Here is mydisclaimer: I do not own twilight. I do however own Ourathio and as you all probably notice, it is nothing like twilight.
Author's Note:
Part 1
When an author puts his or her work out to the public, a lack of response can be rather disheartening, so disheartening that an author might abandon the piece entirely. With that in mind, I would like to thank my reviewers- big hugs to all of you. To everyone else that didn't review: no silent readers please. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. I will only get better if I have feedback, constructive feedback
Chapter 1
Bella POV
The rain lulled me gently to sleep. I was floating in a realm that was somewhere between a dream and consciousness. I felt at peace, relaxed. Somehow I knew the moment would soon approach. I dreaded it. My eyes clenched as tranquility left me and I became more and more awake despite my efforts to recapture what was lost. A burst of lightning lit up the night sky. Angrily the heavens responded with a loud grumble. My heart leaped in fear and out of reflex I looked towards the window, pulling the covers higher about me as I did.
I saw the silhouette of a person outlined in the shadows. My brain and eyes sought to reconnect me with reality. I had yet to discern if I was indeed awake. I reached for my glasses on the night stand and slipped from beneath the covers. The floor creaked as I made my way across the room. Curiosity got the best of me, though I suspect fear played a small role as well. They consorted, pleaded with me to peak out the window and I did. There was nothing. My heart sank as though I were disappointed. I walked back to bed and laid awake waiting for my alarm to ring. Trying to sleep now would have been pointless.
It was still dark out. I left the curtains slightly parted so that I was able to watch the light as it forced the darkness into submission as dawn approached. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. I hated the thought of the unknown but this was undeniably the closest I have come to being in complete disagreement with myself. This I loved. The stars looked like tiny shimmering dots – polka dots embedded in a thick midnight blue. Compared to the bigger picture, they were small and insignificant; which was how I felt most of the time. I wanted to be so much more but I could only be so much and no more. There were no clouds in the sky which was odd because I could still hear the pitter patter of raindrops hitting my roof. The storm must have passed. This light shower was probably the last of it.
One dot in particular looked brighter than the others. 'Must be Saturn.' I assumed. I was not big on astrology but I did love star gazing. I always told myself that studying it them would take away some of the mysteries of the heavens. It was the mystery of what lied between them that makes them so magical to me. Then again it could just be the laziness talking. I began to focus on this one star -the bright one -to distract myself from my thoughts only to get lost in them again. In my daze, I vaguely noticed that the star had drifted a large distance in the sky towards me. Stars don't move. It could be a plane, I rationalized. But then, why would a plane travel that slowly, then stop only to hover above my window? 'The object' -as I would continue to call it- flashed brightly then disappeared. I continued staring at the spot with baited breath thinking that the 'object' might appear again but it didn't. Confused, I looked away, then back again but still there was nothing but an empty, open sky. For a second I thought I'd dreamt of it all- that in a moment, I would open my eyes and discover that I had indeed been asleep but I wasn't asleep and this was real. Stars just don't disappear.
Mentally, I documented all that I saw so that I could mull over it later, just as I did with all things that confused me. If it came back, I planned to be ready. I would have an idea of what I was looking for. As the sun peaked over the Californian Mountains, my alarm rang. Just like that the spell was broken. It was time to get ready for school. Ah, school. The more I thought about that place, the more I became enraged and disheartened all at once. I didn't want to go but I knew that I had to. I was six months away from graduation and a couple days away from Christmas vacation. I could not afford to miss a day with exams being administered and so I would pretend not to see the stares, harden my eyes and live through it.
I was standing in front of the bathroom sink turning the faucet when I was suddenly faced with a reflection of myself. I quickly averted my eyes and continued with the task at hand. I wasn't ugly by any standard, but I wouldn't call myself pretty either. Most times, I just felt painfully disgusted with myself. I was shy to a fault and my lack of confidence affected everything I did. I couldn't help it but neither could I stand it.
I managed to brush my teeth, relying only on my tongue to decide their cleanliness then hopped into the shower for a much need bath. Somewhere along my tainted musings the rain had stopped. Although I was sad to see the rain end, I was also quite glad. There was less of a chance for me to have an embarrassing moment if the ground wasn't constantly wet and slipper.
I wandered back into my bedroom at a snail's pace with my towel wrapped tightly around my torso, leaving a trail of foot-sized puddles in my wake. Mama would have something to say about that for sure. For years I had been struggling with a terrible phobia of bathrooms, especially dirty bathrooms. I tried to spend as little time in them as I possibly could. They were filled with germs and grime and just made me queasy. So, getting out of them as quickly as possible seemed like the best and only option- drying myself could wait. Making sure to close the curtains before undressing, I glanced at the clock hanging over my small double bed by the window.
'I'd gotten up as soon as my alarm rang so I should be able to get ready comfortably.' I thought. I sighed in relief. I was still making good time but if I didn't hurry up I would end up being late. Getting dressed was the easiest part of the day. I went to a private school in Carmichael, California where everyone was required to wear a uniform- a frumpy grey tunic with a pair the ugly square pockets on the outside and a white blouse underneath it. No one can tell how poor you really are or call you out for having no sense of style. That was my only saving grace.
I thought back to last night. How bizarre was that? It couldn't have been a dream. It was way too vivid to be a dream, right? Are we really the only intelligent life forms in the universe? If there are aliens out there why don't they communicate with us?
Each night after that I would watch the stars waiting for a sign that I wasn't going crazy. I just felt as if I was missing something. It was as if I suddenly found purpose. My spirit was renewed and yet lost and empty. This was the enchantment so many found in UFO's. Long after the sighting many would still find themselves looking, forever looking. This was the start of a never ending devotion.
The weekend was finally here and not a moment too soon. School had been a nightmare this week but I, surprisingly, got through it with only a few minor bruises to my ego. That was only because the anticipation of this night had been much too distracting to spare anything else a passing thought. The weatherman had forecasted a light shower of rain for this evening into tomorrow. So, while my classmates will undoubtedly partake in a drunken night of partying at the newly condemned house on Shady Street that is scheduled to be torn down by the city council, I will be spending an enjoyable evening at home recreating the night of the first sighting. After nights of disappointment, I just felt that tonight would be different.
Armed with a thermos of hot chocolate and a pair of binoculars, tonight all my research and planning will be carried out. The UFO blogs on the internet, I discovered, were riddled with theories of conspiracy, claiming government involvement in the unexplainable as well as a number of hoaxes. They weren't much help. This was no hoax. The memory of the entrancing light and its sudden disappearance would forever be ingrained in my mind and far too precious to share with anyone else. It was the only thing I had that was mine.
I drew my curtains all the way open this time before climbing into bed and snuggling under my blanket. I focused my gaze on the night sky and waited.
"Where are you?" I whispered.
There was a knock on my door and soon after, I was greeted by soft curls of graying hair followed a short, stout figure. She never did learn to wait for an answer, my Mama. I listened to her grumble to herself while she fumbled to find the light switch on the wall.
"Lawd help this child, ensnared by the darkness! Jesus! I can't even see my hand before my eyes. Why have you got your room so pitch dark, Arabella? That's why you always in such a foul mood, you know. No light! Ya can't eva find ya happiness and peace of mind without a little light to guide you to it. Haven't I ever told you that?"
She did, many times. But I have a couple stars right outside my window just waiting to show me the way. I thought of that response cheekily. I didn't dare voice it.
The bulb flickered on and the room instantly became illuminated. I squinted to adjust my eyes to its sudden brightness. She sighed heavily.
"Now that's betta. Sweetheart, ya missed dinner. Is everything alright?" her shaky tenor permeated the dreadful silence and I was instantly filled with warmth. My grandmother was the best- always ready to impart wisdom on anyone unlucky enough to be within her range when the mood struck her. She was born in New Orleans and was the epitome of a strong Cajun woman- independent, sophisticated and God-fearing. So was my mother at one time but she's an English woman now- Has the accent and everything. I was still a little girl when she left us saying she was tired of the swamps. Being as independent as she was, Mama couldn't stand all the looks of pity and the occasional sympathetic 'If you ever need anything….' That we continually got from our well to do neighbors in the dirty south. We moved away not long after. She let me pick where and I chose California. Mama used the money from some settlement that she refused to talk about to get us a place here. See mom, you didn't have to leave us. We made it too and we're doing pretty well for ourselves.
She now sends me greeting cards and money on my birthday and holidays after a good tongue lashing from Mama for completely cutting us off for the first two years after she left. I couldn't visit her in England either. I tried to once. She didn't want me but was too cowardly to say no my face. I got my answer in a letter some week after I had posed the question. She told me that I didn't fit in with her perfect new life and her perfect new children. I had long since forgotten about her though. My Mama was all I needed.
"I'm fine Mama, just didn't have much of an appetite tonight." I kept glancing between Mama and the stars hoping I didn't miss anything. She obviously didn't notice that I was a bit preoccupied, either that or she chose to ignore it because she spoke again.
"Well it's too early to be holed up in ya room like this. Why, when Ah was your age, Ah'd have all the young men linin' up to take me dancin' on a Friday night. Ah certainly wouldn't be under no blanket feelin' sorry for ma self, honey." She swayed elegantly to the music in her head then sighed longingly as she floated right on back to reality. She definitely did show signs of being a devastating beauty when she was younger- With her high cheek bones, her dark grey eyes and caramel skin. I, on the other hand, had no such luck fishing in the genetic pool.
I was just as short as mama, 5'2 with long unruly brown curls and absolutely no pigment. I swear I must be an albino since I don't tan very well either. Sometimes I wished I were just a little bit darker so that I would fit in with the rest of my family. On top of that living in California, certain things like a tan are sort of necessary. I guess that's just another reason I didn't fit in.
"Ma!" I groaned "Geez! I know I'm a social pariah but is it necessary to rub it in my face all the time?"
"Awe honey, ya know Ah didn't mean it like that- never like that. Ah just wish ya had some more friends. Ya always been so into your books and ya homework and, don't get me wrong Ah'm real proud o' that. It just breaks mah heart seeing you up here alone all the time, watching everybody else live they lives through this window. Ev'ry now and again u gotta put the books down and go out there and join 'em." I knew she meant well but I couldn't help being defensive. It was like second nature for me. – Always defending myself against somebody. Deep down, I knew Mama wasn't the enemy.
"Well, I don't need the type of friends those people would make. I chose to move here and I've been paying for it ever since. 'Sides mama, I still have you, don't I? That's all I'll ever need." I watched a slow smile spread across her face as she wobbled over to sit on the edge of my bed.
"Ya may think that now but Ah won't be much company fa much longa. You'll need somebody to love ya when Ah'm gone. This old gal has done her time and it'll make yo' mama a whole lot happier knowing that you're taken care of." I hate it when she talks as if she was going to die tomorrow. Who knows? Death is very unpredictable. I could very well go before she does. She patted my blanket covered knee lovingly and gazed at the sky. "Ah predict, if ya give what Ah'm sayin' a chance, you'll have more people ta love and take care of you than there are stars in that there sky. That's a promise."
"Mama you can't promise me that." I pulled my legs up and hugged them to my chest. Yeah she definitely couldn't promise that.
She reached over and gently brushed my hair away from my eyes with her fingers then my pulled my chin up so I was looking in her's. She smiled. "Ah can. Now, you come down here and eat. Ah fixed a plate and left it for ya in the oven. Can't have ya withering away on me, now can Ah?"
"Ma I'm alright, really. I got some hot chocolate over there. I really don't need to eat anything right now."
"Are you arguing with your Mama. Is this tha young lady that Ah raised talkin' back to me?" She pointed a finger to herself as she asked.
"Alright mama. I'ma comin'" I said mimicking her Cajun drawl. She utterly hated when people did that. She looked at me and raised a brow. I knew that look. It said ' I know you didn't just try it'. That was all it took for me to scramble out of bed and follow closely behind her, slinging an arm around her shoulder as we descended the stairs. When she wrapped an arm around my waist in return, I knew all was forgiven.
I just loved my mama.
It turns out that dinner was exactly what I needed. Growing up, I heard the best way to forget about your troubles is to leave them at the door and sit down to a hot Cajun meal. When I saw the plate that mama made me, I was just about ready to drop all this UFO nonsense.
You know what they say though; Things have a way of finding you just as soon as you stop looking for them. There it was, hovering just in the distance beyond some trees- my 'object'. It was not quite near my house, but I could see it clearly just as soon as I settled back into bed after dinner and some hot chocolate on the front porch with Mama.
I stared at it for a minute, paralyzed in excitement. Then, almost in a daze, I began to untangle my limbs from the blanket. My eyes hadn't left the 'object' for a second. Slowly and deliberately, I made small steps to the window- like a predator moments before a kill. One wrong move and the object could be light-years away in seconds. I couldn't dwell on that though because it was here! It had come back and it felt like it was here just for me-because, I wished it here. The funny thing is that with all the preparation I had put in leading up to this tumultuous moment, now that it was here I didn't know what to do.
I mean, should I write this down? There should be some kind of documentation going on, I think. Maybe take a picture to remember it by? Imagine me taking a selfie with duck lips and a freaking UFO in the background. No? Well how does one pose with a UFO? I guess I'll just have to let it slide for now. I hadn't planned on telling anyone anyway so it doesn't matter if I have proof of it existence. I decided to put a leg over, through the window and sit there with it. There was nothing spectacular happening. I have to say that I was getting a little disappointed. Is that it?
The real drama, however, began when I decided to put my other leg over and clumsily lost my balance, hitting my hand hard against the window pane as I desperately tried to right myself again. My body rolled down the slanted roof still wet from all the rain. My exposed arms rubbed against the rough shingles causing multiple scrapes and bruises and it seemed like nothing could stop the momentum I had as my body made its descent to the ground propelled by the cruel, cruel mistress that is gravity. Just a foot above the ground before impact, I stopped falling. My neck was twisted awkwardly and I was too afraid to move. The object had drifted closer and was now hovering about fifty feet above the weeping willow tree in the front yard. It flashed brightly. Then the light pulsed and I felt myself being lowered slowly to the ground.
Feeling the wet grass tickle my neck as it made contact just about shattered my nerves and I released a harsh breath that I hadn't realized that I had been holding. My body felt too heavy all of a sudden but I guess almost dying caused it to shut down; because for a split second I could not regain control of my limbs. The object was still flashing and I looked towards the house to see if all the ruckus on the roof had woken Mama up. My eyes widened in horror. There was her bundled figure on the porch rushing towards me as fast as her weak old legs could take her. No Mama stay, I wanted to say but she was already closing the distance between us.
I hope the inhabitants of the 'object' were as friendly as they seemed to be because right now we were completely at their mercy if the little green men decided to change their minds about playing nice. Then I looked up and it was gone again.
"Somebody help! Dear God, please help mah baby!" she shouted but there was no one around to hear her pleas, except for God maybe. No lights were on the neighborhood save for a few street lights. Everyone was probably asleep. Tears welled in her dark grey eyes as she struggled to get down on her knees next to me, holding on to the top of her cane for support as she did. In one long stream after another, the tears escaped, cascading down her face, then down the length of her neck. For the first time since I was a little girl, I looked at her and saw every year she's ever lived in the lines of her face. She was old. As much as I hated to admit it, my Mama was really old and at the slightest provocation I could lose her.
"Mah God, baby girl! Are ya alright? What am Ah saying? Ya fell from the roof. O' course you're not alright! This is mah fault. Ah shoulda never put so much pressure on ya." She's rambling. This isn't good. Mama doesn't ramble. "Never in mah life have Ah felt so stupid. You were fine befor' Ah stuck mah neck where it didn't belong. Ah mean, ya didn't need that from me of all people. Ah was supposed to be your solace and Ah attacked and criticized ya just like everybody else. I'm so sorry baby! So, so sorry!"
She shrugged off the blanket that had been thrown over her shoulders and bundled it up into a make-shift pillow which she carefully placed beneath my head. "What am Ah doin'?" she asked herself in horror. "Ah should be callin' an ambulance. You just wait; Ima get somebody to help ya. Ah'll make it betta!"
"Mama wait, I'm fine!" I urged her with my eyes to come back but at the same time I was sneaking glances at the spot in the sky where the object had just hovered. Her back was already turned. She couldn't see me. I reached up and grabbed two handfuls of my own hair and pulled in frustration. I felt ashamed and slightly disgusted with myself. Here was my seventy-four year old grandmother worrying herself into an early grave, and I was laying here in the cold wet grass fantasizing about UFO's. Not only that but she was blaming herself for my stupidity, for my clumsiness, which could only mean one thing. She must have thought that I had attempted to- She thought I tried to… well, kill myself. I groaned. I really don't need this right now. I know how it must have looked to anyone who saw me in this state- heavily cut up and bruised, but I was not suicidal. Not yet.
Had she even seen the object? She hadn't given any indication that she had but she was right there. How could she not have? She watched me hovering mid air but didn't mention a word about it while we waited for the ambulance to pull up. We heard it long before we saw it. The siren was on and flashed red. The flashing reminded me of the object but only fundamentally. If the neighbors weren't alerted before they certainly would be now.
The ambulance had come in record time- in less than ten minutes ,I estimated. I was gently lifted by the two male paramedics who had eagerly jumped out of the back to assess my injuries and then decide on the best way to move me without further irritating them. The men carefully placed me on a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance. They were surprised that I was neither writhing in pain from any broken bones nor complaining about the rain water that had been seeping into the numerous cuts and scrapes that covered both my arms. It stung bitterly every time I shifted but it was my last focus. The medics both looked pretty average dressed in their uniforms. They were probably around mid twenties except for the brunette who was obviously younger and slightly more handsome than the blond yet, at the same time, meaner looking if that made any sense. Despite my best protests both Mama and the paramedics had insisted that I remain still and not try to get up because they were not sure of the extent of my injuries.
So, when I was lifted into the bus and whisked off to the hospital I had only hoped that this ordeal would soon be over. My guilt had deepened tremendously as we progressed in the short journey to the hospital. I noticed that she, Mama, had only tried to hold my hand once, when the medics had begun to run some tests but the whole time would never look at me- not even a glance. It was a quiet ride except for the occasional soft murmuring of the medics as they spoke to one another and the constant beeping of the equipment. This was a first. I couldn't wait to get to the hospital.
Mercy hospital was as clean and sterile as any medical facility could get. As I rolled in, I was immediately greeted by the pungent smell of antiseptic which hung heavily in the air of the air-conditioned reception area followed by the ever smiling, handsome face of Dr. Carlisle Cullen who frowned as soon as he realized it was I who laid on the stretcher before him all battered and bruised. I've known Carlisle for about five years. I became instantly drawn to his pleasant demeanor and inquisitive nature; he to my passionate ranting of the woes of teenage life which he listens with such rapt attention that I wonder if he truly does care about my silly problems when he had the weight of surgeon's guilt on his mind constantly. Each one he couldn't save casted a depressing cloud over his entire being of the likes that I had never before encountered. It was as if he had lost his own family member or never experienced death. He became a sort of confidant- a non-judgmental listening ear and his advice wasn't too bad either. Carlisle has a way of pointing out solutions that are so simple and direct they seem almost impossibly obvious. Made me wonder why I hadn't thought of it myself. But people have a tendency to be suspicious of things that come too easy to them, stemming from a well placed distrust of the world that has let us down so many times.
Every thing about him was wholly benevolent. His perfectly highlighted blond hair contrasted brightly with his white coat and deathly pale skin. There were some dark circles under his eyes and he looked as if he hadn't slept in a couple of days, but that was the glamorous life of a doctor I was told. I hoped the pay was worth it but I could tell it wasn't about the money with him.
"Not happy to see me?" I teased.
"Not under these circumstances, no." He smiled despite his apparent displeasure. The paramedics fired off a list of vital stats along with the dreaded 'she fell off a roof…'. I noticed there was a slight edge to the medics' voice, the brunette, when he said this and all love, or rather tolerance, was immediately lost between us. They settled me in the viewing area to the far right at the end of the room where it was much more private as per Dr. Cullen's instruction. I had unofficially claimed it as my own since I had been the only patient to use it as often as I did. Even the staff had dubbed it Bella's Corner.
"Arabella," I looked up at the sound of his voice. "Talk to me, tell me what happened." His voice was soft and reassuring and like everything else about him, awfully welcoming. I couldn't help being drawn to him. I looked hesitantly at mama who sat quietly in a padded chair at my bedside clutching her cane. He seemed to get the picture. He turned to her. "Mrs. Conoley, would you please give us a moment, maybe get yourself some tea in the cafeteria?"
"Ah-," she looked like she was about to protest.
"Please Mama," I begged quietly. I was not prepared to face her if I had proven too hasty in granting Carlisle my unwavering confidence and he turned from me in question of my sanity. I would never mention this to another soul as surely what I had to disclose would land me in a padded cell for a very long time, if Carlisle of all persons could not accept me." He drew the shielding curtain around my bed after she left to protect me from the prying eyes of nosy passersby.
"That's quite a lot of bruising," he mentioned offhandedly "wanna tell me how it happened?" He reached for a pair of gloves from the white plastic basin on a trolley he had wheeled in with him and pulled them on before looking at me, I assumed waiting for my reply."
"I know what you're thinking Dr. Cullen," I said with a hint of malice. "but that couldn't be further from the truth."
"Oh! And what exactly am I thinking?" he raised a brow at me before spraying antiseptic on my wound. I hissed then flinched, easing away from him as best as I could without further irritating my other arm. Indignantly, I stared into his eyes. His gaze met mine resolutely.
"You're thinking that I purposely jumped off the roof of my house- that I tried to commit suicide!"
"You've had a rough life. It would be easy for others to assume the worst but you know that I know you better than that. So tell me, what is the truth?" He continued to clean the other scrapes and cuts along my arm but this time I barely noticed.
"This is gonna sound a little crazy but this weekend I had planned to spend some quiet time at home UFO watching." He stopped unrolling the bandages from the package to spear me a disappointed glance.
"UFO watching? I am highly disappointed in you. If you're not ready to have this discussion I can and would understand your position. I would never push you to share something that would cause you unnecessary distress. However, considering the nature of your fall and the eye witness account, I could hardly claim to be a friend if I didn't ask about the circumstances surrounding your fall. We've spoken of many things in your life. This doesn't have to be different. Our friendship is built on trust and honestly. If we have lost that we might as well just walk away right now." It was like he was begging me to change my answer but I couldn't. This was the truth. I just hoped he would see that. I'm positive that I have recently taken leave of my senses.
"Carlisle, I'm serious!" I whined dejectedly.
"You're serious? Ok," he nodded as if to confirm something to himself. "I suppose I could humor you for the moment- sort out this nonsense. Tell me how you came to have an interest in extraterrestrials."
I regaled him with a recount of the events of my evening leading up to the fall. I waited for it, the mirth, and the hysteria that he was prone to after a becoming privy to particularly discomforting accident of mine. I was not disappointed. I was rewarded with a snort- two snorts, a smirk, a grin and then full blown laughter. I mean -he stopped wrapping my arm, held his face in his right hand and almost cried –laughter. I was surprised he was taking this so well. I personally didn't see what was so funny. He must have remembered the underlying seriousness of the situation and masked his amusement. I had almost died. I would have died if I wasn't saved by the 'object'.
"So, you believe what you have told me to me true- about these aliens?"
"Yes! What have I been telling you this whole time?"
"You always did have quite the imagination." He said stifling a chuckle.
"I'm glad someone is having a good time." I muttered though I wasn't really angry with him. Carlisle was a happy kind of guy and I was used to his strange reactions. While most doctors would call in their colleagues, the nice men in white coats who carried the big needles, he simply laughs at my misfortune and keeps it moving.
" So, the only reason you haven't broken you neck is because an alien spaceship, the same one you had been stalking, or had been stalking you, saved you from falling mid-air?" I guess it did sound kind of funny when he said it like that.
"Bella, I am speaking to you as both your doctor and your friend, speak of this to no one. It doesn't bode well for you if people hear you talking like this. They'll think you're crazy."
"Hello! Look at my arms, if I weren't telling you the truth how would I have gotten these. What kind of sicko would do that to herself?"
"I'm not saying that you didn't see something. Something obviously distracted you enough to cause you to lose your balance and fall from your bedroom window as is evident by the numerous bruises along your arm but I, I just can't wrap my mind around this alien stuff. Just keep it to yourself for now, alright."
Carlisle was right. I knew I should have taken that picture. Now everybody's gonna think I'm delusional as well as suicidal.
"Let me finish bandaging your arms. The nurse will want to take you to run some tests just to be sure that everything is ok. It's standard procedure. Your grandmother did say she saw you fall after all." He laughed at my scrunched up face.
"There will be no needles involved. I promise." There better not be. I wasn't having any of that.
"What kind of sicko would do that to herself?" Jessica whispered snidely to Lauren as I passed them in the hallway on my way out. I felt a sense of déjà vu since I had said the same thing to Carlisle just a couple of day ago.
By the following Monday morning, when I returned to school, the rumor mills were brimming with various accounts of my weekend's misadventures. Today was the last day of school before the Christmas holidays, very convenient as you can imagine. I had been to hell and back today. I discovered the extent of the cruelty that one human being could impart on another.
Angella was more sympathetic plight, hugging me as soon as I reached the sidewalk outside of school. I winced in pain.
"You ok hun?" She asked as she adjusted her book-bag on her shoulder.
"Yea, it takes more than a fall and some smart mouthed bitches to get me." I tried to put on a brave face but failed miserably.
"It hurts, huh?" I didn't know whether she was talking about the bullying or the bruises after she hugged me but I answered anyway.
"Like a bitch!" We burst out laughing and started the walk home. Angella's house was the first on the route home from school.
"Bye Bella, I'll see you when I get back." Angella was off to see her dad for the holiday. Apparently, he had her this Christmas. I knew she wasn't happy to be with him since her mom would be all alone in that big house but I still felt a bit jealous of her. I never met my dad. He was just a signature on a check that appeared once a month. C. Swan was what I made out from his ugly chicken scratch. He was obviously well off though since he offered to foot the bill for the fancy private school. Mama refused to talk about him so I had to make due with snooping about to find out whatever information I could about him.
"Bye Angella! Try to have a good time alright. Just give him a chance. He's trying. He's way better than most of these dead beat dads. "
She rolled her eyes but nodded anyway. I got home relatively quickly after that. Angella lived only five houses away from me. I needed to face Mama sooner or later. We hadn't spoken much since I had been released from the hospital. I guess I could understand why she had felt the need to avoid me. Such strong guilt, though terribly misplaced, tends to stifle communication. I hated this. I need my Mama back.
Until the next Chapter
-Kordelia A. Bloom
