I heard the door slam shut and heavy footsteps of my dad going to the bedroom and pulled the pillow over my head.

I knew he was drunk again.

Soon the heavy snores was all I heard.
I slowly got up, stepping quietly so as to not wake him up.

I knew my brother was still asleep, soon he would get up, demand breakfast and leave.

I knew he and father were just sad because mother had died two weeks ago.
I couldn't be mad at them.

They had been a good brother and father before...

Just because father was now abusive wasn't his fault.
And my brother ignored me... Not his fault.

Why I was always hanging out with myself, that was my fault. I had no friends.
The only people who ever noticed me were bullies.

But school was out for the summer.
So no bullies.

I grabbed the pancake mix and poured it into a bowl. All of it. Hey, my brother has a large appetite...
I added water, it was one of the only add water kinds. Nice and easy to make.

I mixed the batter and put some on the griddle. After a few minutes I flipped them, then a few more minutes I took them off. Right then I heard my brother come down.

He took all the pancakes made and got out butter and syrup without uttering a word.

"Good morning Mikuo!" I said, smiling at him. He just rolled his eyes and said, barely audible, "mornin"

I refused to feel hurt by him.
I hoped things would go back to normal soon...
But, I was scared this was my family now, that now mother was dead, they would change. I hoped not...