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CHAPTER ONE
I pulled the door bolt to find out it was locked from inside and I didn't have my keys. I was just about knocking when the door burst open and my sister's boyfriend Peter stepped out. He almost knocked me off the step had I not held onto the railing. As if he had not seen me, he hurried off leaving the smell of cigarette behind. I shook my head and walked in to find Louise sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.
"You're back." She asked when she looked up to see me. She stood up quickly and starts clearing the emptied bottles and cigarette butts from the table.
"Yeah." I left for my room and dropped my school bag on my bed. I came back out into the living room.
"What's up with you and Peter this time around?"
"Just some harmless arguments. He got pissed and... left."
"Look, I think it's high time you stop letting Peter into this house."
" Like it's that simple."
"What isn't simple about it? I don't care if he apologises all the time. He beats you up for goodness sake."
"I'm more afraid of what he'll do if I try to break up with him."
"No! You just don't want to break up with him." I wore tied up the lace if my boots.
"I'm off to work."
"Could you get me a bottle of shampoo on your way back?"
"Sure." I replied as I head out.
Louise and I have been living here for three years now. After our dad lost his job, mum remarried and left. Things have been quite rough since then. Dad has been going around looking for and doing one mini job or the other. He couldn't pay for our house anymore so we had to move to this side of Culver city to live in this apartment which belonged to our grandpa before he died. Dad was always away working and he wasn't able to send us enough money. He couldn't afford to send Louise to college and she didn't seem to care. All I think she cares about is her bully, up to no good boyfriend.
I was already in my senior year in highschool and I worked part time at a shop where I sold crispy chickens and chips. Now, as I arrived at the shop I removed my coat and hanged it on the hook by the door and stood at my counter. My boss wasn't around. She only came back when I was getting ready to close.
"You were late today... Again."
"I informed you earlier that I'll be coming late because of school."
"Thats not how things should work, Nelly!"
She bent over the drawer and pulled out some napkins. "The way you chose to work here is not convenient for the customers or me and I cannot tolerate any longer. You come and go anytime you want and don't even make your deliveries properly."
"If this is about Mrs Danny, you know she's a hotheaded rude woman and you can't blame me for that."
"It isn't just about her. You don't want to listen to me and you always feel that you're right. Can you not see the reduction in our customers since your recent attitude?"
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