Chapter 4

Warning, This story contains dark scenes with graphic detail that some readers may find distressing.

Our first week in this new town went by excruciatingly slow—well, for me it did. While Victoria and Aunt Peggy enjoyed going around town and buying new things to decorate the house, I was left at home doing chores and rearranging the furniture from top to bottom. I was still given their leftovers, but sometimes Aunt Peggy would save a little more for me, whenever Uncle Robert left for duty for the day. I was grateful for Aunt Peggy being the least horrible one towards me, but I hated how she would change her attitude when Uncle Robert or Victoria was around.

The skin on my wrist was starting to heal as the days went by, the wounds fading into scars that will forever be imprinted there. The word murder, a constant reminder of my past. I continued to hide it with the leather bracelet Aunt Peggy had given me and she gave me a few more clothes for me to change into. They were nothing special, old jeans, faded t-shirts, sweatshirts and a cardigan. But I was grateful. It was more than I could have hoped for and made me feel more of a person.

Taylor would also pass by now and then when the family wasn’t around. We would chat for a while, she would tell me how her day went, and sometimes she would bring me a few pastries from the local café near our neighbourhood. When she heard that Victoria and I were going to study at the town’s high school, she squealed and got excited knowing that we would get to hang out more and possibly have the same classes. Taylor was the only light that cheered me up with every dark and tiring day this family has been giving me. With every single day that passed, I longed to finish high school and finally get the hell out of here and start a new life on my own. I just keep telling myself, a year and I will be eighteen. I have no money for college so that was not an option. A job and my own place would be like heaven.

As I woke up a little earlier than usual, I took a quick shower and changed into the best and most decent clothes Aunt Peggy had lent me: a pair of light-washed jeans and a white plain shirt underneath a pink cardigan. I then went down to the kitchen to make them breakfast, hearing Victoria getting ready a few minutes after I finished cooking. Just when I put down the last plate of pancakes that I cooked, Victoria was standing by the doorway, all dressed up and ready for the first day of school with very visible makeup. She was frowning at me.

“You’re seriously going to wear that?” She sneered.

I shrugged and wiped my hands with a table cloth. “This is all I have. There’s nothing wrong with it anyway.”

“Only if you want the popular kids to make fun of you,” she scoffed before proceeding to sit at the table and began filling up her plate. “Mother told me you can eat ahead. She said she didn’t want you making me late on my first day.”

I rolled my eyes. “How thoughtful.”

I took a plate of my own and only grabbed one of each, worried I might upset Uncle Robert for getting too much from their breakfast. One piece of bacon, one piece of pancake, and only a spoonful of the plate-full of scrambled eggs. I poured myself some hot milk to keep my stomach full despite the small breakfast.

Victoria and I ate in silence. I quickened my pace when I heard Uncle Robert shuffling from upstairs and getting ready to leave for work. Just when he reached the dining room, I was already putting my plate in the dishwasher and quickly leaving the room.

“Lilly!” Uncle Robert called out. I returned to the table and he was giving me his usual, angry look. “You’re walking to school. I’m only giving Victoria a ride.”

My brows furrowed and I watched as Victoria smirked down at her plate, and I had to swallow back my words before I might regret them.

“Okay.”

I grabbed my bag that Victoria hesitantly gave me last night with only a single notebook and two pens. I marched out of the house, shutting the door behind me with a slight thud and paced out of the porch and away from that damned house. I didn’t want to ride with them anyway. Fresh air and my own company were much better than looking at Barbie and the Beast.

“I don’t even know which way school is!” I moaned out, running a hand through my hair and looking around the streets at the end of our neighbourhood, unfamiliar with the place since it was my first time leaving the house ever since we moved here. I should have asked Taylor the few times I’d seen her. Why didn’t I expect this to happen? My mind frantic and my breathing becoming shallow I felt like a panic attack was about to come on. I’ve not had one for around six months.

A car honked behind me, and I jumped in surprise. A grinning Taylor Stevens is behind the steering wheel gesturing me to get inside. The car was small and bright yellow. I laughed inwardly as I thought the car suited her. Bright and bold. I let out a sigh of relief and a smile as I quickly got in and sat in the passenger seat.

“Happy first day of school!” Taylor exclaimed happily as she stepped on the pedal, and we zoomed away. My heart leapt at the sudden movement, then quickly settled down.

“I wouldn’t say happy, though,” I replied with a sigh.

“What did they do to you this time?” Taylor sighed, her giddy smile slowly fading away into a frown.

“Uncle Robert made me walk to school. He told me he can only take Victoria to ride with him.” I replied. “And I don’t even know the way to school!!”

“Ugh, seriously, Lilly, when are you going to leave that family? I’ll help you find a place to stay, get you a part-time job, and I’ll even lend you some money until you can finally get settled!” Taylor replied as we turned a corner and up ahead. I could already make out the school campus. But why would she offer to do such a thing? She barely knew me.

“The court decides when I’ll be free to go, but according to the agreement, I am to live with them until I finish high school. So, I still got a year of hell to endure.” I reply with a sigh.

“That sucks,” Taylor frowns. “Not to worry though, I’ll be with you for the rest of your sentence!” She was right by calling the year a sentence. Prison would most definitely be better than this.

I smiled back at the bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl who was my only source of happiness ever

since I got here. To finally be able to hang out with her freely in school was the only thing I looked forward to for the rest of my school year.

We finally reached the school grounds, and I was surprised how many kids were here in this small town. Some were by the parking lot chatting at the back of their cars, some were by the grass, and some were still making their way inside the main doors. I followed Taylor to the entrance and as we did so a few people said hi to her along the way and I realized how well-known she is. She gave everyone a friendly smile or wave that reminded me of a royal princess.

“You seem to know a lot of people,” I pointed out as we stepped inside the school. The halls were filled with kids bustling around to meet with their friends, and some were by the lockers looking at their class schedules.

“Yeah, well, some just say hi to me because they know my brother,” Taylor replied with a shrug.

“Your brother? Is he popular or something?”

Taylor could only smirk. “Yeah, something like that.”

The way she said “something like that” gave me the chills.

We reached the school’s office and Taylor told me to wait outside as she went to get our class schedules. It was a bit crowded inside, so she volunteered to get mine as well. As I waited by the door, I took a good look around the place. The other students didn’t seem to mind they chatted in their small groups and waited for the bell to ring. Me on the other hand, I’d never liked crowded places but this time I couldn’t help but feel as if I belonged. No one on this campus knows me, or where I came from, or what my famous backstory was. I was an average high school girl in a new town with so many possibilities waiting for me.