Prologue and Chapter 1

Jessie and her younger brother Tristan leave one abuser for another when their step brother Dakota constantly bullies them.

Prologue:

Ireland’s divorce

 

“… There’s a major heat wave covering most of the North East states, we advise everyone to stay somewhere cool and avoid going out as much as possible…”

A woman walked into the shabby little living room, a man sitting on a dirty old sofa, sweat stains on his shirt, unkempt brown hair all over his head. He hadn’t shaved in a while, but with is hair in such disarray who knows if he ever shaves. The woman threw papers chocolate brown beaten up coffee table, “Goodbye Frank,” was she said to the man on the couch.

He looked up, “What’s this?” he didn’t bother looking at the papers before asking.

“Divorce papers, I’m done with you.” She turned around and left him there with a smirk on his face.

“Where are you going to live? On the streets because you don’t have a job, all your good at is lying on your back!” He yelled at her but she didn’t turn back. Two overfilled suitcases sat in the foyer by a weathered front door, next to the suitcases, a small child stood watching her mother wipe her raven black hair from her face.

“We’re leaving mommy?” She asked looking back at Frank, he decided to get up and follow her into the foyer.

“You’ll be back in a day, you always come back.” He mocked her.

“I’m gone for good Frank; I told you I meant it this time.”

He didn’t like that answer, he grabbed her arm sinking his dirty fingernails into her fair skin. “There you go again, filling her head with lies, living in your fantasy world again Ireland.” He hissed in her ear.

“You need to go brush your teeth.” She pushed him away and opened the door. “You have your bags Jessica?” She asked the small child who nodded despite looking terrified at Ireland’s arm.

“Daddy, why do you have to hurt mommy all the time why can’t you be nice to her?”

“You mind your own business.” He snapped at her she stared at the ground, tears formed in the corners of her icy blue eyes.

Ireland picked up her suitcases, “get your brother’s diaper bag, and start heading to the car Jess.” She instructed, Jessica wiped away her tears and followed her mother’s directions. “Have fun living like the slob that you are.” She picked up her bags and made sure to slam the door extra hard when she walked away.

 

Chapter one

 

 

April 12 1995

My siblings hate me; the only people who like me are my parents and my brother, Tristan. I don’t know why they hate me, I’ve never done anything wrong to them but they seem to bully me on a daily basis. I don’t know when it will stop, I tried hiding in my room, I tried bonding with them, but they always pick on me.

My bedroom door made a loud bang someone opened it with such force that it crashed into the wall almost leaving a dent.

“What the hell was that for Mara?” I closed my notebook as fast as I could but she was faster. She snatched it off my bed and read what I wrote a few weeks ago.

“Writing crap about us again?” She threatened.

“It’s not crap, it’s the truth I write it so I don’t say it to your ugly face and deal with you trying to kill me all the time!” I tried to take it from her but she pushed me away.

“You’re so pathetic.” She laughed and continued reading until I kicked her leg as hard as I could. She dropped my notebook; it was back in my hands before it could hit the ground. “You b***h!” She cursed in pain, she found enough time in between rubbing her leg and cursing at me to jump on my back and slap the back of my head.

“Get off me you cow I can’t breathe!” I shouldn’t have insulted her but I can’t take this anymore.

“Oh so I’m a cow am I now?” She asked slapping my head harder.

“I don’t know what the f**k type of animal you are just get off me!” I screamed but she wouldn’t listen. I heard someone running into my room and I prepared for another assault, instead Mara flew backwards. I rolled over peeking through the mess that became of my hair to see who rescued me.

“You know damn well you’re not supposed to hit her in the head!” Tristan yelled at Mara.

“She f*****g kicked my leg!”

“I don’t care if she tried to slit your throat! You don’t hit her in the head!” He barked at her, and she got in his face. She tried to look tough but when you’re five foot six and your opponent is almost five foot nine and pure muscle, physically you’re outmatched.

“What are you going to do? Hit me?”

“I’m not stupid like you are; get your a*s out of Jessie’s room!”

“Oh I’m so scared!” She pretended to cry; Tristan grabbed her by the collar and pushed her out of my room.

“Dad Tristan just pushed me!” Mara cried.

“I walked in and she’s pinned Jessie down and smacking her on the back of the head!” He walked out of my room red in the face from frustration.

“At this rate you’re not getting your phone back for half the year Maralah.” As punishment for a previous fight they started, dad took their phones and the wires out of their rooms, they lost the privilege to have their own phone line in their rooms, I don’t have one yet it’s a rite of passage, you your own phone meaning your own private phone calls to an extent when you turn fifteen.

“She kicked me and you let her get away with it?”

“You know better, Mara, and from the sound of it you ran into Jessie’s room first. Don’t think I didn’t hear how loud you slammed her door open.”

I smiled despite the throbbing in the back of my head. Even though my siblings hate me, my parents love me. They’re on my side most of the time because they know I’m too scared to start any of the fights that occur.

This is my life on a daily basis, it’s not always physical, but I’m always a target of something. I don’t know what it is either, hell even my younger siblings are picking on me! Tabby and Odhran are starting to call me names because they see everyone else doing it! It’s not fair!

“Are you alright Jessica?” My step-dad asked closing my bedroom door to prevent anyone from interrupting.

“I’ll be fine. I get this every other day, I’m almost immune to it.” I had to laugh about it otherwise, I’d cry.

“I’m sorry they’re so mean to you, I really don’t know why they’re so mean.” He looked bothered by it, more than he normally is, this is really stressing him out I wish I knew how to defend myself better. I wrapped my skinny arms around his warm body.

“Don’t lose sleep over it; it’s just the way it is.”

“No it’s not; you shouldn’t have to take this from them. I was on my way up here for something other than to yell at Mara…” He sighed rubbing his forehead with his bear-like hands. “Dinner is ready, Ireland made it tonight. She insisted.” He said with a smile.

“She made chicken and dumplings?” I asked and he nodded. I skipped out of my room with the brightest smile, like I wasn’t just attacked by my older step-sister, down the stairs and halfway into the living room the smell hit my nose and I think I floated the rest of the way into the dining room.

I got nasty looks from Mara and my oldest stepbrother Dakota the entire night, my mom told them to knock it off, but they hardly ever listen. I ignored them I was quite content with my comfort food. Claire refused to eat dinner; she didn’t want the food that I loved so much.

Mara, Dakota and Claire are my stepdad, Mingan’s kids from a previous marriage. Mara and Dakota are twins, and they’re nineteen, the oldest of the family. Claire is a few months older than I am, and she’s Mingan’s youngest from his other marriage.

When we moved in with them to get away from my biological father Frank, they welcomed us with open arms. When we moved in, they knew my mother liked their father, they knew Mingan and Ireland were more than friends and they knew they were going to have a new stepfamily. The bullying started with Claire, but she was always self-centered. When Ireland and Mingan announced their engagement, life got slightly worse. Then Ireland had two more children after their wedding, Tabby and Odhran the last set of twins, they’re only three years old, and the older half of the family accepts them with open arms. Tristan and I are outsiders for some reason. Tristan never liked Dakota to begin with though, something about him rubbed Tristan the wrong way and ever since he told him about it, they’ve been at each other throats.

 

I don’t think any other child has to lock their door at night so they know their siblings won’t sneak in and do something in the middle of the night. I have to do that, they’ve snuck in my room and stolen my things on multiple occasions, ruined my CDs I still have just because I like to collect them.

 

Author's Note

It's very broken at the moment but I'm working on eventually making a solid story and I'll reupload it once that happens. Also this is how you pronounce Odhran: OH r ah n it's an Irish name

Reviews

[Jama]

Really good! Once it's edited it should be even better.

[Westminster Abbey]

This is very good! Don't ever stop writing, because I look forward to reading more from you! 100/100!

[Pugsly]

Thanks, I got into a fight with microsoft while writing this so it was on hold for ages, but I fixed word and I'm going to try to work on this as well as Divide and The War (i haven't posted that because I literally have nothing for it, that story is just a mess of notes at the moment) I really like this version though and I can't wait to start working on it again.