Chapter 8

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I woke up to the sound of Jace screaming my name from downstairs.

"Dakota! Get your ass up!" He screamed as I heard the sound of pans crash onto the kitchen floor.

I groaned as I rubbed my hands over my face, slowly dragging them down. I screamed into the palm of my hands, already wanting to go back to sleep. I groaned and stretched my whole body out as I yanked the blankets off of me.

I am not a morning person.

I slowly got my ass out of bed, slightly wincing in the process, totally forgetting about the bandage wrapped tightly around my stomach.

I trudged my way to the bathroom and brushed my hair, deciding to leave my blonde, naturally wavy hair down. I brushed my teeth and put some makeup on to try and cover what's left of the yellow colored bruise on my face.

I lifted my shirt up to replace the bandage, wincing as I touched a tender part of my abdomen. I slowly peeled a bit of the end off, trying to get a sturdy grip before I peeled the rest. Once I got a good grip, I slowly took the bandage off, taking my time because I didn't want to cause any unnecessary pain.

Once I finally got it off, I looked down and saw a little blood left on the inside of the bandage. I looked in the mirror and glanced down at my abdomen. I took in a sharp breath as my eyes raked over my body.

I hated the way I looked. The way my ribs poked out because I was so thin. The visible scars on my abdomen and chest made it hard for me to look at the reflection in the mirror. The girl staring back at me looked so sad, she looked so exhausted, and she truly was.

I rubbed my forehead and sighed, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts that consumed me everyday. I needed a distraction, so I just focused on putting the new bandage on correctly.

My whole stomach was still a mix of blue and purple. While my mother broke a few ribs, she also got a few kicks in under my ribs, explaining the excessive bruising on my lower abdomen.

I couldn't stand looking at the dark blue and purple bruises any longer, so I quickly got a new bandage and wrapped it securely around my waist.

After I finished in the bathroom, I went back into my room to get dressed. I put on some black leggings and an oversized hoodie Jace gave to me a few years ago. I paired this outfit with a plain white pair of converse, not really caring about my appearance.

I walked out of my room and made my way downstairs, towards the kitchen. I noticed Jace making pancakes on the stove as he cut strawberries and placed them into a bowl for extra toppings.

"Good morning."

"Good morning little brother," I grinned as I ruffled the top of his head. He glared at me and raked his fingers through his hair, trying to fix it. I just laughed as he narrowed his eyes at me, pissed that I messed up his hair.

I got my bag ready and cleaned up more empty beer bottles that were scattered around the house. These bottles have been sitting here for a while, but nobody has had time to pick them up with everything that's been going on lately.

After I threw away the last bottle, I slowly made my way up the stairs and trudged towards Olivia's room to wake her up.

I eventually got her up and helped her get ready just like every morning. I packed her lunch, got her backpack ready, and helped put a floral dress on her petite body.

After everyone was ready, we gathered together and scarfed down the pancakes Jace had made. We sat at the dining table, silently eating our pancakes until it was time to leave.

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