15-year-old April was sitting in the backyard in the cold weather, with no shoes, socks, only a onesie, and herself. April sits there crying and freezing thinking about what did she do wrong. She folds her arms and puts her hands on her head, rocking back and forth, praying she doesn't get sick or even die from pneumonia. It was around 30-something degrees outside and it was freezing. April tried to keep herself warm by rubbing her feet but the wind was stronger than her. She was helpless and in pain while going through emotional damage. April was lost and couldn't maintain the pressure that was put on her, but how could she compete with six other people when no one ever listens to her? Mom opened the door and told me to get off her porch and go somewhere else that I was embarrassing her family and her house. I stood up begging and pleading to come back in, that I didn't steal the chips, but she insisted that I needed to learn from my mistakes since I am the only one cleaning up the kitchen.
"Please mom, let me back in I didn't steal the chips, it was Bunk," I said (with tears and snot coming down my face)
"See how you still lying, you can come back in when you tell the truth, other than that stay outside and freeze to death." Mom said
"It wasn't me though, just because I clean up the kitchen doesn't mean I did it," I said (sorrowfully)
"You the only person that cleans up that kitchen every day, so who else took the chips, you taking out of my kid's mouth, but I'm not finna argue with you" (Mom slams the door and locks it)
I walked away and went to lie in the boat for warmth, even though it wasn't enough I got most of my body warm. The wind was steadily blowing and my body begin to shiver and jump a lot. I was crying and praying that the truth comes out. I have always had my sibling's backs through thick and thin, but this is how they repay me, especially my only brother. I have always felt pity for them, but to know they never had mine, broke my heart in two. When I woke up the sun was coming up but it was still cold, and the back door opened. I got up and turned around, I hurriedly ran to the door and it was my father who let me in and said I needed to apologize to my mom. I went to my mom's room body shaking and she was sleeping, so I shook her with the little strength I had to wake her up. She opened her eyes and closed them again.
I could barely see, but I saw when she lifted her head up and I said "I'm sorry, and thank you for letting me back in the house."
"Mhm hm, you can go ahead and go to be," Mom said
I wasn't happy to be back but happy to get some warmth in my body, even though laying in bed wasn't enough because I was still shaking when daylight actually came up. When we got up, mom said "I still want to know why you took those chips."
The tears came back to my face and I said "I didn't take them, Bunk took them"
"What you doing right there is going to get you put back outside" Mom said
While I was crying Bunk finally said "I did it, I stole the chips"
I was steadily crying in anger, with my body still shaking and jumping. There was nothing I could do to stop this madness that was spreading around on my name. My brother got a whooping but he never got put outside. My dad talked to him for a while and me too, but the more he talked to him the worse he got, and the more punishments I recieved. After this situation I never took my siblings side again, but they used my name to get away with everything. Even though I felt no love was lost, between me and my family physically, mentally I was separating myself from everyone not for the sake of my health but for the burden of my freedom.