millie said. "There's some stuff on the stove."
"Oh, great. Okay. Then we'll go?"
Marley sighed.
"Marley, I'm sorry. I just haven't been to a meeting all week," Millie told Marley. Millie goes to a support group for eating healthier. "You know I need to go."
"Marley, I want a piggyback ride," Alicia requested.
"Hang on," Marley said. Alicia jumped on Marley's back. "Un, mom. Mom, mom, mom. I told you I can't baby-sit. I have an 1-search project due tomorrow."
"Baby, cut me a break. You know I need to go," Millie said. Millie kisses Marley's cheek.
"Bye, Mommy," Alicia said to her mom.
"Be good," Sandra said as Millie and her left. Marley sighed.