The narrator, Thea, shares her story of growing up with a single father after her mother's behavior became problematic due to partying and not taking care of her. Thea's father eventually remarries, and she gains two stepsisters, Brenda and Lily, who are much older and have their own set of problems, including a troubled past and learning disabilities.
Thea struggles to fit in and is bullied by her stepsisters, who make her life miserable. However, things start to change when Thea meets Oliver, a popular guy at school who takes an interest in her. Despite initial reservations, Thea starts dating Oliver, which leads to a series of confrontations with her stepsisters.
As tensions escalate, Thea's father and stepmother decide to separate, citing the difficulties of managing their blended family. However, they eventually reconcile and work towards rebuilding their relationships with Thea and her stepsisters.
In a surprising turn of events, Thea and her stepsisters have a heart-to-heart conversation, and they all agree to start fresh and put their past differences behind them. The story concludes with Thea feeling a sense of belonging and acceptance, finally finding a sense of family and love.
Here are the facts extracted from the text:
1. Thea is from Connecticut.
2. Thea's mom was 16 years old when she had Thea.
3. Thea's mom didn't raise her properly, and her dad took care of her.
4. Thea's parents got divorced when she was 8 years old.
5. Thea's dad later married a widow with two twin daughters, Brenda and Lily.
6. Brenda and Lily are a year older than Thea.
7. Thea's stepmom is kind to her and treats her well.
8. Brenda and Lily initially refused to talk to Thea and her dad.
9. Brenda is described as a "wild child" who steals money and smokes cigarettes.
10. Lily is described as the "school queen bee" who dates different boys every week.
11. Thea is a good student and plays the trumpet.
12. Brenda and Lily start to hate Thea as she gets closer to their mom.
13. Thea is bullied by Brenda and Lily, who play pranks on her and steal her stuff.
14. Thea finds itching powder in her pants, which she suspects was put there by Lily.
15. Brenda and Lily photoshopped a picture of Thea's head on a baby's body and posted it on Instagram.
16. Thea gets angry and decides to tell her stepmom about the bullying.
17. Thea's stepmom grounds Brenda and Lily for a month.
18. Thea starts dating a boy named Oliver, who is Lily's ex-boyfriend.
19. Lily gets jealous and tries to intimidate Thea, but Thea stands up for herself.
20. Thea's dad and stepmom decide to separate due to the conflict between Thea and her stepsisters.
21. Thea's dad says that Brenda and Lily have problems because they lost their dad and have behavioral issues.
22. Thea's stepmom is hurt because Thea lied about Brenda being in a gang.
23. Thea and her dad move to a motel temporarily.
24. Oliver picks Thea up on prom night, and they go to the dance.
25. Lily confronts Thea and Oliver at the dance, but Thea stands up for herself.
26. Oliver speaks harshly to Lily, and Thea gets upset with him.
27. Thea pushes Oliver away and goes to comfort Lily, who is hurt.
28. Thea and Lily have a moment of friendship when they help Brenda, who got into trouble with a boy.
29. Thea's dad and stepmom get back together, and they all try to make amends.
30. Brenda and Lily apologize to Thea for their behavior.
31. The family starts a new chapter, trying to put their conflicts behind them.