"I've got to take this phone out of my room…" I thought to myself. This wasn't the first time the ringing had jolted me out of a deep sleep, a peaceful sleep. Lately, I was having some trouble getting decent rest. I'd learned not so long ago that the name of the illness is called "insomnia", and my doctor informed me that I have a mild case of it, that it would soon go away. He assured me that it was nothing more than a minor case of depression (most likely caused by my father's death), that had been triggering the lack of sleep.

The clock read nine…much earlier than I'm used to waking up. Yes, I admit that I'm a bit of a lazy child. Now, however, I'm awake, and once I'm awake, I'm awake for good. There is no natural snooze button in my body.

Rushing to grab the phone before the next obnoxiously loud ring could arrive, I rubbed my eye with my free hand and managed to let out a "Hello?".

"Kale! Guess what?" It was Abby. Not only could I tell by her distinctively pitched voice, but her personality as well. Who else would be so full of life this early on a weekend?

"Hmm…" I mumbled, half asleep. For some reason this had sounded like a "what" to me.

"Kale? Did I wake you up?" sounding more proud than guilty.

"Uh huh. I mean, no…no. I was awake." Yeah. Like she would buy that.

"Kale…you sound like a zombie." She giggled. "Anyway, come on over." Abbie had a way of straight up telling me what to do, as opposed to asking me.

"Weren't…uh…weren't you going to get a ride with Mandy to go out to the lake or something?" Mandy was one of her best friends and an okay friend of mine, although I found her a bit self centered and trouble to be around. Since Abby was asking me to spend time with her, I figured Mandy had cancelled on her like she had done so many times before.

"Cancelled, you know her. She broke her foot or something. Anyway, I'd rather hang out with you."

Suddenly I heard a loud puffing sound from the phone. Then, there was a short silence between the two of us.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I thought that was you." said Abby in a confused voice.

Aw great… I thought, knowing exactly what it was. This was going to be embarrassing…

"Katie, off the phone!" I yelled, angry that Abby would have to hear this.

I heard nothing, no sound of the phone being rested on the receiver. What, was she seriously trying to pretend that she wasn't listening, thinking she could trick me into believing it was only my imagination? Did she believe that I'm that stupid? This infuriated me. Then an idea came to my mind.

"Hey, is your sister on the line?" asked Abby, sounding annoyed.

"No," I said. "I thought she was for a second but I guess it was just a bad connection or something." I explained, while walking towards Katie's room quietly. Abby laughed.

"Yeah, why would she be listening in…" I think Abby had an idea of what I was attempting to do.

"She wouldn't." I said. "She doesn't do stuff like that, she usually treats me with-"

I paused, about to slam open her door.

"RESPECT!" I screamed, and kicked her door open and saw her sitting there with the phone up to her ear. I hung up the cordless I was using, and clenched it with a tight fist. Katie looked scared, shocked, and at the same time, amused. She had gotten in a habit of invading my privacy like this, it definitely gave her kicks. At fifteen years old, she had nothing better to do I suppose. Now it was out of control.

"What's wrong with you!" I hollered at her.

"I wasn't listening in Kale, just chill out…"

"You're lying!" I shouted. Again, how stupid did she think I was?

"Maybe I was I guess, sue me."

"Why do keep pulling this crap?"

"Wha-"

"Listening to my phone calls, reading my mail, don't you have anything better to do?!"

"Maybe I think your girlfriend and you are funny when you babble bull shit all day." she said, clearly mocking me.

"If you're gunna keep sneaking off with that brunette pop-tart then maybe I'd like to get to know her a 'lil before I become a freaking aunt!"

"Shut the hell up!" I yelled, chucking the cordless phone into the floor underneath me, making a crash so loud it could surely wake the dead. The batteries popped out and rolled practically out of the room. I wasn't sure, but it was possible I'd damaged the tile floor. Footsteps followed that impulse, and I knew it had been my mother approaching from downstairs

"What the fuck is going on!" she yelled, approaching me from the stairs.

"She--oh, forget it, like you'd care…" I sighed as I rambled.

I asked what's going on!" she repeated, with a voice that reflected a tad of sadness along with infuriation and perhaps shame

Nothing, forget it mom," Kate began. "Kale was just having a little tantrum because he got a D in English." She grinned.

couldn't believe what I'd heard. Katie had sworn not to tell our parents about that. We'd made a deal about a week ago, that I'd raise the grade before they could see how badly I was doing, and that she wouldn't tell them in the meantime. The only reason Katie had even known about that is because she rummaged through my backpack and saw my interim report card. I know you're supposed to love the hell out of your siblings, but I honestly felt comfortable telling myself I truly hated my sister at this point. Our mother was incredibly strict when it came to school. I shut my eyes and waited for it.

"What in god's name, Kale? Is this true?" Again, she sounded more pissed than upset.

"Mom, just listen…" I attempted to explain with little hope. "I…"

"You're not leaving this goddamn house for anything but school until your next report card arrives!" she howled at me. "Not to see your friends, play sports, or even run off with your hasty little girlfriend!"

Now I was angry and frustrated. What she had just said was like a slap in the face; your first thought is to slap the person back, but you manage to brush it off with mind over body. My body had won this time around.

"Oh, all right mom!" I screamed at the top of my voice. "You can sit on the couch and drink half the day because you miss Dad, but if I get a bad grade in some useless English class, it's the end of the world! I get it now! Congratulations, the therapy finally paid off, you finally--" but I was cut off by her hand slapping across my face. Honestly, it hurt like hell. I didn't know what to think of it, I wasn't sure if it had really even happened.

Glaring up at her, then to Katie, I could see the horror in her face as I felt the blood travel down my upper lip, in slight disbelief over what had happened in the last two minutes.