Title: A Story of a Girl

A man dressed in black leather pants and tight black shirt enters the chat room in Prison. Another man present in the chat room is dressed in an orange prison uniform. The man dressed in black pulls out a chair in front of the other man as the guard closes the room.

"So how's it going buddy? Love the new place you live in." Said Rafiko with a smirk on his face.

The other man looked up with anger but yet tiredness in his eyes. "What do you want?" Ben asks. Rafiko looked at him and rapped his fingers on the table. "What I want? You know what I want."

"You took everything away from me Raf, what else do I have to give? Look at this place you put me in." Ben said as he looks at his hands handcuffed.

"Don't give me that Benny boy; you still got one item left." Rafiko said as he let out a sigh.

"I don't know what you are talking about Rafiko, I have nothing left! You took everything away from me. My wife is gone and so is my daughter!" Ben shouted out.

Ben got a bit taken aback at first then finally understood. Ben lets out a small laugh and a grin appeared on his face. "You think you're daughter is dead?" Rafiko laughs.

At that moment, Ben felt a tingling sensation in his body. "My…my daughter…she's not…dead?" Ben mutters.

Rafiko looks at him and shakes his head indicating that Ben's daughter is still alive. "Where is she! I want to see her!" Ben stood up with anxiety. His heart is beating faster and faster, thinking that after all these years, his precious little girl, Peprica, is still alive!

"She's…somewhere but that is not what I came here for. Benny boy, remember you told me that before your mother died, she handed a family gift?" Rafiko said.

"A family gift? What…no…" Ben said as he slowly sat down. "Ah…so know you remember. I want to know where it is." Rafiko said.

"I…I don't have it. I lost it a long time ago." Ben said looking away. Ben now regrets ever telling Rafiko about the Eagle's eye. The Eagles eye is the most precious thing and rarest diamond in the world. It was his mother who found it and passed it down to him.

"Don't lie Ben, you know where it is." Rafiko said impatiently.

"Why should I tell you? You've betrayed us all! What about Rick? Denny? The rest? You sold them out! One by one! I should have known it was you!" Ben shouted out loud.

Rafiko slowly got up and ginned. "Crime doesn't pay my friend and that's why I decided to abide by it."

"By selling us out!" Ben shouted.

"If you don't tell me where it is, maybe your daughter will…" Rafiko trailed off as he headed for the daughter.

This struck Ben in the heart. Not wanting his daughter to be put in danger, Ben got up and points his finger at Rafiko. "Don't you dare hurt my daughter! If anything happens to her, I'll hunt you down even if it takes the rest of my life!" Ben cried out.

"Sorry, I don't make promises." Rafiko said. He opened the door and left leaving Ben slumping back into the wooden chair. "No…leave her alone…" Ben mutters with tears trickling down his cheek.

The next morning, Peprica, dressed in a long teddy bear night dress, walks down the stairs with her white hair uncombed. It's only 4am and she couldn't sleep in. Everyone in the house is sleeping peacefully except Peprica.

She headed to the kitchen and switched on the lights. She walked over to the fridge and took out a carton of milk. She took out a cup and poured milk into it. Her dreams keep on preventing her from having a good sleep. How she wished she could talk to Jamie about it.

Peprica let out a heavy sigh and just sat there staring at the cup. She remembered it was on a rainy day that her life turned upside down.

Flashback

Dingdong!

"I'll get it!" said a girl. Her white hair is tied up in a ponytail. There in one corner, a man sits on a chair reading the newspaper. The girl walked over to the door and opened it to see three policemen standing there.

"Officer Bailey Miss. Is Mister Ben Star here?" Officer Bailey asked.

"Y…yes, my father is here." The girl said.

The girl opened the door wider and let the policemen in. As soon as the man in the chair saw them, he immediately got up and dumps the newspaper on the chair.

"How can I help you officers?" The man asks.

"Search the place!" Officer Bailey ordered. At once, the two policemen entered the rooms of the house. Shocked, the man shouted.

"What are you doing! What reason do you have of searching my house?" The man shouted out loud. Frightened, the girl stood behind her father.

Just before Office Bailey could answer, one of his men found the stash. "Sir, we found the stolen goods!"

The man was shocked as Officer Bailey turned to look at him. "Mister Ben Star, you are under arrest for multiple theft crimes!"

"Dad, what's going on!" The girl asks. But her dad did not answer but allow the policemen to handcuff him. Being too ashamed to face his daughter, the man walked out with the two other officers. Officer Bailey then turns to the girl and reaches for her. "Come, we will put you in a good home."

The girl takes one step back and yells at him. "NO! I want my dad! What did you accuse him for stealing?"

"Your father is a criminal child; he has broken into houses and stole items. Now if you please, we will have to put you into a proper home till things have settled down. Maybe you will be adopted into a better family." Said Officer Bailey as he reaches for the girl.

The girl quickly dodges him and runs out of the house into the rain.

End of flashback

"No…daddy…" Peprica buries her face in her hands as she tries to forget that memory. It wasn't easy for her then when she entered the church. She stayed all by herself in the bell tower and at that time, she was afraid of being alone. But after seeing that the church has nothing to be afraid off, she wasn't afraid anymore. Tears slowly seep from her closed eyes as the wounds in her heart widened and deepen. How she wished she could forget everything within a snap of her fingers.

From outside the kitchen, behind the wall, Storm overheard Peprica crying. At first, Storm got up from bed to get a glass of water but when she saw Peprica crying, she decided not to enter.

Storm could feel the way Peprica felt, the pain inside Peprica is horrible and no one would understand it. Storm then turns to head back to her room, feeling that it is best to leave Peprica alone knowing that Peprica won't want anyone to see her crying.

8am and Professor Xavier enters the kitchen to have a cup of coffee. However, he wasn't alone. In the kitchen, a girl sits on the chair with her face resting on her arms on the table fast asleep.

Professor Xavier wheeled up to her and realizes it's Peprica that is fast asleep. Not wanting the other students to find her still sleeping in the kitchen, he telepathically wakes her up.

Peprica? Time to wake up.

Peprica stirs and then lifts her head up to see Professor Xavier smiling at her.

"Good morning Peprica." Professor Xavier says.

"Oh, good morning Professor…" Peprica takes a quick look around and realizes that she is still in the kitchen since 4am in the morning. "Heh…looks like I fell asleep in the kitchen." Peprica nervously replies.

Professor Xavier laughs and then went to get a cup of coffee. "What are you doing down here if I may ask Peprica?"

"Huh? Oh, I…just had a rough night so I came down here. Couldn't sleep in…" Peprica said quietly.

Professor Xavier looks at her and sense trouble in her mind. "You know, you can talk to me anytime if you need help."

Peprica understood that Professor Xavier is feeling troubled. "I…always wanted to visit my dad but…never could. My father doesn't know I'm alive…" Peprica said with sadness in her voice. Professor Xavier felt shock that not even her dad knows she's alive.

"Have you tried writing to him?" Professor Xavier said. Peprica looks up at him knowing he doesn't know exactly what is going on.

"On the day I ran away, the police were out to find me but I hid in a ship. And I was unknowingly shipped to Hawaii. That is where I live." Peprica said, trying to hide her fear.

"You were shipped all the way to Hawaii and not even say a word about it?" Professor Xavier said stunned. Peprica nods her head. There are so many things about her that not many know.

"When I ran away, the police were on the search for me. They wanted me to have a better home as they fear I might learn from my dad. I…I ran to the docks and persuaded the sailors who were sailing to Hawaii to let me board. They…they felt sorry for me and allowed me to go with them. That…that is how…I landed up living in Hawaii and in the church."

Her story was sad and confusing as Professor Xavier felt. Peprica then got up and puts her empty cup in the sink then sat back down. "I've been thinking…I think I should go back to Hawaii."

A moment of silence

"I'm still thinking about it though…thank you Professor…for letting me into your home." Peprica said as she got up and walked out of the kitchen.

Just then, Storm walks in.

"Good morning Charles." Storm said as she made herself some tea.

"Good morning Ororo," Professor Xavier said but still looking at where Peprica sat.

"I overhead that Peprica feels like returning home?" Storm asks as she sits at where Peprica sat.

"I can sense that she doesn't feel like she belongs here Ororo, to be frank." Professor Xavier said.

"Yesterday, I think Peprica had a conflict with the New Mutants. She came in crying but she tried to hide it from me. Apparently, I think she won the argument, the others came in totally silent, not like always." Storm said as she took a sip of her tea.

Professor talked to Storm all about what Peprica told him. She just sat there with pain in her heart, not knowing how much Peprica went through. After everything has been said, all Storm could say is, "Poor child…"

Next Chapter: Don't leave

Author: Okay, I know it's nothing much but it's just basically about Peprica. I really tried my best for this chapter because this is all I could think of. Sweat drop Well, the next chapter may be short or long so let me just let you know first.

Anyway, Please Review! It will mean a lot to me! By the way, those who have reviewed my story, thank you so much! It has really inspired me to carry on and I hope you guys will continue to read my story and review it. Well, I can't force but I just hope that is all. Anyway, thanks again even if I only had three reviews, it meant a lot to me.