Raya woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. Stretching her hands from her sheets, she reached for the off button on the alarm clock and tapped it.
“Ugh.” She groaned. Her face was still buried under her pillow.
It was another day of school, which she barely looked forward to. At least it was the last school day for the week, which meant she wouldn't have to face any of their smelly faces for two whole days.
She heard someone slam the front door and peeked through her window to know who it was. She caught a glimpse of her stepdad leaving the house with a briefcase. That was her cue. Raya hopped off her bed and gently pulled open the drawer. She took out a framed picture of her mother, admiring every single detail of her mother's form. It was the only thing that kept her going. Even t
