I stare at the entrance and the person I wanted to avoid the most is here. She is arrived here with her whole family- her parents, brothers, aunts, and uncles including her 4 cousins.

My cousin Olivia and I were very close friends when we were little, but we had a huge fight that severed our friendship. My sisters know about the fight that happened between us and avoid Olivia for my sake.

Since Olivia and her family live in another state, I normally don’t see them unless it a quinquereme, baptism or etc. Normally, whenever I’m at these parties I’m reminded how big my family is. I learned from both my parents that in Mexico they grew up with more than 5 siblings and including the generation before them.

The families over years have stayed in touch and it always blows my mind when my mom and dad remind me and my sisters how we are related to one another. Whenever there a big event in our family, every family member even those from different state

“Mira a tu primo aqui de Nueva Jersey. Digamos hola a ellos” My mom said. My parents don’t know about the incident between us.

I get up from my seat as well as my sister did. As I start walking the first thing, I noticed is the music. The music is always loud, and no one can hear unless you yell even if that person is right in front of you. I see that DJ is always at the stage to play music and at the corner at the stage are the Disco party lights and two larger speakers at the end of the stage.

I see several small kids are running around the floor playing games with one another. I know that in small corner of the left side of the room the adults- usually my aunts are setting up or preparing to serve the food for the guest. The tables and chairs are on either side of the room, so people can use the center of the room to dance around.

My family and I make arrive to their tables and we greet them. I greet the adults, and my cousins until I reach Olivia.

“Hi” I said as I extend my hand to my cousin.

“Hi” Olivia said back as she shook my hand.

I walk up to my room and drop my bag at the floor. I stare at the pitch-black ceiling and pull out my phone. I raise the volume in my headphones and try to block the noise I hear. My mind feels like it going to rip itself apart. Lately, all my parents having been doing is nothing, but argue. Fights, yelling then there this uncomfortable silence where nobody can say anything.

I have tried to put on a brave face, but I can’t keep pretending anymore. I look up to see across from bed, a picture frame of my family. It was taken a couple of years ago and it was a time when the fights hadn’t escalated to this point. I know that it normal for a family to argue from time to time. However, for a family to argue every single day, and talk about leaving or divorce isn’t normal. Things didn’t used to be this way in the past I hear them argue over money, and occasion about family members. I don’t know when my parents fighting got worse.

Now I’m sick of all this-fighting. I have started to avoid my parents at all costs and coming home late. I try to block the drama by staying in my room, listening to music or movies. I have started to avoid my parents at all costs and coming home late. My schoolwork has started to suffer because of this, and I know my friends are starting to suspect something wrong. I have started cancelling plans on them, not handing in assignments, and becoming more reclusive. I haven’t told any of my friends that truth and I don’t want them to know about the situation at my home. I feel that if I tell my friends the truth then….

I feel weaker, sluggish, and tired. I try to remember the time before all the fighting, screaming, and lies. I want to go home. The beautiful irony is I am home, but I don’t feel I am at home. This home feels more foreign to me by each passing day. Everyday nothing changes and something inside of me begins to fade.

As the sun sets you start to see the stars

During the night, you can see very bright Lights

Day, morning, you look at the Sky

As you walk around, you turn to spot Cat 

The animals turn around and points at a Basket 

The case has fruits, water and it makes you have Faith

The case is very sweet and fills you with Faith

As start to get up, you notice a shooting star

As you close your eyes, you drop your Basket 

You bend to pick it up, you notice Lights

You see that there was mirror inside, and reflection of a Cat

The animals appear to be dancing in the Sky

The mirror makes tiny piece of the Sky

The piece as scattered around, and you wonder if this a test of Faith

You collect the piece one by one until an perceive an illusion of a Cat

You look at it eye and notice a stars

It eyes burn with bright Lights

You put all the piece back into the Basket 

As you walk around and carry the Basket

You feel a something wet and look at the Sky

You notice that it dark and can’t find any Lights

You run towards the nearest tree and believe in your Faith

You hope that dark can be chase away by the stars

As you sit near the tree, you spot a shadow of a Cat

The shadow comes closer, and it appears to be a Cat

The animal crawls around your   Basket

You begin to draw on the dirt, a picture of a stars

You draw one by one, hoping it appears on the Sky

You want to go out and have Faith

As you sit around, you detect Lights

It appears to be a very strong Lights

It’s too much, that you turn to detect the Cat

You can’t find it and want to have Faith

You notice that there no Basket

You turn around and see a painting of the Sky

The painting appears to have stars

You find yourself at a bed and the room is decorative with stars and it covered in Lights

You see the room has painting of different Sky and notice a toy of a Cat

At you left, there a Basket  and a card that read “Have Faith”

I had used to think that when you wanted to change things in the world you had to wait until you’re an adult. Since most adults don’t take children seriously and believe they are too young to understand the world around them. I used to believe this since there are many things, I wanted to change but I believed that I didn’t have the power or the tools at my deposal. When I was 17 years old, I realized that I was being a coward and I could change the world around me.

When I was in middle school and throughout high school, I saw on the news about school and mass shooting in public events. I always though that the events were tragic and sad, but I thought the event will eventually fade away in my mind. In my junior year in high school, I saw and read about the Stoneman Douglass High School Shooting. I saw the videos that the students posted online and the interview of the student who told their narrative of the events. When the student saw the how the government would do nothing to help, the students decide to stand up for themselves. This amazed me because usually when I see protest about gun shooting it would be adults talking or politicians avoiding the topic of gun control. I saw how students who were close or around my age talk about a nation-wide protest and saw them acted on it.

The student of Stoneman Douglass High School made a nation-wide protest all by themselves and tried their hardest to get the gun control law passed especially ban the weapon that killed their classmates. I saw that despite their young age and criticism from adults they pushed through to complete their goals. I saw how there are many young adolescents who can change the world, and they didn’t wait until they were older or richer to change the world. This event inspired me to take charge of my life and how I don’t need to be wealthy or old to accomplish my objective.