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Five

Word Count: 3690

Chapter Five:

I stared at myself in the mirror, horrified by my appearance. And coming from a girl who doesn't even know how to apply makeup, that's saying a lot. 

My hair was originally pulled into a messy bun, which now lay lopsided on one side of my head, gauze was wrapped around my right forearm because of my mental breakdown Friday night, my eyes were sunken and swollen from crying, and the makeup on my wrists and neck had rubbed off, so my bruises were very obvious in my gigantic sweater that literally swallowed me whole. It was one of my younger brothers', but I had stolen it from him because he never wore it. 

Deciding not to mess with the bruises any further, I brushed out my hair and redid my bun, making it more tight and well kept, then I washed my face with cool water to soothe my aching eyes. 

Today was Sunday, which meant I hadn't left my bed at Jackson and Angelica's place since Friday, which honestly was okay with me. I hadn't eaten anything either, and so my skin looked pale and pasty. 

Pulling on some leggings and slipping on my white converse, I stepped outside of my room for the first time in 24 hours. The room wasn't necessarily my room, it was a guest bedroom that Angelica and Jackson had thought useful - when in reality they actually did buy the apartment because I could sleep in the spare room - but considering I stayed in their apartment so much, it basically was my room, and I would never take Angelica and Jackson's kindness for granted, they treated me like their adult daughter they never had (because I'm the same age as them). 

"Angelica," I called softly, my voice slightly hoarse, "I'm going home, thanks for letting me stay here." I smiled at my best friend when she threw a potato chip at me, which I threw back. It hit her smack dab in the middle of her forehead. "Anytime doll, you be safe now. And don't let anyone see under that gauze until it's fully healed!" She smiled brightly at me, before putting a chip in her mouth and winking at me as I opened the door. 

"It's not like I'd go waving it around anyway!" I called after her before shutting the door and heading downstairs. 

Outside, the day was warm, and the sun spread across the apartment buildings with a soft glow. I relished in the warmth against my skin, something that I loved the feeling of. It's one of the things that I love about the outdoors, because the warmth of the sun doesn't make you feel trapped like harsh LED lights inside do. 

A woman was walking her dogs, a guy was bicycling down the street, and cars were mindlessly swerving down the road, like always. Peace was something you could always find in Esterhaven, there rarely was much crime, nobody disputed over politics, or religion, everyone was happy and content, which is what made this place so welcoming. 

"Mom! I'm home!" I closed the door to my apartment, silently stepping inside and resting my bag against the green wall. I didn't get a reply, so I shrugged it off, assuming my sibling and mother were at the store. My father really could've been anywhere, at the Temple or perhaps at work. It was rare to find him at home during the day. 

I walked into the kitchen to grab an apple, and tensed when I heard footsteps behind me. 

"Where have you been?" 

My father.

I tensed further and turned around slowly, looking up to see the dark eyes of my parent.

"I-"

Without warning, pain erupted across my face. The slap was as loud as a clap and stung my skin. It had been an open-handed smack and I'm sure it left a red welt behind. Just below my eye, I could feel a small cut where my fathers wedding ring had caught me. I staggered backwards, clutching my face, my eyes watering.