Why can't two weeks be any sooner?

The first weekend they met, Stacy and Dixie got close.. for those few hours each day, for two days, they had played and enjoyed every minute.

Dixie, savoring the moments with her daughter..knowing the clock would tick that heart wrenching "Tick!" And the time either daughter would come to an end. Now it was back to "normal". She only could see her mother every other weekend, and two weeks felt like such an eternity.

"Why couldn't it go by faster?", Stacy thought. She wanted to spend time with her mom, and sister. Kelly didn't like Stacy calling Dixie "Mom"around her.

"...Did my Mom call?" Stacy had asked Kelly in the morning before school.

"Do not call her that around me! She isn't "Mom" she is Dixie. My ass has taken you in, and I raised you! She didn't do shit!" Kelly spat and pushed

Stacy into the dining chair. "If I have to tell you again, you will get punished!" Kelly said she really hated Dixie; she hated Stacy too. Kelly said Stacy was "ungrateful" for everything Kelly had done for her, that she could be sleeping in the basement right now! Kelly was irritated beyond belief, it had gotten worse since Stacy had been seeing her mother.

Stacy had gulped she had gotten punished everyday, she was tired of it.

That's all her life had consisted of these last five years. Hell, her father didn't tell her he loved her, he wouldn't spend time with her unless he had his boys from before he got with Dixie, he wasn't home hardly, and there was nothing he would do to stop her toture. The only way she got away was school, but even there she was bullied for being a loner, and weirdo. She wasn't social like everyone else, she was different in their eyes.

Stacy was at school on Tuesday when a bully had put gum in her hair, while she was eating her lunch by a table that had no one sitting at it because it was by the trash can. She cried because her beautiful red hair now had big blue bubble gum in it. The bully rubbed the gum in her curly red hair "Lonely trash girl, I'm sorry I had thought this was the trash I didn't notice you!" She had said laughing in Stacy's face, everyone was laughing now "I thought you'd appreciate someone to talk to now you can talk to the gum so you're not so lonely." The bully had said, her name was Sarah and she was a second grader, she had green eyes, she had long straight blonde hair, she came from a wealthy family, she loved picking on anyone she could. She was better than everyone else she thought.

   Stacy didn't say anything instead she ran out of the lunch room crying, she was tired of being hurt, bullied, and abused. Why couldn't she ever get a break? When it was finally time to go home Stacy was the first one on her bus with her back to the bus steel she  had her feet up. She didn't want anyone sitting by her. She was tired, she knew that when she got home she would be in trouble. It didn't matter what she said, her step mother didn't care to listen. Why did two weeks have to be so far away? She was ready to feel her mother's embrace, to ask her what to do about bullies. She couldn't ever go to Kelly about it.

Soon enough it was time to get off the bus, she rushed down the steps of the bus, so Bradon couldn't push her down, then she raced home.

Carelessly, she swung the door open, and a burst of wind blew and pushed it open harder, she knew she'd get in trouble for it...hearing the door slam open, and then slam closed.

Kelly stormed into the hallway.. the look on her face told it all, Stacy was in trouble, Kelly had scanned Stacy over and shook her head.

"Well guess you don't know how to take care of your hair now do you? It looks like a rats nest." Kelly said, her voice full of disgust. Stacy sighed as Kelly made her sit on the chair again "Well we will fix this so it's not a problem anymore." Kelly said laughing and went to go get scissors in the bathroom. She grabbed Stacy's head and started cutting off all her perfectly red and curly hair all the way to the bottom of her neck, it was very short there was very little hair left it made her look even more like a boy. Kelly just laughed and slapped the back of Stacy's shoulder "There you go brat now your hair won't be a problem anymore."

Stacy was devastated, her hair was sacred to her, her grandma told her to never cut it, as it was a tradition in their family. They were part indian, and hair was sacred, even the boys had long hair. Now Stacy hardly had any hair.

She wanted to scream. "Why! Why did you cut it all off?!" Stacy screamed at Kelly. She was tired of being pushed around, she was tired of always being hurt, normally she wouldn't snap at Kelly, but she had enough today.

Kelly was outraged, this little girl thought she could talk back and guess she had to show her who was the boss around here. Kelly backhanded Stacy and then rushed to the fridge to pull out the hot ghost peppers. This time she was going to eat the whole jar. Kelly didn't care anymore that she was seeing red. "Eat the whole jar or else!" Kelly screamed slamming the jar down in front of her, Stacy refused to, she wouldn't even look at Kelly right now.

There were tears in Stacy's eyes, she wouldn't do it, she couldn't do it anymore. Kelly was outraged even more she grabbed a handful of peppers and forced Stacy's mouth open with the other hand, Stacy was scratching and hitting Kelly trying not to let her mouth open, she didn't have enough force Kelly shoved the whole handful of peppers into her mouth and forced her down the stairs and into the basement. She pushed Stacy into the closet, slamming the door closed, she locked it and screamed "You little bitch! You think you can just back-talk me and get away with it?! Well now you get two weeks in the closet! One week without food! And you don't get to go see your mom." Kelly had stormed upstairs.

  Stacy began to cry and shake, she was looking forward to seeing her mom she wanted the comfort and love she had seemed to give her. Unlike her when she seen her mom she felt warm, calm and she wanted to stay there forever.  Now two long weeks would turn into almost a month before she got to see her mom, she hated her life here she just wanted to run away. She put her knees to her chest and her head between her knees and slowly drifted off to sleep.