Here are the North family. Parents, four daughters, a cat and a dog. They look so ordinary, so normal, like there is nothing wrong with any of them.

Alaiia, Keishla and Veida look like they come straight from the cover of a magazine. So perfect, so amazing. However, Alaska is anything but. She looks ordinary, but negatively. She is too plain for her sisters and parents. She doesn't seem to have any qualities that distinguish her from anyone else on this Earth.

To her, her sisters are her saviors, her protectors, her supporters. And, what matters most, they let themselves be called just "Lai", "Keish" and "Vei". Though, they never found a nice nickname for her, and probably they're never gonna find one.

Anyway, their parents expect them to find good partners, which means that they are not happy with either Alaiia's, Keishla's or Veida's boyfriends, named respectively Oliver, Brian and Colton. The three girls find them pleasant to stay with, however it seems that their parents largely disagree with them.

And Alaska? She is eleven, so she, according to her parents, shouldn't even have a boyfriend because she is 'too young'. This is why she has to pretend to have no feelings for Brenin Dawood, her best friend, apart from, in fact, friendship.

However, she's fed up with pretending. For being an eleven-year-old, she looks too naïve for even trying to lie to someone. She hates lies more than her own parents. Not that her parents are likeable, anyway.

***

It's a hot, sunny day sometime in late June, and the Norths are consuming their lunch slowly, silently and also with little to no enthusiasm. Alaska is obviously the least thrilled in her family at the idea of eating soy root salad and tofu - her mother thinks it's healthy and a valid alternative for a good meal, though it can't be said any of her sisters like that stuff either.

Anyway, who cares if Alita North is a maniac of what she calls "superfood"? Definitely not her daughters, who, in their miserable lives, have never eaten chocolate or chips, nor have they enjoyed having a single meal, for that they only ate vegetables, roots and strange cereals. Anyone could bet that they never had a pasta dish, as well. Actually, Alaska doesn't even know what pasta even is. 'It's all Mom's fault. She thinks soy roots and tofu are healthy, but I think they're just disgusting.'

What's worse, anyway, is that Alaiia, Keishla and Veida are at least trying to eat what Alaska labels as "inedible". The more they munch, the more painful it is for the poor girl. To make matters worse, Alita is calling her out, "Alaska, eat, please. We have no time to waste. I have my yoga course at 6pm, but before I have to take Alaiia to Drama class, Keishla to hip hop and Veida to her friend Danny's house for the surprise to Kayle. Come on, move."

"And I?" asks the little girl. "What am I going to do?" Her mother ends up shaking her head disapprovingly, then she gives her a spiteful-looking glare. However, the girl won't look at her, for that she is too scared.

"Alaska Abigayle North, I have no time to waste with these silly questions. Quit talking and eat." Now, the glare resembles more of a threat. For the first time in her life, Alaska may be realizing that her mother is not as protective as she thought, and instead she is overbearingly abusive. She tries to let go of negative thoughts eating up almost all the tofu and soy roots, only to want to throw up later. In fact, she's feeling unwell, though this won't stop her mother's plans.

"Good. More proof that you don't care about me. I know you wish I weren't your daughter," she says at last, deciding to leave the table and crying. What her mother has just said is heart-breaking, as well as disrespectful of her sensitiveness.

"What the hell did you say? Listen carefully, young girl, I have no time to waste with your rants at all. Go to your room. I don't want to see you again today!" Alita points her finger at the corridor, which means that she intends to punish her daughter; though, the latter doesn't pay attention to her at all and instead rushes outdoors.

'Perfect. You don't want to see me. Well, I don't want to see you either. Go to hell!' She wishes she could voice her inner thoughts, but that would only cause her a whole lot more trouble. She doesn't need such an overbearing mother, a careless father and sisters who do absolutely nothing to protect her, probably fearing that Alita would only try to turn them into carbon copies of herself.

'Alaiia, Keish, and Veida! You're in time to leave her behind! Please, do so, before it's too late!' This thought is addressed to her older sisters, who do care about her, but not as much as she has ever thought.

The little girl reaches the garden, before stopping by a tree. However, that's not just a tree. There is a little house on the top of it. That's her favorite place, the only one where she can truly be herself, without any sort of pressure by her parents or other adults.

She climbs the wooden ladder quickly, knowing that, probably, her father will take it away and she will be trapped on her lovely tree house forever or, at least, until she becomes good enough at climbing trees. As soon as she opens the little wooden door, she finds herself in what she defines a little corner of paradise.

'Oh, if only they could come! They would see by themselves how life here becomes so magic! No adults, no pressures, no troubling secrets and no negative thoughts!' As usual, Alaska can't refrain from thinking of her sisters, victims of an oppressive life and an absolute lack of freedom, or, at least, this is what she sees every single day.

She sits on the comfortable white rug and closes her eyes for a bit. What else could she think of right now? At the moment, she's trying hard to come up with a positive thought, or, at least, something that doesn't involve Alaiia and the others. However, it seems much easier said than done.