Sora woke up startled in her bed, cold sweat dripping on her forehead. She had just remembered one of her horrible moments with her abusive father.
~*FLASHBACK*~
"What're you doing out've bed girl?" demanded her father.
"I have to go potty…" the 5 year old responded meekly.
"How can your mother stand you? It's a good thing you have me to discipline you." Sora stepped back.
"What're you gonna do daddy?" she quivered out. He looked around, took his empty beer bottle and tossed it at the young girl.
~*END OF FLASHBACK*~
Sora shuddered at the horrible remembrance, and climbed out of bed. She walked down the steps and into the hallway where it all happened. Sora's mom was furious with her dad when it happened, because she found Sora crouched in the corner of the bathroom, cut and bleeding the same night. That was the last day Sora saw her dad, but she really didn't miss him.
"Sora?" her mom stepped in the hallway, still looking half asleep. Sora shrugged and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"I don't ever want to see him AGAIN mom, he was an evil father. I don't think he even loved you." Sora muttered. Her mom sat on the ground with her and wrapped her arm around Sora's shoulder.
"I think you're right Sora. You're father always got drunk every night. We knew each other in college, and one night after we graduated, he asked me to marry him, after his drinking session with his pals."
"Why did you agree?"
"The man who first proposed his love to me died in a car crash 3 days before our wedding. I thought he would be my only second chance, so I took it." Sora stared with a mix of surprise and anger.
"You must have been stupid then!" Sora exclaimed, but shut her mouth quickly when she realized what she said to her mom. Oddly, her mom nodded.
"Love can make you stupid Sora, if you've been crushed once, you try again mostly." She kissed Sora's forehead. "You should go to bed." She simply stated.
"Can I sleep here?" Her mom nodded and got up to go to bed. Sora sprawled out on the ground and slept into the next day.
"Sora? Did you sleep at all last night?" Sora jerked up at the lunch table and saw the former digi-destined staring at her.
"Oh, uh huh. I'm… (yawn) fine…" she drawled lazily.
"You look terrible, do you want some powder to hide your bags?" Mimi asked.
"No, it's okay, really…"
"So what happened?" asked Tai.
"Nothing, I swear it… who's that?" Sora pointed to a man with flaming red hair and looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks who was monitoring the tables around him.
"That's Bill, the new custodian." Matt replied. They all saw Bill working his way across the cafeteria. Izzy was studying the cafeteria lunch very closely, jotting something down every now and then.
"Izzy, what ARE you doing?" Tai asked, amazed.
"I don't eat anything unless I know precisely what it's made of." He stated smartly.
"Meaning you won't eat it unless you want to be in the hospital for toxic waste." Matt pointed out, apparently not touching his lunch. Bill had gotten close enough to their table to hear what they were talking about.
"But really, what my mom said about dad, about him not loving her," Sora caught attention at the table, but also Bill started to listen with slight concern. "I bet if he stopped drinking he would love her…" she pondered for a while. "…and me." Bill turned and walked the other way after that statement.
"Don't mind him, he's probably going off to cry, he's very sensitive." Joe said. Sora merely nodded and stared after him.
~*SOMEWHERE ELSE*~
"Can I see the lunch seating chart?" a hoarse voice called. The guidance counselor looked up and stared at the new custodian.
"Sure… here." He handed Bill the chart. He scrolled down it, and finally said,
"I knew it… do you mind if I take my lunch break now?"
"Yes…" Bill left without saying another word. He got in his car and drove straight to the flower shop.
"Nancy, we need to talk." A/N, I don't know Sora's mom's name to tell you the truth
"It's… you…" she stuttered.
~*AT SORA'S HOUSE*~
"Ooh, what a nice comfy bed Sora!" Mimi complemented as she bounced gleefully on Sora's bed.
"Thanks Mimi, but you've been here before." (RING) "I'll get it! ~*ON THE PHONE*~ Hello?" Mimi saw some color drain out of Sora's face as the person on the phone spoke. Then Sora's eyes widened so that her eyeballs might as well have fallen on the floor.
"Keep your pleas of forgiveness for later, DAD because your probably drunk, just as LAST TIME!" Sora slammed the phone down, and it rang again. "Ignore it…" she grumbled and fell face first onto her bed.
"I'll go now…" Mimi said quietly as she slipped out of the house. Sora, meanwhile, broke into tears, and thought to herself, Why apologize now when I know everything? How can he expect me to forgive him? He should've thought about that…
Part 1 is up there, part 2 is coming. Like it? A very large THANKS to Kendra, who has been so kind enough to give me LOVELY ideas for stories. THANK YOU KENDRA!