Victoria woke up groggily in her bed. Looking out the window, Victoria could barely make out the raindrops streaking down. She hated rainy Mondays; to Victoria, they made the transition back to school seem to drag on for what seemed like an eternity. When she'd gone to bed, she could see the bright moonlight outside; the ghostly light having faded some time during the night. Looking at her Wonder Cat's alarm clock, she saw that it was 5:30. She wandered downstairs and poured herself a bowl of Rice Krispies and a glass of orange juice. The cat clock echoed throughout the first floor. The raindrops picking up in intensity, adding to the rhythm. A flash of lightning startled the girl, causing her to let out a small yelp. The resulting thunderclap was one of the loudest Victoria had ever heard in her life. The bass resonating throughout the house; it was loud and deep enough to wake Amy up.

By 6:30, Anne was up and waiting for Victoria in her room. She'd picked out Victoria's outfit for today: a pink pinafore dress with a white blouse. Black tights along with her new Keds to round out the ensemble. Anne waited at Victoria's vanity; hairbrush in hand. Victoria began to shrink down. She hated getting her hair brushed and having anyone touch her her hair. She tried to fight Anne, but she put a hand on the back of her neck.

"Stop it!" Anne hissed. Victoria squirmed in her seat.

"Let me brush your damned hair!" She hissed again, this time jabbing Victoria in the shoulder. The girl yelped. Tears were already forming in her eyes. That jab hurt. Victoria rubbed her shoulder and began to sob.

"That hurt, Mommy! Ow!" Victoria wailed as she surrendered to her mother. Anne finished brushing the girl's hair, tying her hair back with a pink ribbon.

"There! I don't understand why you fight me while I do your hair. A child such as yourself should allow her hair to be beautiful."

"I don't like how you brush my hair like I'm a doll!" Victoria whined. "It hurts."

Anne looked at Victoria and shook her head. She'd always brushed Victoria's hair in this way, as it often had a tendency to knot and become matted. She wanted to put it into a braid, but Victoria wouldn't sit still long enough for Anne to braid her hair.

At 7 AM, Victoria walked downstairs and sat in the front room. Anne had gotten her daughter's book bag and placed it near the front door. Amy stalked by the front room, heading for the kitchen. She still seemed agitated from the previous night. Victoria tried to say hello to Amy, but her sister kept walking. This made Victoria mad.

"Amy, I'm saying hello to you, yet you keep walking."

Amy turned to Victoria and wished her a good morning. Seconds later, Victoria heard an argument starting in the kitchen.

"I still can't believe you and dad forgot about Victoria's cake last night." Amy began.

"Amy, your father and I had the cake when we came home. We forgot to tell you that we were going somewhere. Don't punish us for it, please!" Anne hissed. Victoria knew how Amy operated in these types of arguments. She'd heard it countless times before. She still remembered how angry Amy had become the previous night. Not only that, but she'd been hopping mad; so angry, in fact, Amy smoked a cigarette. Amy had run back in the house afterward; tears running down the girl's face.

By now, it was almost time to go to school. Anne approached Victoria with her heavy coat and cloche. Putting the coat onto Victoria proved to be a little challenging. First, the hood had gotten caught on something.

At 8:15 Monday morning, the Country Squire pulled up in front of Piermont Montessori. Anne shut the car off and helped her daughter out. Holding her mother's hand, Anne led Victoria to the front door and went inside. The bright, cheerful tones of the interior contrasted widely with the rainy, dreary Monday unfolding outside. Anne signed Victoria in and helped with her heavy coat. Giving her daughter a hug and a kiss, Anne turned and headed out the door.

Victoria felt her mother's oppression leave the building. Suddenly, a new feeling took hold; one that showed Victoria's true nature. Gone was the feeling that she maintained at home; a quiet, yet happy feeling. Now, Victoria's happy feeling took center stage; out in the open, for all to see. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice coming from her right.

"Hey Victoria, Happy birthday!" It was Kristina Mellon. Her dirty blonde hair seemed to glow in the bright light of the front hall. Victoria laughed as she saw her friend. Her blue eyes smiling.

"Happy Birthday, Kristina!" Victoria cried out. The two were nearly inseparable during school hours; sitting together at lunch and practically next to each other in class. Victoria often wished that Kristina could come over and visit, but her mother would never allow it.

"She's a stupid girl, Victoria. Don't play with her."

"She's MY friend, mommy! Stop talking mean about her!" Victoria uttered, her voice rising. She hated hearing her mother make horrific remarks. Kristina didn't deserve them, especially when other students at school were just as, if not more vicious.

They walked into their classroom. The room painted in bright, merry colors. They sat in their seats, waiting for the teacher. The rest of the room filed in. From the start, the overall mood of the room was cheerful. The teacher, a middle-aged woman, began to speak

"Class, may I have your attention please?" The students turned to look at the teacher.

"Today we have two birthdays: Victoria Morrow and Kristina Mellon. This afternoon, we'll have their birthday party. Until then, we must get ready to learn."

A few hours later, and the atmosphere inside had taken on an even more cheerful feeling. A large cake, featuring both Victoria and Kristina's names. The pink candles with their dazzling flames drew stares from the crowd. Suddenly the classroom broke out into "Happy Birthday" both girls sitting in their seats smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm glad you're my friend, Victoria. Other people say I'm too weird. You don't ever think I'm too weird." The rest of the afternoon was spent talking to classmates and, most importantly of all, with Kristina.

"My mom and my uncle got me a new Barbie for my birthday this past weekend." Kristina said proudly; her blue eyes smiling, her hair reflecting gold.

"We went up to Tuxedo, my mom and uncle have a place up there."

"That sounds nice." Victoria replied.

"I wish I could come over, Kristina. I heard you have the Barbie Dream House. I'm jealous."

"Why can't you?"

"My mom gets mean. I don't know why she does."

Anne drove the car down the street. Ahead lay the Montessori School. For Anne, Monday had been quiet, save for Amy and Victoria's outbursts this morning. Today's episode of Guiding Light was a relatively good one. As she eased the car into the parking lot, a sight caught her eye. Before her was Victoria there in her coat throwing her arms around Tom's bastard. Anne let it continue for a few more seconds. Finally, she rolled down the window and yelled.

"Victoria, let's go, NOW young lady!" She could see Victoria saying something to Kristina; the girl smiling. Victoria ran to the car; excitement showing in her eyes. Anne stepped out and put her youngest daughter in the back seat. Victoria hugged her mother, but immediately sensed that Anne didn't want affection. They drove off.

"What did I tell you?" Anne demanded. Silence.

"Victoria Gustine. What did I say about playing with Kristina?" Still, Victoria was silent. A look of confusion developing on her face.

"Don't let her touch you, Victoria. She's dirty."

"No, she's not." Victoria whispered.

"What was that, Victoria?"

"I said she's not dirty. You just think she is. I'm her only friend, mommy."

"A bastard like that doesn't deserve to be celebrated." Anne hissed. She knew that Victoria would have to face consequences for her outburst just now.

"Just because you hate Kristina's mommy doesn’t mean you have to be mean to me. I hate you, mommy. You probably never had friends at school. Everyone probably thought you were stinky and disgusting and would never let you play with them on the playground. At lunch, they told you to eat outside with the horses before becoming the school's maid." Victoria taunted. Something in her told her to continue.

Anne listened. Was her youngest child really taking a moment to eviscerate her own mother?

"Then when YOUR mommy came to get you from school, you cried to her because she told you that all the OTHER boys and girls were 'dirty' when it was really you who was dirty and stinky. Then your dad had to punish you because your mommy was too much of a pussy to do it!"

Anne began to grow angry. Where did Victoria hear that word?

"Your mom never told you that she loves you. She always hated dealing with you every day because you talked back."

Anne was speechless. Victoria was in rare form. Part of her thought it was absolutely hilarious; the other extremely hurtful. Victoria's remarks were grounded in truth.

"You're going to get such a spanking later, Victoria. When we get home, go to your room. I'll deal with you." Anne growled.

"I don't care how you deal with me. You weren't there last night. You ruined my birthday, now you're going to punish me just for having a birthday. I want to go home, now!"

"We still have to go pick up Amy."

"No. I want to go to my room. Just punish me already. I'm sorry I was bad. Don't hit me." Victoria wailed. Her blue eyes wailing alongside her.

"Victoria, Amy has been waiting in the rain. We have to go get her, now."

"Fine." Victoria pouted. Her sniffles, the only other thing audible in the car.

"That's a good girl." Anne purred.

The drive to Nyack Junior High was spent in silence.

Ahead of them, waiting on a bench under a simple overhang, was Amy. She looked deep in thought as Anne honked the horn. Amy startled as she got up from her seat. Walking over to the car, she opened the door and got inside. The overall mood inside the car hit Amy like a ton of rubble.

"Hi mom. How was your day?" Amy asked.

Anne remained silent for a few seconds before she spoke. Outside, the rain picked up in intensity again.

"Amy, you're babysitting Victoria tonight. I have to go out. Do your homework and make sure Victoria gets to bed on time."

"But I have a test in Earth Science I have to study for. This test is going to be huge." Amy whined. Her mask of confidence had fallen, revealing the anxious and frightened person behind it.

"Stop whining, Amy. You're fourteen, not four. Perhaps if you hadn't stayed up late this past weekend, you wouldn't be so fussy right now."

"I’m not 'fussy' mom. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Spill it." Anne demanded, as if Amy would dare reveal her secrets around Victoria.

"I'd rather do that at our usual place." Amy replied. She rubbed her arm. Anne understood.

"Victoria, I'm going to drop you off at home. I have to go talk to Amy."

"Okay. I'm sorry I was bad earlier. I don't hate you, mommy."

Fifteen minutes later, Victoria was on the front porch of the house; locked out and sitting down on a chair. Fresh tears brewing up. All she wanted to do was go inside.

The sky had grown darker as Victoria sat there; the rain picking up. A flash of lightning startled her. She quickly burrowed down into her coat, shielding her eyes from the bright flash. She rocked back and forth in the chair; hoping her mother and sister would come back. Furthermore, she sobbed. Her fear taking center stage now. She thought about the Wonder Cats and what they would do in this situation.

"Alison might be scared for a second. I'll call Sophie." Victoria poked her head out of her coat; as if on cue, a gray cat with bulls eye patterns came running across the road. It ran up to Victoria, rubbing against the girl. She laughed as the cat threw itself on the ground, beckoning her to pet it. She'd forgotten why she'd been crying in the first place.

"You're a pretty girl." Victoria said in a loving manner. She was always good with animals. The cat purred loudly. The cat's name tag had exposed itself.

"Sophie" Victoria whispered.

"It's Sophie!" She giggled.

The cat stood up and stretched before rubbing along Victoria's coat. She pretended to listen to the cat.

"Then Sophie, if I have to apologize to mommy, I will. That will keep away Mistress Cleo." Just as she whispered to the cat; the Country Squire pulled into the driveway. Amy looked pale as she exited the car. Her coat had been removed; her white polka dot pinafore dress getting wet in the heavy rain. What caught Victoria's eye was one of Amy's sleeves had been rolled up. The bruise nearly as dark as the sky. Victoria saw it and went ballistic. Running up to Amy, she threw her arms around her older sister and hugged her with all her might.

"Who hit you, Amy? Let me hit them."

"No, Victoria. Courtney is much too big for you to hit. Besides, she'd just push you over. That's all she knows how to do. She punched me today, a rare thing for her. She's mostly too stupid to punch; just push."

Victoria hugged Amy harder.

"I love you, Amy. I'll behave tonight." by now, Amy could feel Victoria's vice grip like hug tighten around her body. In a way it was calming, in another, terrifying. Anne motioned for the girls to head inside.

She sat on her bed waiting for her mother. She didn’t have to wait much longer as Anne entered. The look in her eyes was one of anger, but mostly disappointment. She thrust herself down onto the foot of Victoria's bed. She took one of her hands into hers and started rubbing it; this had proven to be a deescalation technique that Anne proudly held in her arsenal. Anne could feel Victoria's tensions melt

"Victoria, I'm disappointed about your behavior this afternoon. How are you going to behave when you're away at school? You know they won't approve of those behaviors. They don't like backtalk, Victoria. Furthermore, you hurt my feelings earlier. Some of those things you said really hurt mommy." Anne's rubbing intensified. Victoria lay against her mother. Anne began to stroke her hair.

"I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings. Did you get made fun of as a kid?"

"Victoria." Anne began, as she hugged her daughter closely; kissing the child on the forehead.

"You have no concept of what I had to endure when I was your age, You're lucky." She whispered.

"I love you, mommy." Victoria whispered as she grabbed Grimalkin; her Ithaca Kitty stuffed animal, and hugged him close. Anne got up and walked over to Victoria's bureau.

"Why don't you get dressed into your pajamas. I did your laundry today, so you now have fresh clean clothes and clean sheets." Anne began as she helped Victoria dress for the evening.

"Is Amy okay?" Victoria asked.

"Yes. She's down in the dining room studying for her test. She doesn't feel well, so she'll make dinner for the both of you, then head to bed. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup.

The kitchen had come alive with the sound of sizzling bread and the smell of grilled toast. Amy had become quite proficient in the kitchen since she started junior high, two years ago. On another burner lay the sauce pan of Campbell's Tomato Soup. Sitting at the kitchen island was Victoria.

"Courtney hit my arm really hard today. I've had enough of her bullshit." 

"Is Courtney really tall and does she have black hair?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Mommy is friends with her mommy. But she yells at Mrs. Chase all the time."

This took Amy by surprise. Amy never knew that her own mother was friends with the enemy.

"Mom is friends with Courtney's mom? Did I hear you correctly?"

"I don't know if they're really friends because mommy always seems to yell at her. They usually drink wine. Mommy always ends up getting really mad about Courtney's behavior. Her mom does, too."

"I can't let mom know about this because she'll get mad at me for knowing about it. How do YOU know about this?"

"Whenever you go over to Stacy Greenbaum's house, Mrs. Chase comes over. I pretend to play with my dolls while she and mommy get drunk and then start yelling. Courtney's mom likes to pretend to beat Courtney with her fists."

"That sucks." Amy replied. She had no idea that her bully's mother acted like a child as well.

"One time, mommy slapped Mrs. Chase, screaming 'And THAT'S for allowing Courtney to have those behaviors!'"

Amy flipped the grilled cheese sandwiches and stirred the soup.

"Victoria, Mom wants you to take your special medicine tonight."

"No. I hate my Haldol!" Victoria cried.

"Mmm, remember what you said earlier about behaving?"

"Okay, but can I do that after dinner?"

"Of course, Victoria, don't be a prig."

"Okay, Cassie."

They both laughed. Amy served Victoria first, then took the rest.

They ate in silence for a moment. Another flash of lightning flickered outside. The thunder barely perceptible.

"We had a party today at school for me and Kristina. We got to blow out the candles on the cake and everything. Kristina gave me a hug."

"I hate that mom doesn't let you be friends with her. She makes you happy and according to you, she also likes to play with Barbie."

"She has the whole dream house, Amy! Can you believe it?"

Dinner was winding down. Amy took a small white pill and put it next to Victoria's glass of milk.

"Time to take your medicine."

Victoria swallowed the pill and went upstairs. Amy waited a few minutes before she too, retired for the night. She felt as though she was coming down with whatever illness had been making the rounds at school. She hoped it wasn't Mono; according to the school rumor mill, Ellen Alanby, in her History Class, had been out with it for a week.

"Good night, Victoria."

"I love you, Amy." Victoria called from her room.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell fast asleep.

Victoria glanced over at the Wonder Cats alarm clock.

11:30 PM.

Down in the driveway, the Country Squire returned. The slamming car door indicated Anne was still angry about something. The front door slammed, and their mother hurriedly raced up the stairs. Victoria lay there, eyes wide open. The medication was supposed to have kept her asleep all night, but it wore off before she could fall into a deep sleep.

Anne's door slammed shut. The vibrations resonated throughout the second floor.

Several moments passed, when Victoria heard the sound of sobbing coming from her mother's room.

"She can't know what I had to endure. How dare she expose my feelings like that?" Victoria thought she heard the sound of a cork popping.

"Mommy's drinking wine again." She thought to herself. Grabbing Grimalkin, Victoria sat up. She hugged him close, as if some force was coming to take the toy away.

"It's okay Grimalkin. Mommy won't get us. She likes to hide in her room, and she doesn't come out unless something happens." She whispered. The heavy quilt creating a refuge from the drunken rants across the hallway. She tried laying down again and shutting her eyes.

No use.

Outside, Victoria could see the Waning Gibbous moon rising above Clausland Mountain through her window. Unlike Amy, who put the curtains down at night; Victoria kept hers wide open. Whether out of fear of consequences or having never been shown how to draw the curtains, she never touched them. Besides, she loved looking out her window at night; sometimes she'd watch the police pull over a drunk driver, other times the deer running across the road under the moonlight. Her peace was momentarily shattered when across the hallway came a raucous cry

"I'll be glad when I'm rid of these brats! I'll be free from their incessant whining and their demands. Oh, their fucking demands. Amy, stop demanding to be treated differently. You're fourteen goddamn years old. You're still a little girl. That doe eyed retard sister of hers is going to learn fast that nobody will tolerate her. Mommy's done with you. Mommy's done with the fucking whining. The back talk, and that little attitude she's manifested." Anne slurred.

Victoria sat up again.

"I don't have an attitude!" She whispered.

Still it continued.

"I hope that this school will make her normal. She ought to be locked away in some asylum somewhere."

"That's what mommy calls Broadacres." Victoria thought.

"She and that little creature, Kristina both belong in one. Stupid, fucking runts."

This was too much. Victoria stood up and stalked to the door. She opened it without realizing and went into the hallway. Anne's tears masking the sound of Victoria's footsteps. Victoria arrived at the door; turning the knob she walked inside.

Cigarette smoke filled the room. Next to Amy and Victoria's school portraits was an ashtray that was nearly full to overflowing with half smoked menthol Virginia Slim 100's. There, sitting on the bed in a disheveled mess, was Anne Morrow. The bottle of wine sitting on the bedside table. Her mother was so out of it, she didn't realize Victoria was watching her.

"Victoria will never have friends. I'll see to that. She'll be alone. Forever." Anne belted. Victoria felt as though someone had stabbed her in the heart. She couldn't tell if her tears were from the insults being thrown or the cigarette smoke in the air.

"I'll put her in a home. Away from everyone else. The way she smiles like a madman scares people." Anne said to some nonexistent individual. Victoria stepped slightly. 

"Look at me! I'm thirteen, but I act like a nine-year-old. I only eat grilled cheese because I'm too scared of other food. My name's Victoria and my best friend Kristina is a dirty, piss smelling foul-mouthed baby who doesn't even know how to tie her own damned shoes."

Victoria let out a scream and ran at her mother. Before Anne could comprehend what was going on, Victoria bowled her over and lay on top of her, screaming and sobbing the whole time. She was holding every ounce of weight down onto her mother. Out in the hall, a light came on.

It was Amy. Anne let out a scream, as if waking up from a nightmare.

"Get off of me, you bitch!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Victoria felt a hand on the back of her head. Her ears ringing, her vision temporarily blinded.

"Mommy stop it! Stop hurting my feelings! It's me, Victoria. Your daughter, please stop yelling!" Victoria screamed back. Suddenly, Victoria found herself being dragged off of her mother.

"Victoria, go to bed. I'll deal with mom. Run to your bed and get under that quilt. Now." Amy whispered hoarsely in a rare moment of silence. Victoria took Amy's advice and ran. Amy holding Anne back.

"Run!" Amy screamed, her voice cracking.

She immediately hugged Grimalkin and buried herself under her heavy quilt. She fell asleep, hoping it was all a bad dream.