Chapter one

Chapter 1

The envelope...


I looked out my bedroom window. Our backyard was now filled with leaves hat decorated the grounds. It was now October, and Autumn was here at last. I never felt this peaceful  in my life. The Autumn breeze swept in making the white patterned curtain dance lightly.
   I got dressed to go out with my family. When we returned home from shopping my little brother Todd, who`s 10 years old, spotted an envelope at the entrance of our front door. I didn`t ask or even care to see what it was cause I had an argument with 
him. So, I went up to my room and shut the door behind me. Even though my family was mostly always loud, right now they were all talking quickly in hushed voices. What are they whispering for? What are they talking about? Was there something in that envelope I shouldn`t be aware of? All these questions just kept rolling in my head making me anxious and wanting to know more. 
   
   But, that was all. Nobody dared to come in and share of what the envelope had said. and even though I was dying to know, I didn`t ask and kept my mouth shut. Tears began to well up, and I knew exactly why. Didn`t my family trust me? Didn`t they think I was trustworthy enough?

   When It was finally dinner time, I went down to the kitchen. Mom`s cooking wafted into my nose as I walked in. A basket was filled with garlic bread, grilled chicken was placed in a silver serving platter, in a serving tray, there was four mini strawberry cakes which I couldn`t dare take a bite from. In a huge glass of bowl showed salad that had an assortment of healthy vegetables, and lastly chilled fruit juice was filled in a glass jar.
   Dad was helping in placing the forks and knives while Todd helped placing the napkins, I went to help mom carry out the glasses. When our eyes met, I could tell that here was a whisper of a smile on her face that she could hardly wipe off. What on earth was making her  smile like that? I knew mom very well. And when it came to being serious she was too good at it. So whatever was making her hard to fight- making a serious face-had gotten to her.  I turned to dad and searched his face. Dad too was just like mom. But, he wasn`t as good as her than she was. I can`t tell weather he was mad or in thoughts. 
   I looked at Todd now, and he was his usual self, being known that he wasn`t in at all on the secret. What luck! If only Todd knew! Then I`d make him speak out the truth. 
   We ate in silence. I looked from mom to dad. They seemed to be having a wordless conversation, using eyes only. But, then there would be times like when either of them would shake their heads in disagreement. What was that all about? I hated it. They couldn't`t trust me to even tell what the envelope had said. And when I thought I almost told them everything.
   Almost.
   
   I couldn`t take it anymore. And either did my body and tears. It only took a minute for me to get my plate to the sink and walk up to my room. When I got to my door o strained my ear to hear if they they`d said anything as soon as I was out of earshot. And they didn`t. I shut my room door hard. But. not that hard.
   I wasn`t in the mood to care about brushing my teeth or even caring about our family rule to never-sleep-after-eating-a-meal or even changing out of my day clothes. All that didn`t matter to me, not a teensy bit. I crawled into my queen sized bed and wrapped myself in my thick comfy blanket. And then pulling up the blanket to my face I cried. I didn`t stop till I felt better. I couldn`t care less cause no one would hear me. And when my body was done and couldn`t bring out anymore tears, I fell into a dreamless sleep.
  
   A sleep that I wished from the bottom of my heart, that I wouldn`t wake up from.