So I'm back...again...still haven't gotten my shit together...Aaaand I honestly don't think I ever will. I'm just not great with deadlines when there's no consequence, so I've come up with a system that I think is pretty solid. For now, I'll be uploading on the 14th of every month. If that works out well I'll move it to twice a month (14th and 24th), and then 3 (4th, 14th, and 24th), which will be my cutoff point. I'll be using this method for all my stories from now on. Hopefully, it'll work better than me just making promises I can't keep. So that's all for now. I hope you guys enjoy this reboot (all 3 chapters are re-uploaded btw)
Summary: Cutters don't get happy endings. So where can one find her Prince Charming? And where does a psychopath find his Princess? The twisted love story of a toxic boy and the girl the blade…
Beta: Death2Smooky
Plot Bunny: Tanaka
01. Nail Polish
My mother used to tell me that life was like nail polish.
When you first apply it, it looks amazing. The beautiful colors and designs make it seem so special. Then, there's a crack, a chip, or some other blemish. It's not that big of a deal, so you leave it alone. Then, the crack spreads, becoming more noticeable than before.
Then, you panic.
You take the same color and try to cover up the cracks. It looks alright. You can still tell its been broken, but only if you look hard enough.
Eventually, all the polish begins to wear and break off. The colors become less vibrant; wearing away, as you continue to cover it up with the same old color.
Nail polish reminds me of life. No matter how many cracks you hide or how many brave faces you put on, there's still a broken person underneath.
"Annabeth, honey, we're doing this for your own good," Frederick said, glancing at me through his rearview mirror.
I ignored him.
"Annabeth?"
"Don't bother, sweetheart. The poor girl is already upset enough as it is." The words sounded comforting and sympathetic, but they held a sneer to them. The same sneer you hear from the disguised Evil Queen with the poison apple. I'd heard it. I'd heard the same sugary-sneer since She arrived.
I averted my gaze to the window and blocked her-all of them-out. As I stared through the finger-stained glass, the trees and cars whizzing past me, I tried not to think about the road we were going down.
"Smile, Annabeth!" A camera flashed next to me, followed by obnoxious giggling. My two step-wenches, Bobbie and Maddie, snickered.
"Leave her alone, you guys!"
I mentally smiled at my half-brother. Malcolm was the only biological child of my father, Frederick, and Helen. He was also the only person I would sort of miss. Malcolm was only six, but by the time I got out (if ever), he'd be at least eleven. By then, Helen and the Barbies will have turned him around so many times he won't know which way is up. I seared the memory of my innocent and carefree little brother into my brain. It would be my one saving grace. The hope that he'd never be as corrupted as those things he lived with. The one thing that would keep me holding on to the last shred of sanity I had left. The closest I'd been to love in ten years.
The car jerked to a stop on a lone gravel road, inside the restraints of a wrought iron gate. It was like something out of a movie. Overcast clouds hung in the air, weighed down with the prospect of rain. I used to think the sky was lucky. Its storms could come and go, but mine would never cease. Now, looking at the sky above the building and the one above the rest of the world, I realize that they're two completely different things.
I hugged Malcolm,who giggled, still blissfully unaware of where I was heading. Grabbing my bags, I climbed out of the sleek, black Prius. My old sweatshirt and ratty shorts were a wonderful contrast. Frederick looked like he wanted to say something, but one glance from Helen killed any chance of that. I smiled weakly at my baby brother one more time and turned away.
In that brief 25-second moment before the screech of tires on pavement, my world tilted forever. I knew how much I belonged here. Whatever sick, twisted god had the bright idea to shove me into the Yoon family's life has finally come to his senses. I wasn't meant to be with that family, first-born or not. I wasn't a Yoon; I was a Chase. I wasn't a Barbie; I was a person. I wasn't normal; I was completely insane. I wasn't perfectly polished; I was broken beyond repair.
And that was it.
I didn't know where I wanted to be, but the last place I wanted to go was back to the Wicked Kingdom of Humanity. This was my new home. My new isolated tower. Long Island Academy. Where I would play both the princess and the dragon. I resisted the urge to listen for a car. Why would I? No Prince Charming was coming to save me, and no one was looking in their rear-view mirror wondering if they made the right choice. No one was having regrets, including me.
I didn't look back. Not once.