What Happened to Yellow?

Mommy tells me not to look at the people who come into our house every week. I don't know why, they're just people. She says they're bad but not to tell them that. But I know you can't just tell people that, that'd be rude. They come in and quiz me on stuff from school and ask me what my mommy and daddy think about them. Mommy and daddy have told me I'm not allowed to lie but if the people in blue come to our house then I can tell them anything that makes them happy. I don't really get why mommy says they're bad people if she wants them to be happy, I guess she's just a good person like that.

Daddy keeps talking about "Big Brother" but that's silly because he only has a sister, my Aunt Libby who we haven't seen in a long time, and I don't have any siblings, neither does mommy. But whenever I ask he just tells me to keep my voice down and not to bring it up again or we'll get in trouble.

Our house has changed a lot. Like a lot. Before, mommy would let me pick out my own clothes, my favorite was this yellow dress my grandma got me for my eighth birthday last year. But now she says I have to listen to what she says and wear what she wants. I don't think that's fair, I'm not a baby. Plus we always match now and have to wear these ugly gray pants with a white shirt and uncomfy black shoes. The shoes hurt my feet a lot but I like how squeaky they are when I slide them on the floor. But whenever I do that I get told to stop or we'll get in trouble.

Mommy used to be a really good cook, too. But lately all she makes is this gross oatmeal stuff. Sometimes the oatmeal has meat in it if we're having dinner, or bananas if we're having breakfast. But I didn't like oatmeal very much before she started making it all the time, and now I hate it. I tried to ask her for something different once when it was my birthday last month. I wanted a spaghetti and meatball dinner. But she just started crying and told me no and not to ask again. I don't like seeing her cry.

Mommy also says I'm not allowed to play outside anymore. Now if I'm not at school, eating, sleeping, taking a bath, or going to the bathroom, I have to work on my math because the people in blue who come over every week say that I'm doing poorly. I feel a little embarrassed when they say that, it's not my fault I don't understand fractions. I wish I could go outside again. I haven't used my swing set in a long time. Daddy complains about wood rot and how if he doesn't treat it it's going to be a serious safety concern. Mommy just cries and says "what's the point?". She cries a lot lately.

I don't see daddy very much anymore. He's always at work and he says that he's doing it for us and that he promises things will be better soon. I don't know why grown ups always say soon when they don't mean it. It's been forever since I was allowed to play outside, and forever isn't soon. I think he's just tired. I asked him what his job is and he was weird. He said "Now Welly, if anyone asks you you say daddy works at Othex Heating and Cooling. Because I do, okay?" That didn't really answer my question, I already knew that, but he wouldn't tell me anything else when I asked.

But sometimes I hear him talking to mommy when they think I'm sleeping. He talks about almost having enough money to go somewhere else. I guess a vacation would be fun.

School is different too. One cool thing about mommy making me dress in my ugly outfit is I seem to be a trendsetter because all of the other kids started wearing it too. Everyone looks really boring but I'm cool because I taught the other kids how to squeak their shoes like me. Mr. Hewitt yells at me when we do it though so sometimes the other kids give me dirty looks.

We can't have recess anymore, and lunchtime is also oatmeal. I think the grownups in my town are going nuts because oatmeal everyday is just gross but they keep making us eat it. They also took away the milk which sucks because the lunch ladies made really good chocolate milk. I think they made it anyway. Anyway, now we can only have water which I don't mind too much because it's so hot in class because we have to go to school during summer now. I really do miss playing outside.

I also don't like having to watch the same video during every class. I think it's dumb. I know who the man is because daddy cusses about him a lot at home. I'm not allowed to say those words though. His name is President Quentin. I heard daddy call him President Quack once which made me laugh because whenever we watch the video he's always so serious. I think daddy would like him more if he were a duck, maybe that's why he said that. I started calling him Duck Guy at home and daddy laughed which felt good but mommy yelled at us saying we'd get in trouble and to not say that outside of the house especially or we'd be in big trouble. She's always saying we'll be in trouble, it's so annoying.

She can't control my mind though. So, Duck Guy comes on at the beginning of every class and talks about how cool our country is and how important it is to respect your leader or something like that. He says to listen to our teachers and not to trust anyone who says things should be different. Either he really loves oatmeal or he's just dumb because right now things suck. I'm not supposed to say that though and when I laughed at him during class my teacher smacked my fingers with a ruler and told me not to cry or I'd get hit again. I hate her now.

I hope daddy isn't lying about soon. I think I could use a vacation. Maybe mommy will let me wear my yellow dress again.