The Truth About Life

-Audrey: Chapter One-

Why is it that I feel invisible? At home, at school? I could shave my head bald, pierce my nose like a bull, and my parents still wouldn't even notice me.

My brother, Chase? Let's be honest here, he has a drug problem. He's addicted to meth to be more specific. He hasn't told me himself that he's doing drugs, but I know he is.

He acts so secretive lately. At home and especially at school; when he isn't sluffing that is. It seems like my parents turn a blind eye to it all, or maybe they really don't notice. Who knows?

Why did Chase even start doing meth? Why did he feel like drugs would be a solution to all of life's problems? Why start doing anything in this life? And another question, does everything we do in this life have a ripple effect, whether it be for good or bad?

By the way, I'm Audrey Grace Parker, I'm 17 and in the middle of my junior year of high school. I'm pretty short, 5 foot even. I have long, unruly, curly brown hair, (thanks mom) brown eyes and freckles.

Pretty plain and ordinary. I think my only redeeming quality about my looks are my eyelashes, I'm not going to lie, they're pretty long and thick. Like, I don't need mascara long. (thanks to my dad for that!) Other than the eyelashes, plain Jane here.

I live in Washington State, in a tiny town called Big Lake, located in Skagit County, just over 60 miles north of Seattle. Our little Skagit county is famous for seed production, of all things, and the Tulip Festival that brings in over 300,000 visitors every spring. Also, about half the world's Brussel sprout and table beet seeds are grown here, too. With all this seed production going on around here, we're surrounded with beautiful flower farms with rows upon rows of colorful blooms as far as the eye can see, beautifying our little county.

The population is pretty small here in Big Lake, only about 2,000 of us. See what I mean? Tiny. I mean, we don't even have our own high school. We have to bus or drive over to Mt. Vernon about 15 minutes away.

It's amazingly beautiful here, the dense growth of pine trees, vivid green moss growing up their trunks, the jagged, snowy, Cascade Mountain range, Big Lake, the Skagit Valley full of rows and rows of vibrant tulips, their colors so stunning it makes you cry.

My brother, Chase, and I grew up here. We live in an older bungalow style house covered in weathered-grey shingle siding, with our own private dock to the lake. Don't be too impressed, it's a small old dock, but it's our very own.

My dad, being an only child, inherited this house from his parents when they passed away. There are so many good family memories here. Fishing off the dock, camping, swimming. It was a great childhood.

Chase is 16, a freshman this year. We're 14 months apart, he and I. We used to be incredibly close. Inseparable. Even though I'm older, he's always looking out for me. Like making sure my car tires have the right amount of air, changing the oil, buying me my favorite beverage, a lime-Rickey. Renting my favorite movie, "Little Women," don't judge.

He really was such a sweet person, a great little brother. He's tall, just hitting 6 feet and still growing. Wavy brown hair, and stunning blue-green eyes. Always smiling and happy, everyone just loved him. He had the best personality.

But then, a few months before my 16th birthday, my parents got divorced.

It was actually pretty shocking, a punch in the gut. I mean, all couples fight or have disagreements, right? So why is that a cause for divorce? Why can't parent's pull it together, pull up their bootstraps and all that  for their kids?

Anyway, after the divorce I turned within myself, stayed in my room, only going to and from school, wrote stories, painted (I love mixed media art) watched movies, Doris Day movies are some of my favorite. Listened to music, I love most any music. Musicals, country, pop, oldies, anything. Mostly just kept under the radar.