Maya's POV

*Ring Ring*

I hit the snooze button on my alarm, I slowly try and fumble managing to sit up and turn it off.

I'll just sleep for another while, can't do me any harm I thought.

Katy enters the room.

"What do you think you're doing", she bellows.

I try to ignore her, not that it's much use. She comes over to me and looks me right in the eyes; her face is so close to mine, I can literally hear her heavy breathing.

I manage to mumble 'I'm sorry'. Mom gets hold of my wrist and drags me onto the floor.

I tremble, in pain. All I can do is sit there, lost in thought. I try to hide behind my knees, but I don't want to give her the impression that I'm scared, I don't want her to know that she gets to me.

"MAYA QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH ME" she yells.

I quiver in fear, it's all I can possibly do.

"Sorry Katy" is all I can say, I don't like calling her Mom, as it reminds be that I'm related to this monster.

I want to picture her, out of my life. I want to imagine myself like a 'free bird' as the wonderful Maya Angelou would say.

At least I can pretend that I'm named after such an inspirational woman.

"Get ready, you little brat" she bellows.

I stand up tall, head held high and salute her. You swear she's an army commander I thought. We just stare at each other in silence, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly she awkwardly pats my head and smiles at me.

"I'm off to work now" she beams.

Thank god, I said in my head, obviously, if I dared say that aloud, I'd be dead.

I crept over to the window, making sure not to stand on any of my clothes scattered across the floor, laying their limply like dead bodies. I slowly opened the curtains. Another day I thought. Another day full of disappointment and fear. Another day of being alive. I wasn't sure if that was positive or not. I always beat myself up about it. I think I'm so ungrateful sometimes as I know there are kids out there striving to survive but know they won't. I don't appreciate what I have, I may not have much but I'm lucky in some ways, I may not have a loving family or a wonderful home, but at least I have a family and shelter, I told myself.

It was a dark and gloomy morning. Isn't it weird how the weather can represent your mood, I thought.

The moon was still up high in the sky, the sky lovely and dark. Its weird how I like it like that; it gives the world a mysterious feeling. Its bland and plain, nothing unique, no colour or personality but for some reason you know it's something important, a bit like me. On the ground lay heaps of garbage, coloured plastic bags dancing in the wind, bottles thrown in piles stacked against the walls. Chewing come stuck to the sidewalk.

Ohhh what a beautiful sight, such a gorgeous place, I happily live in (NOT). It's so hard to believe, that just the other side of town, people live in luxury. My best friend for life, Riley, happens to live there. The streets are immaculately clean. The pavement glistens in the light. The dustbins sparkle like stars. The houses are decorated with baskets of flowers in an array of different colours, hanging from the doors. Swing sets sitting perfectly in the front gardens, for the little kids to enjoy.

I got dressed into something clean, I put on my beloved 'best friend' jumper that Riley bought me for my birthday last month, my favourite pair of jeans, they were a bit faded and worn from all the times I fell roller-skating in them, but for some reason I just adore them. I tied my hair up quickly in a messy bun. Dabbed some concealer underneath my eyes, the bags underneath them was unbelievable. I looked like some creature from Paranormal Activity. I smiled my hideous smile and traced the outline of my cheekbones with some blush. It will give people the impression that I look youthful and fresh, I assumed. I applied some gloss and stood in front of the mirror.

"Why God" I asked, "why do I look like this".

I stumped, holding my head down low. I felt sick looking at myself. I was a disgrace, no wonder Katy hated me. My hair was to limb, my neck to long, I looked like a giraffe, my legs to lanky. At least I could be a basketball player with legs like these. I pinched my stomach, wishing it would just magically shrink, I stared at my massive thighs, wishing they were not in love and would separate from one another. The look of myself made me miserable so I decided to go downstairs.

Favourite, follow and review (if you like). Sorry about any mistakes, it was late at night .I will try and update when i can because school gets in the way (ughhhhh). I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

Sophia x