Avaâs POV:
As Ava finally reached home, the air inside felt heavy, suffocating even before she stepped through the door.
The moment she turned the knob and walked in, she was met with an angry voice that echoed through the house.
"Where were you?! Do you just roam around everywhere like some homeless girl? Donât you have a home?" her motherâs sharp words cut through her like a knife.
Ava opened her mouth to explain, her voice soft but steady.
"Mom, I was studâ"
Before she could even finish, her mother interrupted her with a furious glare.
"Donât talk back to me! You always have an excuse, always wasting your time outside instead of being here where you belong.
Iâm tired of your behavior, tired of your attitude. Just go to your room and donât say another word!"
Ava lowered her gaze, biting her lip to hold back the sting in her chest.
"As usual," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her heart ached as she climbed the stairs to her room, each step feeling heavier than the last.
"Why canât you love me enough to just listen, Mom? Why do you treat me like this? What did I do to deserve this?
She shut the door behind her, leaning against it as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Sinking onto her bed, she hugged her pillow tightly, her mind racing with painful thoughts. How is it that everyone around me thinks Iâm this cheerful, happy girl? My classmates adore me, they laugh with me, they talk to me with warmth and kindness⦠but at home, I feel like a stranger.
Why are my parents like this? Why do they fight all the time? Why am I never enough for them?
She thought back to the evening she had spent at Michelleâs house.
" The way her mom had welcomed her with a smile, the way they sat together, the way they spoke with love and patienceâit felt so warm, so different from the cold walls she was trapped within.
"Michelle, youâre so lucky," she whispered to herself. Your mom is so kind, so gentle. She asks about your day, she listens to you, she genuinely cares. I wish I had a mom like that. I just wish⦠I just wishâ¦"
She closed her eyes, hoping that maybeâjust maybeâsleep would take away the pain, even if only for a little while. But no matter how hard she tried, the ache in her chest only grew heavier. The silence of her room felt deafening, pressing down on her like an unbearable weight.
No one knew how exhausting it was to pretend, to force a smile every single day, to act as if everything was fine when, in reality, she was drowning. She had perfected the art of hiding behind laughter, but when the world quieted down, when she was left alone with her thoughts, the truth came crashing in like a tidal wave.
Her eyes fell on the dusty old photo frame sitting on her bedside table. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up, tracing the edges with a longing she couldn't put into words. It was a picture of her familyâher mom, her dad, and herâtaken years ago, back when things were different. Back when love still lived in their home.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she
whispered, "Mom⦠Dad⦠why are you both like this? Why do we feel like strangers under the same roof? What happened to us?"
Her voice cracked as the memories flooded inâmemories of laughter, of warmth, of a time when she didnât have to tiptoe around her own home, afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of being yelled at for simply existing.
"I still remember the days we used to go out together, have fun, just the three of us. You used to hold my hand, Dad. You used to hug me, Mom. You both used to love me⦠What changed?"
She bit her lip, her hands clutching the frame as if holding onto it could somehow bring those moments back. But no matter how tightly she held it, time had already stolen them away.
"I miss you both. Not the way you are now, but the way you used to be. I miss the parents who made me feel safe, who made me feel loved. I miss coming home without fear, without this emptiness in my heart."
A sob escaped her lips as she curled up on her bed, hugging the photo close to her chest. "I wish we could be like other families. I wish you could see how much I need you. I wish I didnât have to envy the love that Michelle has. I just wish⦠I just wish I mattered to you."
The walls of her room seemed to close in around her, and for the first time in a long while, Ava allowed herself to cry, not caring if anyone heard. Because deep down, she knewâno one would come to comfort her.
No one ever.