Fighting For Life (published)

The ugly duckling

Aubry's POV-

The hot water felt good on my skin and the scent of Aiden was everywhere in the bathroom. It was intoxicating. I knew I was taking an extremely long time, but I couldn't help it... I never wanted to get out of the shower. I felt almost at home, more at home than my actual home, well used to be home, ever felt.

Finally, after far too long, I decided to drag myself out of the burning hot shower and crept into Briana's room. I dressed in the pretty dress and assessed myself. It was a beautiful garment. Though, it was just slightly too big. but it fit way better than any of my other clothes fit me.

It was a whole lot more revealing than I was used to as well... The open back framed old scars and my awful-looking bruises that were all over my back. I felt uncomfortable, but it was also too pretty for me not to feel at least slightly better about myself.

However, when I studied myself closer In the mirror, I could see too many of the ugly scars that I had collected over the years... From the jagged lines that I had received when I was only ten, when Sunny had pushed me too hard and I fell through a window. To the circular cigar burns going down my spine from when my father decided that it was an adequate way of punishing me when I was only seven and crying for my mommy. Then to the long and puffy scar that sat in the middle of my back caused by a barbed wire fence from when I was running away from another demented friend of my dad's. I instantly cringed at my awful looking marred skin.

My eyes then shifted down to my black, purple, and blue bruises that took up the whole of my mid and lower back. My bruises looked really bad and I knew that I was going to get a lot of looks and whispers about how ridiculous I looked... about how I didn't belong. It was the truth.

The dress was beautiful, but I... I was not. I was broken and too scarred. There was no way that I could go out there and subject people to that. To me and all of my scars... all of my issues.

I suddenly wanted to rip the pretty garment from my ugly body. Just as I began to take the dress off, I heard a knock at the door.

"Can I come in? it's Briana."

I pulled the dress back into place at her voice. "Of course, it's your room!"

She walked into the room and looked at me with a smile. I felt self conscious, but remained still under her gaze. "You look so gorgeous Aubry!"

I shook my head no and laughed non-humorously. "Look at this," I paused and pointed at my back full of all of the bruises and scars. "No one wants to see this."

She scoffed at me, "Who cares? I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out." She shrugged and stood behind me with a smile. She was quite a bit taller so she towered over me. "Don't you remember what you told me?"

I stared blankly at her for a minute because I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Your scars don't make you ugly; your scars show where you've been." I nodded at that reminder. "Look, that got me through a lot. Besides, you will not be the talk of the family today... I will be. This will be the first time that I've been out in front of them with short sleeves since the accident. So, they will certainly will be talking about how psychotic I am, not you."

For the first time that day, I took in her appearance. She had on a black high waisted maxi skirt, a red short sleeved cropped top, and black pumps. Her hair was straightened and her makeup was festive and warm. The scars on her arms were healing and all scabbed over making me smile. She looked beautiful and strong... I knew that I needed to follow her example.