Excerpt: Barn Brats

"Jess groaned the next morning as her alarm went off. Sleep never seemed to last long enough, and even though she enjoyed mornings, sometimes the prospect of facing another day of a life stuck on repeat was just too much. Her arm flailed out from underneath the covers, and she fumbled for the snooze button. Once the alarm was silenced, she gave going back to sleep her best attempt, but it was a fruitless effort. She was fully awake by now.
One reason Jess loved mornings was because it was the only time she was ever really alone. Her worked shifts that went from 11 to 8, so she was never awake in the mornings when Jess got up to go to school. The tiny two bedroom, one bath house was quiet and peaceful, with no awkward silences or tension in the air. No need to attempt conversation with anyone but the cat."

"The heavy backpack weighed on her shoulders, slowing her down, dragging her backwards. Each day at school was both torture and bliss, a sense of everyday monotony in a world that otherwise felt like it was falling apart. As long as she concentrated on school, and work, the days passed easily. It was when her thoughts ventured elsewhere that she began to have problems. Jess tried not to dwell on the thought, but her dad’s departure almost a year ago now had led to nothing but trying times for what remained of the family.
The torture came from the fact that in a small town, everyone knows everything about everybody. And unfortunately, that everybody included Allison. Jess already knew she was looked upon with pity by most of the town. “Look at her, the poor dear, her father left and her mother is hopeless. I just feel so bad for her.” She could feel people talking when they looked at her. As long as she didn’t think about it though, she was ok. This time of year was so hard, with Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, with Christmas to follow… Jess knew that for the first time in her life, those holidays would mean nothing. They would be a cheerless occasion with her mother sleeping during her off days and working holiday shifts, which meant Jess would spend even more time alone. Not that that bothered her."