chapter 7

A Chapter by carla

“What’s wrong Adel? You haven’t been yourself all week” angel and I sat in our old tree house. I looked at her and saw the sister I wanted so badly. The tears came unbidden, instantly she hugged me.

“Oh angel it was horrible. It was papa again.”I heard her sigh as she stroked her hand through my hair soothingly.

“He hurt your momma again” it was more of a statement than a question. I shook my head and she pulled away to look at me, that’s when I told her all that happened that night. Her face soon turned from shock to pure disgust.

“Angel?” I stretched out my hand to touch her arm and she recoiled as if I might burn her.

“No! Get away from me. You’re bad, tainted.” She quickly got up and climbed down and out of the tree house to never return, and left me alone.

I woke with a start and drenched in sweat. Still breathing hard I ran a hand over my face. Why was I remembering these things now? Sighing, I bury my face in my hands and collect myself.

“What is it that haunts you so bad?” startled I look up to see Rai leaning against the open door.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” lying always seemed like the way to go in being confronted with this subject.

“You were screaming in your sleep to not be left alone. What happened to you, girl?” looking down at my sheets, I try to decide what to tell her. Then she walks over to my bed and takes a seat next to me.

“Why do you care?” that seems like the best answer at the moment.

“You remind me a lot of myself when I was out on my own.” I must have looked shocked because she chuckled and elaborated. “you see when I was about 16 I left home to go out on the road. My parents didn’t really understand me or accept me for who I was. So I left after an incident, leaving was one of the hardest things I think I ever did. I left my little brother behind and it broke my heart. I went all over the country until I came here and I found my belle. She brought such serenity to my life I couldn’t leave, I was I love.” She paused, her gaze was distant and it interested me how much I understood about her without much thought. “but then my parents died in a car accident and I went back to bury and morn them. Even if they weren’t the best they were still my parents. My brother was put under my custody and I brought him back with me. He instantly fell in love with the land and we have been here ever since.” I let it all sink in before I looked at her. I mean really looked at her. She had also been through a lot of crap and maybe she would understand.

“I was born in Chicago. My family and I were happy for the most part. My sister was the best and so was my mother. My father had a good job and loved and cared for us all dearly.” I was stuck in my past for a moment and could go on. “Then one day my father lost his job and we were forced out of our home. Soon my father became an alcoholic. He always came home drunk and pissed off. My mother would always get the worst of it. Soon my sister had had it and left. She told me to come with her but I couldn’t leave my mother behind. So she left and I never saw her again. I wonder how different my life would have been had I gone with her, sometimes.”

“Then one night everything changed.” I looked down at my shaking hands and clenched them together. “Father came home like always and beat my mother. While I hid in my closet. But then…” tears were in my eyes as I recalled that night and what it had caused for me. “He barged into my room and… he… raped me!” I sobbing into my hands now and was so lost in my distress that I didn’t notice when Rai pulled me into her lap. She let me cry myself dry and then just sat there.

What did she think? Would she reject me and judge me?

“You’re not alone any more pumpkin” I smiled at the nickname and buried my face deeper into her chest.

“Thank you” was all I got to say before my alarm went off. My eyes snapped open and I looked at my clock. It was already 6, classes started in an hour, oh damn I was going to be late.

“Don’t worry I’ll drive you.” Rai was either a mind reader or just that good. She was also a life saver.

“Thanks. I’ll take a quick shower first though.” With that I jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Inside I stripped and stood before the mirror and looked, really looked, at myself. I had short black hair, spiked at the ends and a naturally brownish skin color, eyes an unnatural honey gold color. In the eyes of many I would be considered beautiful, but then if they took their time and really looked at me they would see the horror that lied within.

“beauty” I whispered the word but it felt dead on my lips. How could I ever claim to try to portray that word if I have never felt it. Balling my hands into fists, I turned away from the image before me. turning on the cold water, I gritted my teeth as the droplets hit my back like bullets of ice shards.

Would I ever feel again? Will it hurt? Oh dear God above if you still walk along side me please answer my prayers.

Rai was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand when I came.

“ready?” she seemed to see the change in me as I nodded, grabbed a granola bar and my bag then headed for the door.

It was probably not fair of me to have these constant mood swings, but what could I do? The car ride was quiet but a comfortable silence that I enjoyed.

“Do you mind if I also pick you up?” the question kind of surprised me. Why did she want to pick me up? A smile came to my lips as I thought of taking a break from my long walks to and from school.

“If it’s not any trouble” I answered after a while. Rai only shook her head and chuckled.

“Not at all, I pick up belle any way so there wouldn’t be any inconvenience. So after school you look for my car Kay?”I nodded and smiled as we pulled into the school parking lot. Opening the door I slipped out and smiled as I saw Rai get out as well.

“You want to hang out here for a while? Classes don’t start for a while.” Rai was leaning against the car door looking out towards the entrance where the one bus our school had usually came through. Only a handful of kids rode that bus. I didn’t want to because it was just another way of torture.

“Ok sure. Do you mind if I sit on the hood of the car?” walking towards the front of the car I began to close my mind off to the world.

“Na it’s cool.” Rai didn’t look over just kept staring, she was waiting for someone but who? Shrugging I took a seat on the hood of the car and stared at the sky. It was a beautiful day, clear skies and it wasn’t too cold or too hot. If only it could always be like this inside me, things felt calm for once in my life. Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift off into oblivion.

“Hey baby” who’s voice was that? I have heard it before. Think, think, think. “Oh, who might your little friend be?” opening my eyes, I looked over to where Rai had been standing. There she still stood but now she held a girl in her arms. Her name was belle; I remember she was one of the people whose eyes I drew in my journal.

“Hey” I greeted with a wave of my hand. She smiled sweetly at me.

“Hello there” I have only seen her couple of times in school and always thought she was really mature for someone her age. But then again that’s what people say about me.

“Belle this is Adel, my new homie.” Chuckling Rai pulled Belle towards me. “And Adel this is Belle, the love of my life.” That line was one I hadn’t heard in a long time. I could tell by the way they looked at each other that it was true. Smiling contently I laidback onto the car and let them have their moment.

“Rai? What are you doing here?” before I could even close my eyes again I had to look over to see Ulrich followed by a very uncomfortable zee and a very disgusted crystal. The instant I saw her, my vision went red, I swear. Jumping off the hood of the car and walked, more like stomped, towards her. Once she saw me and the menacing look in my eyes she took a couple of steps back and ended up falling down.

“I warned you before crystal, that if you ever messed with me again you wouldn’t see graduation. And I don’t go back on my word.” Picking her up by her shirt collar, I brought her face to mine. “Now you’re going to pay.”I knew I had a deadly glint in my eyes now and it sent fear coursing through her.

“B…b…but I didn’t do anything to you, just the new girl.” She didn’t get it and it made me all the more irritated.

“No, she was with me and when you messed with her you got me involved.” I didn’t even know why I had gotten involved just yet. “You should know better than mess with those who I consider friends.” Before she could even say another word I balled my free hand into a tight fist and lifted it. Closing her eyes, crystal prepared for the blow that never came. Looking at my arm I saw that someone had it in a tight grip, Ulrich.

“Please, calm down. Nothing will come of this.” I didn’t need a reverend to come advocate to me. Yanking my arm out of his grasp I threw crystal on the ground.

“This isn’t over.” I warned her as she slowly got up. “He won’t be here to protect you next time.” Her eyes bulged as she turned and ran away. Turning away myself I walked around Ulrich and grabbed my bag from atop the car hood. “Never get in the way when I’m pissed off.” Looking at Ulrich I added “I don’t control myself all too well and you might not get out of it unscratched.” With that I nodded at Rai and belle and walked away towards my friend, the oak tree. They would have to learn that life was dangerous around me.

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