Chapter Two

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Kaylee De La Cruz was always a special kid, not in the mentally delayed kind of way, though she did sometimes act like it. She was just simpleminded and credulous.

And though Kaylee and Jessica are both completely aware of the fact that they have different dads, it doesn't make them think any differently about each other. It was endearing how much they cared for each other considering the circumstances.

Kaylee loved her life about as much as you would expect a growing angsty preteen to, she was grateful for her the cards she'd been dealt. Most things in life came easily for her and she knew it. This was a heavy factor in both girls lives that affected them separately.

It was evident to everyone who knew Kaylee that she'd be in for a rude awakening when she later learns that nothing in life is going to be handed to her on a silver platter.

Jessica hesitated to tell anyone her most dismal secret all for this very reason. She was looking out for her sister and she didn't want the life that she was so accustomed to to be negatively affected. The government system won't care if Kaylee wants fast food or if Kaylee wants to go the mall with friends.

They need her alive and that's all. Privileges are for the privileged.

Kaylee knew very little because it was expertly hidden from her. It wasn't exactly her fault that she was astray in the dark.

She thought that she had the most solid parents one could ask for and from her point of view, she did. It didn't matter what she did, she never got grounded, screamed at, or physically reprimanded. She was automatically put on a pedestal once she was born and their mother officially decided she detested Jessica. Her parents possessed a steady jovial demeanor around Kaylee because they managed to get all of their anger and daily frustrations out on their eldest daughter.

Jessica's scars were carefully and skillfully placed with consistency. Some of them have fully healed, some will eventually, and other will always be disturbing reminders of her detrimental circumstances. Her tortures made sure to mark her in places where it would count, areas that inflicted the most pain and gave the utmost burning satisfaction with the least visibility.

Her mother instinctively laughed every time she witnessed Jessica hopelessly writhe in pain. That's why she was always maniacally careful when it came to evading exposure, and why she kept a failsafe— Kaylee.

As a child, she made sure to give Jessica just enough of Kaylee to make her love and yearn for her but not enough for her to get annoyed or bothered by the toddler. She made sure Jessica would become deeply attached and concerned with trying to protect her. She knew if she never saw or held the child she wouldn't know how to love her and her scheme to keep Jessica imprisoned would fail.

Because of Kaylee's ignorance, she never thought twice about her response when a conversation about parents and discipline started amongst her friends. She would usually ignorantly chime, "Why would a parent hit their child? My parents would never— They're the sweetest people you'll ever meet."

Blah blah, more or less.

She wasn't an idiot she was just annoyingly naïve. But despite this fatal flaw, as she began to mature she realized a few things didn't exactly add up in her household.

Immediately upon coming home, Kaylee has always been required to go into her room and start on school work, she isn't allowed down without announcing herself and even that isn't really permitted before a certain time.

She always explained it away as her parents trying to compel her to be a good student. And it's worked, she one of the top scoring students in her class with most subjects. The deafening silence in her room that was unknowingly due to the thick insulation built into her room walls made sure of it. But now that the distinction was officially hers and has been for a few years, the rule makes less sense. There was no need for them to have strict policies surrounding something she clearly did with ease.

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