Let's go home and get ready for the party!

“I’m pretty sure he’s at work,” she mumbles, reversing out of her parking spot. However, you are completely unaware of his schedule. “I’m pretty sure he is at work still…”

You tap your fingers on the stirring wheel. You’re starting to get angry, but Cindy’s personality doesn’t allow your anger to get out of control. “You shouldn’t be scared to go home, Cindy.”

Your mind itches. For the first time, it feels like there’s someone else in your head. You twitch then and slow down to stop at a red light and blink. You put your hands out in front of you and watch them shake. You’re scared of going home.

You close your eyes and shake your head. “Cindy, I’m not going to let you get hurt or anything. I promise we’ll be leaving in just a couple of hours! So let’s just shower, get dressed, and leave early! Alright?”

There’s a black spot in your memory. Has Gabe already done something? You’re confident he hasn’t, but it doesn’t change anything in your head. “C’mon on, girl. We’ll be alright.”

The light turns green, and you sigh.

...

...

When you get home, you don’t notice anything is amiss. A small sigh of relief parts your lips as you think Gabe, your step-father, is gone. However, as soon as you step inside, you see that he’s just sleeping on the couch with his hand dipped in a bowl of potato chips. You silently tiptoe to your room and close your door as quietly as you can.

CLICK. Twist. Sigh.

You step back until you fall on your bed. Your heart is racing, and you have been holding your breath. You take a deep inhale and then exhale. A small curse leaves your mouth next while your eyes dart to your dresser. It was hard to focus on something else after experiencing something so terrifying! Even as you approach your closet, you can’t help but be your best ninja.

Your eyes stare hopelessly into her clothes. How are you supposed to dress for the party? You let Cindy Kate take over for a few seconds so you don’t pick out anything that wouldn’t mix or match.

After you find a blue V-neck graphic tee (super soft, by the way!) and some dark blue short-shorts, you peel out of your work clothes and sneakers and put on your outfit, as well as some nice black sandals. You fish out some jewelry, too, replacing your earrings with something brighter and more inviting. Finally, you touch up your makeup and strike a few poses in front of the mirror…unsatisfied with how you look; you tie your short blonde locks into tiny pigtails that hang near your neckline. You cover your mouth and smile. Much better! The finalizing touch was a Yankees baseball cap from your real dad. As soon as you put it on and straightened it out, you thought you looked much, much better!

Your mind goes blank for a few seconds as you do more poses in front of the mirror. You subconsciously snap a few pictures with your phone and post them to your social media outlets. Within just a few seconds, family members and simps are leaving likes and comments on your Instagram. When you fall in bed, you see that there’s still a considerable amount of time before the party is supposed to start.

You don’t honestly want to go anywhere, so you stay flat on your bed and close your eyes to nap after setting the alarm on your phone for the evening. Apparently, your brain either doesn’t need to process anything, or you weren’t asleep for as long as you thought because you stir awake to the sound of talking and not beeping.

A small groan leaves your mouth as you get up close to your door. On the other side, you can hear Gabe talking angrily on the phone with someone. “What do you mean I didn’t get the promotion?! And why are you calling me about it and not talking to me in person?!?”

Your stepdad goes into a fit, yelling and screaming, shouting as loudly as he can at whoever called him about his job. You shift your legs uncomfortably and hold your hands. You wished your mom was there. She always knew had to calm him down whenever he got angry. Then, your mind starts putting together some thoughts on what to do…