House Empty Like My Heart

Chapter 3

The next day the pattern repeated and I was sitting again without food at the table. This time the pig instead of throwing it away ate it in front of my eyes. I was hungry.

Being constantly hungry was uncomfortable but also felt freeing in a way, as if it was self-punishment for not having the spine to talk back, get up and end this.

After spending several days in the Flynn household I learned a very important thing. For most of the time - it was empty. Andrew was working all the time and didn't have time to meet me even once.

I sent Jenny longing glances, I wanted to sit with her, when our eyes met for a moment I could see her being worried.

„You're probably used to not eating look at that phone of yours should be sent to the museum, also your backpack is completely falling apart. Are you an exchange student? There's no way you can afford this school"

Brian said in an annoyingly loud voice and I cringed. I got attached to my stuff that's why I didn't want another backpack and there was nothing wrong with my phone, is it illegal to have an older model? He was so annoying.

Entitled bastard. That's what he was.

I shrugged my shoulder and stubbornly stared at the table.

My nightmare didn't end in the cafeteria.

After the next lesson, Brian found me and dragged me through the corridors towards the back of the school, where no teachers were present.

He was smoking cigarettes with his buddies. Each and everybody one of his "friends" was loud and annoying.

"Sit here like a good bitch" he pointed at the ground. He tried to humiliate me.

"Why isn't she talking is she stupid or something?" His best friend, Kevin, asked. He often mocked me when Brian's imagination ran out.

"You should stop Brian," one of Brian's "friends" said. Henry, he was quiet for most of the time. He was the only one from all of them who never spared me a glance. Perhaps he couldn't out of feeling guilt, he wasn't looking at his "friend" but still, he was the only one who bothered to interfere, so I was thankful. And it also shifted a target at least temporarily from me to him.

"What did you said?"

"Stop, it's creepy"

"Look who's speaking the creep number one walking behind us like a shadow but never actually doing anything are you a ghost?"

He wasn't a ghost. As soon as Brian's fist connected with Henry's face fell to the ground. The blood streaming down his chin from a busted lip.

Blood.

Blood.

Blood.

The last time I saw blood...

Mom was dead.

Breathing was hard. My chest felt heavy. I couldn't move I was just standing there while Brian was on top of Henry hitting him over and over.

"What are you doing?!" I could hear Mr. Thompson yells from the school entrance.
"Stop. I said stop. Mr. Smith if you want to be still the student of this school after I'm done with you stop right now"

Mr. Thompson was a school headmaster. The last time I saw him I was signing in to this damn school, with Andrew my forever absent guardian.

"Ms. Sullivan please take Mr. Hayes to the nurse's office"

I nodded wordlessly and with satisfaction watched as Brian was following the headmaster.

All of Brian's friends ran away like rats the moment an adult appeared. Finally some consequences, hopefully.
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The nurse went out somewhere, so I sat Henry down at the chair in front of her office and started cleaning off his wounds with tissues. I always had the pack of tissues in my backpack just in case.

"Thank you for trying to help me," I said quietly.

"Wish I could do more than just lying there and having my ass kicked," Henry said embarrassed. "I wish Brian would stop bothering people. You should tell a teacher, what he's doing to you it is... I couldn't watch it anymore"

I couldn't answer him because the nurse finally appeared.

"Oh my God!" Ms. White said in a mix of shock and panic "What happened to you honey? Come with me. You" she pointed at me "are you hurt?"

"No"

"Go to your class then"

I nodded. My last lesson was math. My least favorite subject.
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I was happy to be home after school, finally I could get away with spending time alone without feeling afraid and intimidated, well, not for long.

I was worried. Will my school life continue to be hell? And what after twins arrive?

"Dinner is ready" Jacqueline announced. I was thankful that she always knocked, and she was always really nice to me. I appreciated having someone like that near me even if I didn't know exactly how to get close to people, I was too shy and closed off.

"I'm not hungry"

"You need to go downstairs Ellie, your father is home"

Andrew was home? He's never home.

Before I came here I decided that I don't feel comfortable with referring to him as "father". He wasn't my father, he was just a stranger with who I happened to have a blood relation. According to law - my closest relative. According to my feelings - nobody. A man with whom my mother spend a night or two of which result was me. Not a very good result, I hate my life.

It was almost a week in this estate and I didn't see him once. Jacqueline said he was busy with work but we both knew that it wasn't right. He should at least show up to say hi when I first showed up here or a day before. I was hurt.

"Okay then" it's not like I really had a choice, I think refusal wouldn't be taken kindly and I still had a plan to not draw attention to myself. Stay quiet and unnoticed, he was making it easier for me with his lack of presence at the house.

Okay, I just needed to survive this dinner. It will be over in a blink.

I went downstairs and when I entered the kitchen there were several plates at the table even though it was dinner for two. Only showed further how fancy this house had and how rich its owner was.

I haven't eaten all day so my mouth watered at foie gras that was served as an appetizer. Like a restaurant but at the house, it was intimidating.

"Good evening Elisabeth. Tell me, how is school going so far?"

Oh uh, straight to the point I see.
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