Imperfectly Me

Summer's End

It is a sunny, Wednesday afternoon, the birds chirp in a sing-song tune. Caitlyn Barton sits at the foot of her bed with her feet dangling off the edge. She stares blankly at the rows of houses outside her window, all jammed together like legos. Her eyes widen slightly as she realizes that junior year starts in just a few days.  Caitlyn brings her legs up to her chest and rests her chin on her knees, remembering how awful sophomore was.

Caitlyn's thoughts are interrupted as she hears the familiar, sharp-toned voice belonging to her stepmother. She glances over at the clock, realizing that she had just sat motionless for about thirty minutes. Knowing her stepmother is much less patient than her mother was, Caitlyn jumps off her bed immediately. 

Caitlyn hurries down the stairs, almost toppling over at the last step. She finds her stepmother already at the dinner table with a napkin folded over her lap. She waves her hand, signaling for Caitlyn to sit. Caitlyn forces a smile as she walks to sit next to her stepmother. Caitlyn's stepmom tosses her a napkin which lands in her bowl. Caitlyn picks up the napkin, one of the tips already wet with soup. In disgust, she runs to the sink and tries to rinse it, but the soup has already left an orangish stain on the napkin.

A few minutes into supper, Caitlyn hears the jingling of keys outside the door. She turns her head to see her dad walk in, exhausted from a full day of work. He places everything on the counter, takes off his tie, and joins Caitlyn and her stepmother at the table.