I'm Lina Carter, seventeen years old, still in high school, still living a life that looks completely normal from the outside.
And honestly… it is normal.
I go to school, I come back home, I hang out with my friends, I laugh, I complain about homework—just like any other girl my age.
It's just that… there are a few things about my life I don't really like.
---
That day started like any other.
School was the usual mix of boring classes and random fun. I talked with my friends, copied half my notes, ignored the rest, and somehow made it through the day without getting into trouble.
By the time I got home, I was already thinking about what I'd do next.
But the moment I opened the door, I heard it.
My parents arguing.
"Why do you always make it worse?" my mother said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I'm not making anything worse," my father replied, his tone louder than it needed to be.
I stepped inside quietly.
This wasn't new.
It didn't shock me anymore.
Still… I didn't like it.
"Lina, you're back?" my mother noticed me first.
"Yeah," I said, placing my bag down near the door.
My father looked at me, and just like that, his expression changed.
"Hey," he said, softer now. "How was school?"
"It was fine."
"You ate anything?"
"Not yet."
"Go eat first," he said. "Don't stay hungry."
"I will."
That was the part that always confused me.
He cared.
I knew he did.
About me. About Mom too.
But when he drank… things changed.
"And you—" he turned back to my mother again, his tone rising, "you never listen."
And there it was.
The same thing, all over again.
---
I didn't stay there.
I went straight to my room, closing the door behind me.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just… normally.
Like I always did.
---
I changed out of my uniform and sat on my bed for a moment, staring at nothing in particular.
I wasn't crying.
I wasn't even that sad.
Just… annoyed.
Tired of hearing the same argument again and again.
I didn't hate my home.
I just didn't like this part of it.
I never talked about it with anyone.
Not with my friends.
Not with anyone at school.
It wasn't something I wanted to explain.
So I didn't.
---
Instead, I did what I always do.
I left.
---
I grabbed my phone and texted Maya.
Lina: Are you home?
Maya: Yes. And you better come fast.
That was enough.
I stood up, fixed my hair, and walked out of my room.
"I'm going out," I said.
"To Maya's?" my mother asked.
"Yes."
"Okay. Don't be too late."
"I won't."
My father looked at me again. "Be careful."
"I will."
And then I walked out.
---
The air outside felt easier to breathe.
Not better.
Just… easier.
I walked to Maya's house like I always did, not thinking too much about anything.
When I got there, she opened the door instantly.
"You look tired," she said.
"I am."
"Then why are you standing here? Come inside."
I stepped in, dropping onto her bed like I owned the place.
"Rough day?" she asked.
"Normal day."
She looked at me for a second, like she knew there was more to it.
But she didn't ask.
She never pushed.
"Good," she said finally. "Because we're not staying here."
I groaned. "You never stay home."
"And I never will. Now get up."
---
A few minutes later, we were outside again.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"To meet the others," she said. "They're already there."
"Since when do we have a group now?"
"Since I decided we do."
I laughed. "You're unbelievable."
"I know."
---
When we reached them, everyone was already talking, laughing, completely into their own conversations.
"Look who finally showed up," one of them said.
"We're not late," Maya replied immediately.
"You're always late."
"And you're always complaining."
I smiled slightly and joined them.
---
We walked together through the streets, stopping at random places, buying snacks, sitting wherever we felt like.
"This is so much better than staying home," someone said.
"Obviously," Maya replied.
"What would we even do at home?"
"Nothing," I said.
"And that's boring."
"Exactly."
---
We laughed, talked about school, shared random stories, teased each other.
"Did you finish your assignment?" Maya asked me.
"No."
"Of course you didn't."
"I will."
"When?"
"Eventually."
She shook her head. "You're impossible."
"And you still copy from me."
"That's different."
---
For a while, I forgot everything else.
The noise at home.
The arguments.
The things I didn't like.
It all faded into the background.
---
"By the way," Maya said casually, "that relative I told you about? He's still staying at our place."
"The college one?"
"Yeah."
"What's he like?"
"Quiet. Kind of distant. Thinks too much, I guess."
"Sounds boring."
"He is."
We both laughed.
---
As the evening turned into night, I checked the time.
"I should go."
"So soon?" Maya complained.
"Yes."
"You always leave early."
"And you never want to go home."
"True."
---
When I got back, the house was calm again.
Like nothing had happened.
My father was sitting quietly.
"You're back," he said.
"Yeah."
"Had fun?"
"Yeah."
"Good," he nodded. "That's good."
And just like that… everything felt normal again.
---
I went to my room and lay down on my bed.
Staring at the ceiling, like always.
---
My life wasn't bad.
It wasn't perfect either.
There were things I liked.
Things I didn't.
---
And one of the things I didn't like the most…
was hearing my parents fight because of something that could have been avoided.
Especially when I knew…
he didn't really mean it.
---
But I never said anything.
I just lived my days the way I knew how—
school, friends, small escapes, and quiet nights.
---
And for now…
that was my normal.