"Christmas is coming soooooon!"
"Yeah"

Warning: mention of sensitive topics.

"I'm taking the twins to the dentist and your father is going shopping, you going to be ok at home alone for a couple hours on your first day of winter break?" My mother says, peeking her head into my room.
"Yeah. I think I'll get in the shower," I shrug from my spot laying on my stomach on my bed.
"Sounds good. I love you," she begins to close the door as I respond.
"I love you too," I go back to typing on my phone, "wait!" I call as my mother finally closes the door, "when's my dentist appointment?"
"Yours is next week, they're pretty booked up," my mother explains.
"Sounds good," I yawn.

Me: being left home alone, imma take a shower byeeeeee
Ash: oki!

I roll over and sit up on the edge of my bed for a moment. I wait there until I hear the sound of the front door closing, leaving me alone in the house.
Once I'm alone, I head to my closet to gather my clothes then head to the bathroom for a shower.

I step out of the shower, hair dripping all over, despite having just taken a moment to dry it.
I hear a knock at the door. Ugh.
"Just a minute!" I yell.
I'd only been in the shower for 15 minutes, it surely couldn't be my dad wanting me to open the door for him with the groceries.
I quickly struggle into my sweater and jeans and after a moment there's another impatient knock.
"For the love of g-" I stop myself, "Just a second!"
I grab a hair brush and drag it through my hair before running out of the room.
Knock knock.
"Give me a minute! Jeeze!" I yell.
When I get to the door I take a second to relax my shoulders before opening it, preparing for a cold breeze.
"Who is it?" I ask, reaching for the knob.
"Its Amelia," a voice, not matching the urgency of the knocks answers.
"Amelia?" I open the door quickly to see her standing there, sniffling, her eyes red and puffy, which I'm sure the cold weather wasn't helping with, "hey," I reach a hand to her shoulder, "what's wrong?" The air isn't nearly as cold as a Wisconsin winter, but it is certainly still cold.
"The police just took my mother," Amelia sniffles and I notice a black eye forming on her right eye.
I stare at her, wide eyed, "what- why?"
Amelia laughs between sniffles, "child abuse."
I take in a sharp breath and take my hand off of her shoulder, using it to wave her into the house, "come on in."

12-20-2020
Amelia showed up today while I was home alone. Her mother just got taken away for child abuse and her father was already in jail for some pretty serious drug abuse charges. She and her siblings are alone now. That night at the dance when I caught her and Rider kissing and she ran out, she ran out because she was worried that I'd tell people and that her mother would find out and treat her worse than she already does. Her and her siblings are being taken into a foster family next week if her aunt decides not to take them in- which she hopes that she doesn't. She's afraid her aunt may be just as bad. It's pretty screwed up.
I really hope Amelia finds somewhere good, her and her siblings really need it.
On another note, it's almost Christmas! I'm just waiting for my mom to come home and yell "we're going home for the holidays!". I kind of doubt that'll happen though... I just want to go home.