compass Growing up, I was around bad influences. My dad was an alcoholic, and my mother was bipolar. Children are more likely to adopt such habits when around them. Although it could have been easy for me to pick up a bottle and lose myself in the liquor as my dad did, or explode as my mom would, I wouldn't. I promised myself not to become anything like them. I have a little sister, and I knew if I let myself crumble, I would leave my sister alone. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Every action I took, I kept my sister in the back of my mind, knowing that if I did anything stupid, I was putting myself at risk of never seeing her face ever again. My values wouldnt let me. It was hard to keep myself from giving up, but I knew I had to keep going, not only for myself but for her. As time went on, my parents' fights would grow bigger and bigger. At one point, they snapped. My mom left the house and took my sister with her. I didn't want to leave my dad alone, worried that he would hurt himself or worse end it. I stayed with him for the first half of high school, which took a toll on my mental health. My grades plummeted as well as my self-esteem. I didn't care about school, I didn't care about making friends. I didn't care about anything. Not being able to see my mom because she lived an hour away, I grew distant from my sister and my mother. They came back to West Chicago during the summer before going into my junior year. I decided I had had enough of living with my dad, and I moved in with them. When I moved in with them, I felt an urge of happiness fill me up; I felt at home again. Living with my dad was hard, food wasn't secure, and he was rarely home. I began to notice changes in my behavior. I became social, and I started to make friends. My grades began rising. Living with them made me whole because I was with my sister. My mom changed significantly during this time, too. She was more aware of her actions. I noticed the real problem was my dad; he messed with her mental health. She started laughing and cracking jokes with us, and she asked how school was. We grew closer. I had a group of friends who were going through their own issues at home. I hung out with them on a Saturday night. watching a movie at their house, when one of them pulls out a mason jar. Puzzled, I asked what the green leaves inside were. shaped like balls, they had a foul odor. They're rolling it up. They asked if I wanted a hit. I asked what it does. And they said it makes you feel relaxed, it makes you laugh, and you forget about your troubles. That's all I ever wanted, to forget, to feel like everything is okay. they ask again if I wanted a hit. I say coldly deny it. Knowing that if I began now, I would fall into a loop and fall into addiction like my father. I leave soon after. On my way home, I thought about why I didn't take a hit; my sister kept popping up. She's always been there; not once has she left my mind. She always helped me keep my values in check, without her id be lost, she's my compass.