Target Practice

~Chapter 2~

Santa Monica.
The waves crashing,
The seagulls squawking,
Even the ice-cream that runs down the faces of little children.
I love it all. It's a great escape. Just being at the beach calms my nerves but I know it's risky hanging around this part of town.  This is where I use to live. Only the richest of the richest can live here. I miss the smell of the candles that always burned in our penthouse apartment. I miss the 100 meter balcony that over looked the beach. If you stood in the far left corner of the balcony, you felt as if you  could almost touch the top of the roller coaster on the pier. But the best part was that my best friend lived in the penthouse of the hotel beside me. We would always go out on our balconies and chat about life or sneak out to go to the pier for food.

Life was good. No. Correction. Life was great, amazing even.

As I looked out on to the horizon, the sun appeared to be setting. I quickly got up out of the sand and headed for the near by McDonald's. The analog clock on the wall read 3:35. I race to the bus stop, only to realise that it takes 40 minutes to get home and my curfew is 4. The bus arrived on time as always as I arose from my seat.  I handed the man a quarter  as the busses are 'meant to be free'. Stupid tipping.

The bus ride seemed strangely longer as I anxiously awaited for the awful beatings that would be behind that old batted door I call home. I thanked the bus driver and approached the door. I took a deep breath in before opening the door and stepping inside only to be greeted my the smell of cigarettes and alcohol.

"Where have you been missy? You are way past your curfew." My mum screamed.
"The bus was late to school." I lied, hoping that my mum would believe it considering the state she is in.
"And two hours late?" My dad stepped in with a half empty whisky bottle in hand.
Before I could reply a stinging sensation was felt on my left cheek indicating to me that I had been slapped. My eyes cautiously opened, scared of what would come next. I looked to my right to see that my mother had now left my side, only to return with a razor blade in hand.
"You've only got one chance girl. Ima throw this and if you miss you get off he hook." She sends me a devious smirk.
Before I had even blinked the razor blade was no longer in mums hand and was flying at full force towards my body. I attempted to dive to the ground, only to be greeted with a razor to the leg.

I scurried off the floor and into my room, quickly locking the door. The blade had sliced a nasty cut down my outer calf. The blood trickled down my leg and onto the cold, wooden floor. With my only rag, I wiped the blood off the floor the wrapped it around my leg to hopefully stop the bleeding.
I lay down my pathetic excuse for a bed and rested my head on what I call a pillow.

*FLASH BACK*

I had just said good by to Summer and was walking back to my room from the balcony. I walked into my pink princess room and straight to my dollhouse. I pressed the back of My princess and the pauper doll to make it sing to me.
"I'm just like you, your just like me.
Yes I am a girl like you!" It sung.
I got this doll when Summer and I went shopping after she got out of the hospital. She got the pink one with blonde hair because it looks like her and I got the blue one with brown hair because I look more like her. Plus I like blue more than pink. It also comes with the cat that barks from the barbie movie. It's name is walfie. He is my favourite cat to play with.
One day when daddy lets me get a cat, I want to name it after walfie because princess and the pauper is my favourite barbie movie EVER! After I played with my dolls I began to get tired. I plopped down on my super comfy queen bed and hugged my princess dolly to help me fall fast asleep.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

The dream that I had that night brought tears to my eyes. My eyes were red and puffy when I woke up. I must have been crying in my sleep again. Agh. My alarm clock beeped it's horrific noise signalling I had school. It was safe to walk the empty halls of my home without getting harmed in the mornings. My parents are probably were crazy enough to drive all the way no Nevada just so they can gamble away our life's money like last time. Pathetic. Seeing as my wardrobe has a limited supply of clothes that actually fit me because it's been two years since I got a new outfit. Some times I buy myself a shirt or some jeans with my money I earn from work, but most of that goes towards buying food and keeping the rent. I pulled a navy blue oversized tee over my head and slipped on my jeans. I paired them with my the only pair of shoes that 'properly' fit me which are my black and white converse which I love dearly. I need to buy myself a cheap knock off pair from Walmart so I don't wear these ones out.

The waves in my hair were left natural as I couldn't be bothered to comb my hair this morning. Well here I go off to hell once again just so I can get bullied... Again.

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Hey guys,
Just letting you know for all you non Americans out there. It's illegal to gamble in California. So they drive to Nevada. I don't even live in America. I just visited for. Month and a half during Christmas and Santa Monica was one of my favourite places so I am going to base it there.

Don't judge me too hard Americans if I get some information wrong I'm just an innocent Aussie😂.

~h&a