Lying on my bed, I could hear them laughing and chatting in the living room. My brother was working his charm on Dad, asking for the newest video game console, and Mom was already in the kitchen, whipping up some late-night crawfish just for him.
In my past life, I might've cried, wondering why my brother and I-- both born to the same parents-- were treated so differently. Was it because I was a girl? But now, I didn't care anymore. All I wanted was to break free from this toxic family.
The next morning, I woke up early, like I always did, and made breakfast for everyone. Once they were all up, I was finally able to head out for school. As I walked, I started thinking about how I could move out and live on campus. After I got to school, I went straight to the office to talk to my homeroom teacher about it.
"Living on campus is fine," she said after hearing me out, "but you'll need a parent to sign off on it." She printed out a form and handed it to me. "Take this home and get it signed, then bring it back to me."
I bit my lip, hesitating. "Is there any way to do it without getting a signature?"