Rose Picaso and a Series of Unfortunate Events

May, Spring 2017, Matthew Picaso is 43, Jessica is 42, Rose is 15, Lola is 9, Becca is 8, Ricky is 4, and Spencer is 2. Last update.

Narrated by Rose

The seasons are about to change, and summer is right around the corner. I've read in magazines that some skin types have adverse reactions to certain seasons. Well, I guess my skin just doesn't like the idea of hot sticky days right around the corner.
And now I have my first case of acne. Really!? It's bad enough I have braces, but add acne to it. Life just isn't fair sometimes.

And to top it off, my dad has really been on me lately about my grades. I know I'm not Lola but I've worked hard this year and am maintaining a B-. I think that's pretty awesome considering I was close to a D last year. I try to plea my case but dad just isn't trying to hear it. He wants me to work harder. How am I supposed to get into college with sub-par grades. Who even said I wanted to go to college!

Adrian Chew popped by demanding my attention. But after my dad I'm really not in the mood. I promise her that we'll do something over the weekend. She rolls her eyes saying some nonsense about friendships being like gardens, if one doesn't put in the work then it will wilt and die. She's a bit of a drama queen, but I do see her point.

The dark cloud that is dad didn't vanish before the girls got home. And it seemed to have made his mood worse when Becca brought home yet another not so stellar report card. But she didn't get an ear full like I did, instead dad went of to vent to mom.

But not before showering Lola with praise and a huge bear hug. In his eyes she can do no wrong. And pulling a solid A+ since starting school doesn't hurt. I know I shouldn't feel this way but I hope that when she starts middle school her grades start to slip. She won't be so perfect in our dad's eyes after that.

Tylor and me haven't been going so well. I mean, no fights or anything. We've just seemed to have settled into a relationship of an old married couple. Something I'm not interested in. I'm fifteen not fifty. I explain this to him.

He's in shock. Had no idea that this break up was coming. In his eyes everything was prefect. And I guess if I relayed this to someone else they would ask me just what is wrong with me. I have a great guy, a drama free romance, what more could I want? Logically nothing. But I do, what more.

I advert my eyes as he leaves. He did teeter on begging me to stay with him. Which I decided was not cool. Just another reason to break up with him. I can't be with a guy who'd beg me to stay with him. The look of dejection on his face does hurt though. And I'll have to face him as school. Summer can't come soon enough.

Once gone I do cry. Not mourning our couple status, but the friendship that we had before kissing and making out got involved. Maybe in the future we can try to get that back.

Mom tells me everything will be okay. That for one to become who they truly are meant to be they have to suffer some loses of the heart. I can't help but wonder at her words if she is hinting at what happened between her and dad. I remember that for a while I was scared that they'd get divorced but never understood what caused the rift.

Becca watched everything with an envious eye.

And promptly went to pick a fight with Spencer. It's hard to get attention around here sometimes unless your misbehaving.

By the middle of the week we discovered an infestation of roaches. Ewww! That's so gross. Even Becca didn't want to add those nasty things to her collection of bugs.

Mom called the exterminator. He couldn't have come at a worse time, when school is letting out and everyone is coming home. Having the huge truck with a large plastic dead bug on top isn't enough, but the bus full of kids are able to watch him killing are nasty little problem. Talk about embarrassing.

Tylor walks by the house and I give him a small wave. He quickly turns his nose up at me, then glances towards the exterminator. Did I catch a sarcastic smile play across his lips. No, but I'm not on hundred percent certain.

He's still every angry with me, and I totally understand. But as he walks away I can't help but wonder if he's the cause for the roaches. Would he do something so petty?

Becca is still picking on her sister and brothers. She is really turning into a small terror.


I leave them for mom or dad to handle. I'm still expected to help out around the house, and maybe it's me maturing but I don't mind it as much anymore. I've come to accept the fact that I'm the oldest, and with that comes responsibilities that I can't escape. Plus, mom remolded the kitchen and I LOVE it. If I could I'd cook every meal every day.

After dinner I sit down with Becca and help her. We also have a heart to heart and I explain to her that picking on her siblings isn't attracting the attention for mom and dad that she wants. I tell her to be nicer, maybe pitch in around the house. Acting more mature may also get her that puppy she's be dying to have. That got me a smile and a nod. She said she does want a puppy, so maybe being good isn't such a bad thing.

We'll see how long her goodness does last.

Saturday finally came and I met up with Adrian at Silver Coin.

We enjoy playing the Volcano pinball machine. I know it has a name other than Volcano  but for the life of me I can never remember it. I just like it when you reach a high score it erupts, super cool.

Adrian hates the fact that I demolished her previously held highest scare. Did I mention she's a drama queen. She pitches a fit worthy of an Oscar.

Ugh. When she gets like this she really turns me off. It's amazing how we have things in common, and she can act much older than she really is, then turns around and acts like a big baby. Maybe that's why we do get along so well. She reminds me of my sisters.

After calming down she does apologize. Then quickly announces that she isn't leaving the machine until she's regained her high scre back. I laugh and head off to get more quarters.

I leave her after that, just siting on a bench when it starts to rain. Just what I need. No rain in the forecast yet it downpours on me. Sometimes it feels like I'm trapped. Doomed to be a second mommy to my siblings, and a baby sitter to immature friends. Life has to have more in store for me than this.

It's like the universe provides that needed answer to my question in a blink of an eye. The guy in the Llama suit struts by, and like that I know that my future, a life away from the everyday is staring me in the face. I have to go to university, it's my ticket out of here.

***

No pics of Ricky because I forgot that he was supposed to be four, but I hadn't aged him up. So the pics with him he was still a toddler.

Rose pretty much is still like the second mom in the house, though she does get out more now that she has a few friends. Mainly Adrian, who is so into herself that I have no idea how she has friends. LOL

Becca has been acting out on her own, always tormenting her sister and brothers. I take it that she's acting out for more attention.

Thanks for reading!