Prologue

"Are you sure you can keep her safe?" she heard her mom whisper to the rich man. She pressed her tiny body closer to the wall, afraid they would spot her if they just turned their vision ten degrees. She wasn't scared of getting caught, she had already pick pocketed her share of tourist wallets when she and her mom were living on the streets. And she was only eleven.

"You know me," she heard the rich man assure. The girl gritted her teeth, a habit she often did when she was frustrated. What were they hiding from her? She was so curious to find out. She craned her neck, trying to get her ear closer to the open window. "I've kept Carter, my daughter, safe," the rich man's voice got gentler. "Avalon, if you would just marry me, I could keep you safe, too."

The girl pressed her lips together, smothering the scream she wanted to let out. No way could she let more people into her life. Just trying to associate herself with them made her sick. She knew she was antisocial, but didn't see it as a problem like her mom did.

"I don't know if Andy will accept you, though," her mom said in defeat, as if she really wanted to marry him. "She can't trust people, you know. She grew up on the streets with me when we were broke. She's learned to trust by instinct, she always has to judge people before she knows them. It's tough, you know," she sighed. The girl fumed silently. How dare her mom talk about her most personal qualities as if they were a burden to her. How dare her mom keep something from her, in fact. That was the whole reason she had eavesdropped on their private conversation.

"Carter is her age, she can help her," the man persuaded, convincingly. "Just don't leave me," he said, quietly.

"Carter knows about everything, right?" her mom asked, cautiously. She assumed the man had nodded when her mom continued. "Has she been claimed?" Andy felt confused, not understanding what they were talking about. But she didn't like how fondly her mom had said the other girl's name. It was as if she had already accepted her as her daughter.

"Not yet, but she goes to camp," the man said. "Andy hasn't gone, has she?" She assumed her mom shook her head when the man said, "She should go soon. The claiming age is coming up in a few years." Andy could have laughed at how awkwardly the man had said her name but she was feeling too betrayed by her mom to be mean.

The man sighed softly. "I guarantee I can keep you two safe. I'll do anything to keep us all safe," he sounded almost pleading and desperate. "Just marry me. I love you."

"Ever since you picked me and Andy off the street," her mom reminisced, sounding far away and lost in thought. Andy grimly remembered that day that had changed their life. It had been a freezing cold January night two years ago, and they barely had a coat to protect themselves from the bone chilling winds. Andy remembered the sleek, shiny black limousine stop in front of them. She had never seen something so pretty up close. Then, the well-dressed handsome man stepped out of the car and hugged her mom. After that, they were provided a high-class house and everything they needed by that man. Andy had assumed the man's intentions before hearing what he had said today. "I've always known that you should have been the one for me. I was so foolish, running away from you after college. I should have never…" her mom stopped herself, as if the past hurt her too much to explain it. "I love you, too. And I say yes to marrying you."

She heard the man hoot with excitement. Andy backed away from the window, in disbelief to her mom's reactions. She wanted to cry from the way her mom had lied to her so much after promising there was nothing hidden between them. Andy had abided by that policy, but her mom had not. She felt no tears. She only felt hollow and numb.

"Andy?" a voice said behind her. Andy flinched and quickly whipped around. It was Carter, the cute red-haired girl her mom always complimented. She felt her rage boil over looking at her. "Is something wrong?" she said, reaching out for Andy's hand. Andy hated the way that she sounded genuinely concerned. She slapped Carter's hand away.

"Go away," she bluntly snapped, not in the mood to make up something to con the girl. Carter flinched, as if the words caused her a physical blow. Andy felt a pride in Carter's hurt expression. She was ready to stalk past Carter and into the garden where she hoped to gather her thoughts.

However, Carter blocked her path. Andy shot her a glare. If they made a scene here any longer, her mom and Carter's dad would notice.

"No," Carter said, defiantly, though her voice shook a little. Andy wanted to smirk or do something equally mean to Carter's meek comeback. Instead, she tried pushing past Carter, which Carter wouldn't allow her to do.

"Would you move?" Andy screamed, frustrated after unsuccessfully trying to get past her. She grabbed Carter's shoulders and pushed her aside with as much force she could muster. Carter gave in and fell to the concrete, skinning her knees and hands as she went down. She heard Carter sob loudly. Andy felt bad about what she had done to Carter but didn't know how to fix the situation. She turned her head to see her mom and Carter's dad running over to Carter worriedly. She was pushed aside as they went to attend to the fallen girl.

When Andy saw how gently her mom attended to Carter's wounds, a part of her broke inside. Her mom had never handled her that gently before, she always snapped at Andy to become strong and tough inside. But that was when they were living the lives of the homeless. Andy couldn't bear to see them any longer. She didn't want to see anyone for much longer. She ran off to the trees behind the garden, ungulfed by their overgrowing shrubbery and undergrowth. She knew no one could find her there, and was happy for that. There it was just her, the trees, and the wind gently caressing her hair comfortingly with its breeze.

From that day on, she never trusted her mom again. She never allowed people to get close to her. She never let them get past her cold, indifferent front. She never let herself trust people again. She was terrified of losing people the way she lost her mom. So she pushed them away from her.

That day, she truly became cruel.