and so begins the first real chapter... again, this wasn't my best writing, but that is mainly because the plot has not started yet. I will hopefully be updating frequently because I am now out of school and have time to write.
Bye, Dad," Lily murmured as she hugged her father goodbye and kissed him on the cheek. "See you in October."
"Bye, Lilikins," he smiled. "Don't worry, its not as long as it seems. Besides, I might come back to visit on some weekends. Doesn't someone have a birthday coming up?"
"End of this month," Lily grinned.
"Exactly. Who knows? I might pop by for a few days to celebrate."
Lily sighed. "You'll be in America. You don't exactly 'pop by' from all the way on the other side of the world."
"Don't worry about that," her father laughed. "Go on and get your mum. I want to say goodbye to her."
Lily's green eyes momentarily darkened. "Nora's not my mum," she muttered once she was out of ear-shot of her father. It was true; Lily's real mother had died of cancer when Lily was six. Although Nora had adopted Lily, in truth she was just her stepmother. Nonetheless, she opened the door and stepped inside.
"Nora, Dad wants to say goodbye to you!" she called. A few seconds later, Nora swept past, not acknowledging Lily. As soon as she stepped outside, however, a smile covered Nora's beautiful face.
"Thomas, you know I don't want you to go!" Lily heard Nora protest through the open window.
"I don't either, Nora, but this is a great opportunity. Besides, I'll be back before you know it," her father said.
"I know, I know!" Nora pouted. "But promise you'll call?"
"Every day," he said. "And I'll come back for a few weekends." Nora smiled. "I have to go. Give me a kiss." Lily could see them lean in, could see their faces meet, could see her father's fingers running through Nora's long golden hair. Then they broke apart and Nora stepped back. Lily's sister, Petunia, gave their father one last hug, and then he stepped into the waiting taxi.
Lily ran back outside, waving, and did not stop until the yellow taxi disappeared from sight.
Immediately, Nora spun around, the lighthearted expression gone from her face. "Just go to your room," she said, her large grey eyes fixated on Lily. "Now!" Lily ran back inside, then up the stairs to her room.
She knew that Nora wouldn't want her back downstairs for a while, so she took an Edgar Allen Poe book off of her bedside table, sat on the bed, and began to read. A few minutes later, the door flew open, revealing Nora in the doorway.
Lily immediately sat up, closing the book beside her. Nora's eyes glinted dangerously, then she crossed the room in a few long strides.
"What's this garbage?" she asked, picking up the book distastefully.
"Edgar Allen Poe," Lily said, making a move to grab the book back.
Nora pulled the book away from her. "I know that. You shouldn't be reading that. Stop reading and clean your room. When you're done, you can come downstairs." Nora left, holding the book.
Lily stood up and closed the door. "My room isn't that messy," she sighed. She made her bed and straightened a few books on her bookshelf, then slowly walked downstairs into the living room, where Nora was reading a magazine.
"Don't slouch," she snapped. "It makes you look heavier than you already are." Lily immediately stood up straight to her full height of five feet, three inches.
"Anything you wanted?" Lily asked through gritted teeth.
"Yes, as a matter of fact," Nora said, closing her magazine. "I'm having a friend over at eight. I want you to clean the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, then I need you to pick up a few things at the store. I'll make a list for you." Lily didn't move. "Go!" Nora shouted!
Lily didn't mind cleaning, because it fell into a pattern for her and she didn't have to think. It didn't take her long to do the chores that Nora had asked her to do.
Suddenly, Nora walked into the room. "It's seven right now, Lily, and you still haven't gone to the store."
"How do you expect me to get there?" Lily asked.
"Walk." Nora left, throwing a pad of paper on the ground behind her. Lily bent to pick it up. It was a grocery list, in Nora's neat handwriting. There was money clipped onto the top piece of paper.
Lily sighed, and made to leave. She only had to go two miles, but Lily wasn't used to running, and besides, on the way back she'd have to carry groceries.
It took Lily twenty minutes to get to the store, made in a mixture of running in short bursts, and then walking. "Finally," she panted, gasping for breath as she stepped into the air conditioned store.
Most of the list was easy to get. Milk, cereal, eggs, and jam. But the last thing on the list was wine, and she wouldn't be able to get that. She sighed and walked up to the liquor counter.
"Excuse me," she called out. A heavyset man in his late thirties or early forties looked at her. "My stepmother asked me to get wine for her."
"Well, then she'll have to get it herself," he said.
"She's not here right now. Can I just get it for her?" Lily pleaded.
"How old are you? Nine, ten?" he asked.
"Almost eleven."
"You have to be eighteen to buy alcohol," he said firmly. "I think you already knew that. Did you expect me to just give alcohol to you? No, your stepmother will have to come and buy it herself."
Lily sighed, defeated. Nora will be angry if I don't get it, she thought. Then she saw a woman walking with her small son, and had an idea.
"Excuse me," she said, walking up to the woman.
"Yes, dear, are you lost?" the woman said kindly.
"Er, no," Lily said. "I'm sorry to bother you, but my stepmother wanted me to get her some wine, but I can't get it because I'm under-aged. Do you think you could buy it for me? I have the money right here, I'd pay you back."
The woman's expression turned cold. "You're too young to be drinking. Go home," she said.
"But-" Lily protested.
"Go home," the woman repeated. Lily sighed and paid for the things she could buy herself. I'll just have to explain to Nora what happened.
She began the slow walk home; she couldn't run at all this time, carrying the groceries. Suddenly, when she was about a quarter mile away from home, she tripped and fell. "Fuck!" she muttered, brushing off her hands. She swore again when she saw the groceries: The eggs had broken, the jam jar had broken, and the milk had opened, spilling all of its contents out onto the street.
Lily spun around, looking for what might have caused her fall. Then she saw it. A tabby cat with unusual markings around its eye sat rigidly, eying her. "FUCK!" she screamed. "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" she said, throwing one of the eggs near the cat with each word. It didn't move at all. She sighed, and ran the rest of the way home in hopes that she'd be able to explain what had happened to Nora.
When she got home, however, she saw a car parked in the driveway. Lily slowly walked inside, then into the living room, where Nora and a dark haired man were sitting.
"Lily, dear!" Nora exclaimed through clenched teeth. "How nice of you to join us! This is Morton," she said, gesturing to the man, who nodded in greeting at Lily. "Were you able to get the wine?"
"No, I'm sorry. They wouldn't give it to me!"
Nora continued smiling that horrible smile. "That's quite all right," she said, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Morton, since Lily was unable to get the wine like I asked her, would you be able to run to the store down the road and get some?"
"Of course," Morton said, standing up. Nora kept the smile pasted on her face until she heard the car disappearing from the driveway.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Nora screamed, all friendly façades dropped.
"I'm sorry!" Lily said, cowering. "I tried to get it, but they wouldn't give it to me! I'm under-age!"
"Is that my problem? I asked you to do one simple thing, and you refused to do it!"
"I didn't refuse to do it—I tried-"
"Don't get smart with me! Did you even get any of the things I asked you to?"
"I did! Its just…"
"Yes?" Nora mocked.
"I tripped on the way home, and everything broke."
"YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH!" Nora screamed, flying across the room and slapping Lily's face. Lily backed away as Nora clawed at her. Then she couldn't move any more; the fireplace was pressing up against her legs. Nora delivered one last punch to her stomach, then turned to go. Lily sank down in relief; it hadn't been so bad that time.
Then Nora whirled around, grabbing the poker from the fireplace. "I HATE YOU!" she screamed, wildly thrashing the poker in the air where Lily was. "I should just kill you now," she said in a quiet, dangerous voice. "It's not like anyone would care. The only one who would ever have cared is your mother, and that bitch is already dead. You could just go join her."
"No, please!" Lily sobbed. Nora stared at Lily with a crazed look in her eye, and then brought the poker down on Lily's right arm with a scream. Lily herself screamed as she heard the snap of a breaking bone.
"That's what you get, you little bitch!" Nora shouted. "Now go to your room. I don't want to see you again for a very long time."
"But my arm is broken," Lily protested.
"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" Nora screamed. "YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THE CONSEQUENCES!" Suddenly, she fell silent: a pair of car headlights flashed through the window, accompanying the sound of an approaching car engine.
"Go now!" she hissed. "And stay in your room!" Lily flew up the stairs as fast as her broken arm would allow her. She could hear Nora behind her, locking the door from the outside and then running back downstairs to pretend that nothing had happened. She heard laughter and voices late until the night, until she fell asleep with tears stinging her eyes.
How do you like? I'll have more/longer chapters out soon, since my summer starts and I won't have school, so I'll update more. So read, review, and email if you want.
so, hope you enjoyed. please review, and I'll be updating soon!