Author note: Another glorious chapter!
The next day I awoke to the sound of growling. I rolled over in bed and stared down at an ugly looking dog, growling up at me. I blinked my eyes and sat up.
"Out!" I hissed.
The dog whimpered and ran out of the cracked door. I pushed the sheets off of me. After washing up and changing, I boredly walked downstairs.
Just like yesterday there were maids running around everywhere. Some were carrying armloads of laundry and towels, and others were carrying random objects. I stood in the middle of the foyer, watching them hustle around.
"Miss Parker, you are wanted in the dining room," a maid told me, smiling brightly.
I furrowed my eyebrows and shrugged to myself. I walked through a huge set of doors and into the dining room, where a long table sat in the middle.
At one end was my father, and at the other sat Ana.
"Anomie, dear, take a seat," father instructed me, pointing to the chair in the middle.
I stared at him doubtfully as I sat down in the chair. Father never sent for me – not even to eat dinner. And here I sat, in the dining room with him and his soon to be wife.
"What's going on?" I asked, sending him a suspicious glance.
"Well, Anomie, we'll soon have an add-on to the family, and I believe that we should start acting like one," father explained.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well, Ana wants this," he told me. "And she would like to get to know you."
"Yes, I would," Ana said cheerily. "Every afternoon after school you can come home to enjoy dinner with your father and me."
"But I go to a boarding school, they serve dinner there," I said, remembering the taste of the disgusting food they served us.
"But it's optional, is it not?" Ana asked. "And your father told me that they'll let you leave the premises after lessons."
Lessons, since when did we actually learn anything?
I looked over at father, and quietly asked, "Does she know?"
He shook his head warningly, and I turned back to staring at the empty table before me.
The door opened, and a maid announced, "Breakfast is served."
Some more maids entered from other doors, and one placed a plate of food in front of me. I stared down at it cautiously and then watched as the maids placed things in the middle of the table.
Father and Ana began to eat sophisticatedly, sitting up straight and chewing each bite slowly.
"Anomie, eat," father told me.
I rolled my eyes and picked up a fork and began to eat. I had to admit – our cook could really, well, cook. I looked up at the empty space in front of me, where Daniel should be sitting.
I stared down guiltily at the food in front of me. I couldn't eat while knowing that Daniel was being neglected by father and probably not eating anything compared to this. Ana didn't even know about him. She was marrying into a family of lies and hate – and even murder. She was making the mistake of her life.
I sighed loudly and laid down my fork. "I have to go," I said, rising from the chair.
"Anomie, wait," father said. "Ana and I have something to tell you."
I stared at him and waited.
"We're going to be a family now, and I think it is right for you to know. I'm pregnant," Ana said happily.
I said nothing as I turned and left, white as a ghost. Did he think he could come into my life and start acting fatherly at a time like this? For all those years he ignored and hated me, did he think I'd forgive him? Did he think that I would forgive him for doing this to me – to Daniel?
I opened the front door and slammed it shut behind me. The cool air of Brooklyn brushed against my hair, and I stood staring at the crowded people lifelessly.
I walked along the sidewalk, and didn't even notice that my feet led me to the vacant docks. Not a soul stepped foot on it.
I, on the other hand, stepped onto the wood and listened to my feet patting across it. I sat down in the middle and hugged my knees to my chest.
I could still smell that sweet perfume mother use to wear, and remember the nights where we sat in her room, doing each other's hair. I could still feel the softness of her hands, and how smooth her skin always was. I could still see the curly blonde locks of her hair, and how she would always put it up when we were playing dress up. I could still hear her laugh when we were being silly, and didn't have a care in the world. I could still see her lovely smile, and her bright, blue eyes staring down at me lovingly. And I could still remember hugging her tightly as she died in my arms.
I ran past the garden and to the meadow, giggling uncontrollably. My skirt flew behind me, and my hair came loose out of its bun. The butterflies were just a few feet ahead.
"Eve, slow down," mother laughed, coming up behind me.
I turned around, grinning, and then resumed chasing the vibrant colored butterflies. Our backyard was huge and beautiful with its colorful garden and bright, green grass, with a cool forest in the distance.
My eight-year-old form ran in circles, holding my arms out to catch the orange and yellow butterfly.
Two soft hands enclosed gently around it, and I gasped excitedly as my mother bent down and opened her hand to show me the insect.
"For my little butterfly," she said sweetly.
I held my hand out and the butterfly gracefully crawled into it, and I giggled happily. The feeling of it crawling across my hand tickled and I let it fly away freely.
"That's my girl," mother said, planting a kiss upon my forehead.
She stood up fully and took my hand in hers, leading me back to our medium sized house. It was cozy and always warm because of the frequently lit fireplace, and shined whenever mother put out a pot of flowers to give it a welcoming look.
As we walked by the garden, I bent down and inhaled the scent of the daisies.
"Don't they smell delightful?" mother asked, pulling one out of its roots and tucking it behind my ear.
"Yes," I answered, grinning.
Mother laughed – the most beautiful sound ever – and led me back into the house. She picked Kaiden up from his crib and cradled him in her arms. I glared jealously up at him, and huffed angrily.
"Oh Eve, don't do that," mother said. "I love you too," she told me truthfully.
I smiled faintly and walked into the living room. Father sat on the sofa, reading over the newspaper intently. He never devoted his time to me, so I barely knew him. He would just come and go as he pleased, and only said hi when I crossed his path.
I summoned up my courage and walked up to him.
"Hey daddy," I squeaked.
Father lowered the newspaper and peered down at me awkwardly.
"Hello Eve," he said, returning to his newspaper.
I clumsily climbed up onto the couch and stood beside him, holding onto his shoulder for balance.
"What does that say?" I asked, looking down at the printed words.
"Mayor's house is burned to ashes," father read aloud.
I tilted my head and stared at the paper. "How do you know how to read?" I asked annoyingly.
I saw a slight smile on father's face as he pulled me onto his lap and held the paper out in front of us.
"My father taught me, and I'll teach you," he said. "You see this – this is an 'A'," he said, pointing down at the letter.
"A," I said, tracing my finger on the letter.
"Can you think up a word that starts with A?" father asked.
"Well, I saw mommy read the word apple, and it looked like that letter was in front," I said.
"Correct," father said, smiling down at me…
I pulled myself out of that memory instantly, just remembering father trying to be a father irritated me.
I listened as footsteps drew near me, and then stopped.
"Anomie?" I heard someone say, a deep, chilling accent rolling off his tongue.
I looked up at Spot and watched as he sat down beside me.
"What are you doin here?" he asked, looking over at me.
"Just relaxing," I said, looking over at him.
"Sounds heavenly," Spot sighed, wiping at the beads of sweat trickling down his face.
"Did you sell good?" I asked, resting my chin on my knee.
"Headlines are killers," he said. "Today dey were decent."
"Well, that's good," I said.
"I suppose," Spot shrugged. "Gotta head ovah ta Manhattan, tonight."
"What for?" I asked, looking over at him.
"Pokah game," Spot grinned.
"Good luck," I said as a breeze brushed by.
Spot pulled his cap off and wiped at more sweat dripping from his head. "It's a scorcher out here," he said.
"It feels alright," I said, looking out at the water.
"You never smile, do you?" Spot asked out of the blue.
"Why smile when there's nothing to smile about?" I asked.
"Ah, put some color in yer world, sweetheart," Spot said, leaning back.
I looked at him oddly and spoke, "I'm not the only one who barely smiles."
Spot raised his eyebrows. "I smile," he said. "When there's somethin to smile 'bout."
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I think you have a visitor," I said, watching a boy running at full speed towards us.
Spot sat up straight and got to his feet. He turned around and held his hand out to me, and I hesitantly took it. He lifted me to my feet, and turned towards the boy.
"What is it?" he asked, changing into leader mode.
The boy doubled over to catch a breath. "Over there," he said, pointing out in the direction of an alleyway, breathing hard. "A fight…Blade and Cromwell…need help."
"Stephen?" I said. "Stephen is out there?"
The boy nodded and I took off. I could hear Spot and the boy running behind me as I pushed through people and ran into the alleyway.
Spot stopped behind me as we stared at a fight before us.
Stephen and Blade were fighting with four other boys, who seemed to be winning. Stephen got punched in the nose and blood flew everywhere, and then the boy uppercut him.
I immediately jumped in, and pushed the boy away from him, fire in my eyes. The boy seemed to be surprised at first, but then laughed when he saw a girl.
He moved forward and I instantly drove my fist into his nose, and flipped him over my shoulder onto his back. I grabbed hold of his wrists tightly to keep him from fighting back and brought my foot into his ribs three times. I let go of his hands and watched as he cried out in pain, clutching his side.
I turned to another boy and faked an uppercut, and then brought my foot up to his precious area roughly. He dropped to his knees and once he did I punched him in the eye.
Somebody attacked me from behind, and I grabbed his arms and flipped him over onto his back and nailed him in the jaw several times.
The fourth boy backed away, holding his hands up in surrender. I was fast and grabbed him by his hair and drove his head into the wall, and let him drop to the ground unconscious.
"Holy shit," the boy beside Spot said. "She just beat up four boys!"
Spot stood there, stunned, just staring at me like I was some foreign object. Stephen appeared at my side and rolled his eyes.
I was handling that!" he exclaimed.
I looked at the blood dripping from his nose, staining his shirt. "Yeah, you did a good job of doing that," I said.
"Damn, Anomie, you can kick ass," Blade said, standing up from the ground.
I shrugged and walked out of the alley, Spot and the others following.
"Remind me not to get on yer noives," Spot laughed.
"If I was planning on hurting you Spot I would've done it already," I said.
"Yer pretty strong, Parker, but the real question is: are you stronger than me?" he challenged
"Wanna find out?" I asked.
"Oh this should be good. Da best goil fighter versus da best guy fighter," the boy who told us about the fight said.
"Shut up, Rolly, I da best fighter evah," Spot announced jokingly.
"You're full of yourself, Conlon," I said, looking up at him.
Spot raised his eyebrows and smirked, fiddling with the cane in his hands.
I smiled – for the second time that week. And it was all because of him.
Next Chapter: Erica and Blade are caught together by one of Ned's spies. Anomie has to convince Ned to punish her for Erica's mistake.
Author note: Hope you enjoyed it. We had some fighting, so be happy!
