It was then that I finally returned to the apartment. It was mostly my grandparent’s fault, this adventure of rereturning. But it was my parent’s fault too.

“It’ll be fun! And you’ll enjoy going back” They had told me. I had most likely grumbled something and walked off. Or something like that. But that happiness in their voices, what they had told me, it had all been fake. Soon after, they got divorced. And all the secrets they had been keeping from my sister and I, they all spilled out. What had my father been doing? Having an affair, while letting my mother slowly slip out of his grip. And my mother... What was she thinking? Letting her problems wash away in her constant drinking? God.

And suddenly, me, and my sister, we were not about to stay there with them. So we left. I had to options, as did she. Being the youngest she felt she should stay with our grandparents in Virginia. I needed to be alone. I probably should have gone to stay with my aunt, or even my cousins, but I refused. The apartment was the only other place I would let myself call home.

So back to now. Back to the apartment. Oh god, nine years ago, was it? Yes, nine years ago. My family and I had stayed in this very apartment. We were running away from something. And that was why I was back. I was running away from something. Anyway. The apartment looked exactly the same. White walls, white carpet, white everything.

“Dakota? Allison?” my mother, our mother, called from the kitchen. I ignored her, as usual.
“Yeah?” my sister replied, for both of us, not even bothering to look up from the magazine she was reading.
“Kitchen, now.” Our mother replied, her voice stern.
I groaned, and shut my computer. I had an essay to type, but with all these interruptions, I had only gotten a paragraph.

My sister groaned too, and slowly, we reluctantly went into the kitchen, where Mom and Dad were each seated on a chair, hands clasped. Uh oh. This didn’t look good. My sister and I each took a seat facing them. Our parents exchanged a glance, then turned back to us.
“Your father and I are getting a divorce.” My mother said softly.

I totally saw this coming