1.My life (Eves POV)

I'm putting on my shoes. I look at the clock that is above the older wooden table with a bright red tablecloth with golden flowers. It's already 15 o'clock, my dad will go ballistic if I don't go to the store before he comes home.

He wasn't the same after my mom died. She was a kind woman who loved me and my brother dearly. Our father also cared about us and was a solid father, but now he spends all his evenings at the bar with who knows who and doing God knows what, and I'm at home and have to clean the whole house, cook, and also care for my 12-year-old brother Shawn-and be grateful for it.

While I'm deaf, I'm good at reading lips and after a lot of trouble I also learned to speak quite decent. I took money from my desk and looked at my brother.

"Will you manage 30 minutes alone at home so I can go to the store?"

"Of course, I'm not a kid anymore. Yesterday I turned 12, remember?"

His smile warmed my heart and made me willing to endure it until I'm 18 in 2 years and can take him far away from here. I was happy that I got to protect his happiness, because Dad took mine away long before.

"Naturally I remember. My baby brother is growing up into an old man, how could I forget," I said sarcastically and tried to concentrate on what he's saying.

"Ha ha, how funny. Could you buy me some candy from the store?"

"Yes, but don't forget to wash your teeth after you eat them. And if Dad comes home before me, go into your room, lock your door and go play."

"Okay."

My brother was really tall for his age and had the bluest eyes you can see and a little messy dark brown hair. He also became more tan from playing outside and helping me. We are quite the opposites-I have lighter brown wavy hair with green eyes and fair skin that only burns and not tans, and right now I'm also rocking a bright blue bruise that I tried to hide behind my makeup.

Makeup was an escape for me, a shield, in which I could feel normal despite the circumstances. I also like to have a morning routine, but of course I didn't have much makeup. I have old ones from my mom that she gave me before her death and the one I got from Lily for my birthday. I always did it in my room so Father doesn't see me. He needed the bathroom for his puking session after the night out.

I looked at my brother. For his birthday I bought him a new black hoodie with his favourite series Friends on it and a new pair of jeans. I'm so happy he wore it today. I was wearing a floral pink dress that came to my knees and had my hair in a cute updo, and I also had on my favourite sneakers.

The apartment was really small. We have one bathroom and 3 extremely small bedrooms-so small that you can have only one bed and a wardrobe-so we have to study at the kitchen table when we're alone. Now I bolted out of the apartment and down the stairs.

On the way I saw my best friend Lily. She tapped my arm.

"Hi Eve, where are you going?"

"To the store, I have to buy some vegetables and meat for dinner. You know how he gets if I'm not already cooking when he's home."

"Eh, that asshole. I can't believe he allowed you to transfer to my school after all this bullying you got just because you're deaf. It's not like you can control it. And your asshole of a dad, if you can even call him that, won't even buy you hearing aids."

"Yeah, he thinks that I have to deal with it myself, but I know that he just wants more money for the bar downtown. But I'm happy that he transferred me, because now we can be together."

"Yes, this year is going to be the best, most spectacular and amazing year ever."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Lily has been my best friend since kindergarten, when she asked me for a pencil and I didn't hear her-because duh, I can't-and she was very sad because she thought I didn't like her. But then she found out I'm deaf and she tried to talk to me. And boy, do I tell you how hard I tried not to laugh. She tried to speak slow and I appreciated it, but she spoke slow and made the funniest faces. She asked me if I wanted to play and I said yes, of course. She was an adorable kid with her blonde hair in pigtails and her freckles. She also had overalls and a light blue shirt underneath. Now she's a head taller than me, with the body and fashion style of a model and the most gorgeous light brown eyes.

We were walking past a park with a lot of trees. It was already November so they didn't have many leaves left.

We stood before the store when I heard a ringtone-it was Lily's.

"Hi Mom, what happened? ... Okay, alright." She turned to me. "Sorry, but my mom needs help. Could you go to the store alone?"

"Yeah, go ahead, see you later."

"Bye."

I understood. Her father left them and since then her mother became very weak, so she has to help her a lot. I also saw Lily having a good time with some boy named Mason, so when I see her I have to ask her about it.

I went in the store and the heat hit my skin. Our apartment didn't have a good heating system, so I liked going here to warm up. I have to take Shawn with me next time so he doesn't get a cold. I took the shopping cart and went down the aisles and picked everything we needed. The store was very full, which is strange because normally at this time there's barely anything left. The store also isn't that big so it doesn't have a lot of stuff, but I liked how kind everyone here is, and I really love talking to the staff, because usually no one listens to me besides Lily.

I tried to pick something from the top shelf when something bumped into me.

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