The Marmalade House

Chapter 1: What?

Hi.. Y'alright?.. No?, well. Ditto, See that girl, blonde hair and a pissed of glare that could kill an Ox?. That's me and.. I've just decided that I hate my home. As shit as it is, its warm and I have.. had a bed to lay in. To explain a little about me, I'm Frankie, 15, born on the 23rd October 1996 and not even 10 seconds into my life, I was trying to avoid death, that time in the form of a coat hanger and a hormonal, drugged up teenager.. and in this section of my life, a bus on the motorway. But I learnt before deciding to kick myself out. The circumstances of one's birth don't really matter, its what happens in the gift you call life.. And so far guys, I've made a right pigs-ear of it..

Frankie shoves yet another bag out the window, filled with clothes, water and whatever else she could salvage from her yet again trashed room, courtesy of course by her drunk, fat and damn right abusive step-father "Frankie!.. FRANKIE!" He drunkenly shouts from the door way "You're not fucking leaving this house.. A..and if you do. You ai.." Frankie turns around on her heel, so fast that it made her head spin "Ever stepping back in?.. Is that right Phil?. Well its a fucking great job I never intend to. Ain't that funny" She shoves past him and walks out, grabbing her stuff, all two bags of it. Her mother tearily runs out and grabs her hand, in desperation for her only child to stay "baby.. p..please don't leave. It's nearly Christmas" She smiles, Frankie shakes her hand away "Now.. Now you care about family" She walks off as a mixture of high pitched wailing and low drunken grumbles pierce the night as a neighbours steps out. Looking at Frankie and smiling "Finally leaving then?.. Good for you girl" Frankie looks over, smiling with a twinge of sadness in her eyes "Doesn't feel very good" She walks off. No idea what her life would consist of now.. But happy it wouldn't have her messy excuse of a family in it.

After a lot of aimless walking and sniffling back tears, Frankie found herself in the doorway in alley number 613 of yet another city she didn't know. Not to say she walked through many cities. Kicked out of homes coupled with Phil made for a lot of moving. Now found herself in.. a city. She reached into her bag to retrieve her thankfully unscathed iPhone 4, It had good battery and she only had for 4 months so.. hey, at least one thing she had in this world wasn't broken, ripped or stamped out of her chest. She puts in her headphones and managed to connect to the Radio. She wasn't really fussed with music but when it came to the many moments in her life where she found herself alone and ready to scream, music was a beacon, to hear some auto-tuned garbage provided by artists offered some weird comfort to Frankie. She closed her eyes and starts to melt away in the peace as someone shakes her. Suddenly opening her eyes and fearing it was Phil or her mum. Frankie now had a pained and scared face, in reality it was a nice, older looking gentleman. Offering a £5 note "Hey kiddo.. You look like you could use it" Frankie tenderly out stretches her hand and gently clasps the paper note in her fingers "Uhh.. t..thanks.. But I don't need, I'm just waiting for a ride".. What in gods name was that?. To at least have a fiver to your fucking name and you say 'Thanks.. but no' Dumbass.. The man puts it in her bag "Just get something to eat then.. on me" He walks off. Frankie breathes a sigh of relief, her stupid pride luckily didn't come back to tear another chunk of her soul out of her body.

She re-holds the money in her hand and smiles. Maybe she could get some drink.. and maybe a Happy Meal.. with pickles, ooh, That made her feel warm already. Frankie scoots herself up and grabbed her bags, now on the hunt for the happiest meal.. She steps out the alleyway, a new found flare of hope igniting her heart.. only to be snubbed out when a passing car hit the curb and sent a tidal wave of water, gunk and possibly urine and vomit up her shirt, jacket and leggings, she stood in shock and disgust "Thanks.. THANKS FOR THAT.. prick" Frankie, now drenched, sulks back into the alley and sat her arse down, again defeated and hurt that the world yet again took another steaming dump on her. She had no choice but to fester in her newly found filth as she wasn't going to dirty her only other clothes. She felt tears rushed into her pained and glassy blue eyes, wiping them away quickly as a woman appeared, bucking up the courage "h..Hello" She weakly called, luckily enough, the woman turns "Hey.. You alright love?.." Frankie, on the inside scoffed at such a shitty British thing to ask "No.. not really, Listen I really need some food and.. I'm not asking for you money, I have the funds" She weakly shows her the dirty fiver, the woman came closer "Oh my god.. you look awful" Frankie laughed a little, at least someone could tell the truth "I'll tell you what. I'm donating a few clothes to a homeless shelter, it's just up the street from here. Why don't you follow along, get you some shelter and food" She could've actually cried. The woman must've been sent from god himself. Not that she believed, She rushed to grab her clothes and bags and eagerly followed.

After again, what felt like forever walking in this city. She saw it "The Marmalade House?.." the woman laughed "Yeah, silly name isn't it?" Frankie nodded and walked in. The woman donated and explained Frankie's situation, a man came to take her bags, she instinctively gripped tighter, he smiles "Don't worry, I'm gonna show you to your room. We'll get you checked in" Frankie silently nodded but insisted that she held her stuff. They went up and he unlocked a room, 106. He opens the door and allows her in, the first thing she saw was a radiator that was obviously on because it was like walking into an oven on full blast. She stepped into her room and turned around "D..Do you have WI-FI?.." He laughs "Yeah, i'll send you up the password and information. See you soon" Frankie waves and looks more. Her room was no mansion but it was better than the streets, she knew that.. What escaped her was the time, the date and how weak she suddenly felt. She looked at the time on the clock, located above the window, 9:54pm, OK, so it had only been a few hours since she'd left home.. She looked at the date on her phone.. 20th December 2011.. WHAT, apparently it had been three whole days. Where did it go?, it felt like five minutes but no.. apparently it was three fucking days. She sighed and found the bathroom, a bath.. with the possibility of hot water.. and bubbles. Frankie may thought she was a criminal, a proper rebel, but in the time she had been away. She realised she was still some scared little kid.

She started to run the bath and removed some clothes from her bag, hearing the door open. Frankie stepped out to see a girl, in a orange shirt and shorts "Oh.. d..do you work here?" The girl looked her up and down and laughed "No.. I'm one of the teens that live here" she offered a hand "I'm Danny.. I'm 15 and I was kicked out because blah blah blah, boring sob stories you'll hear a millionty billionty times" Frankie smiles and takes it "Francesca but people just call me Frankie" Danny smiles "Does Frankie have a surname?" she looked confused "What?" "You know, last name.. family name" Frankie nodded and felt somewhat dismal "Kinda need a family for a family name right?.." Danny rolls her eyes and looks at her "Great.. another girl who thinks she's the next Mark Twain" Frankie laughed, she wasn't uber clever but she had time to think of things when she wasn't been insulted. The man comes in with the things she'll need and leaves silently. Danny sighs "Well, I'll leave you too.. Bathe or.. Whatever you may do, Bear in mind the walls are thin. Also if you fancy a natter, Snickers or just to leech soap off of someone, I'm room 109" She leaves "T..Thanks, Danny.." She turns and smirks "Don't sweat it.. Frankie" She walks out, shutting her door for her. Frankie smiled. She actually made somewhat of a friend.. God knows when that's gonna happen again

A/N: Hi, keep this short, This is a book. I am a writer, I like words so I write them in a particular way so they make Chapters. Thank you for reading this selection of finely plucked words and see you soon- AH