All Alone

Chapter 23

(Screw this time to just upload the rest because I am just tired. One day I will edit and redo some crap, but that ain't today.)

Avi's POV

I crack my eyes open to the harsh sun, who opened my shutters on a Saturday morning?

"Avi, we are going to the beach today!" I feel something wet trail down my cheek and jerk up to be faced with Icee's snout.

I have lived in Portland for four months, and I still can't believe my luck. A girl as torn up and abused as me doesn't just get better, and I guess in a way I haven't. I still can't speak, and I still don't want to remember why.

A voice breaks through my thoughts and brings me back to the world of the living, "go get your swimsuit on Avi! We probably won't swim because the water is cold, but mommy wants you to wear it under your clothes just in case." Claire is speaking to me and I panic at her words. I have not worn a swimsuit or gone swimming since it happened, not to mention the state of my skin. My bruises may have vanished, but my scars are just that, permanent nightmares forever etched into my skin. No matter how much they faded, they would still be there to haunt me, never truly leaving my skin.

"Hi Sweetie, I am having some friends over and they would love to meet you!" I am staring at my father as he tells me about his friends. We have been alone for a couple of years, and he isn't coping well, so I do what I can to make his life easier. "I am going to need you to be nice to them, okay princess? Can you do everything they ask?" His eyes look dangerous, but I swallow the concern and nod with a bright smile. "Of course Dad!"

When the doorbell rang, he opened it with glee to reveal a group of men that all looked very excited. "So where is she?"

I was ruined. They tore me apart with words and actions, shattering my pride and self-worth. Dad stood to the side collecting money and making it painfully obvious that he sold my body to these men. I don't think they were even his friends, probably some black market Craigslist ad.

Getting off of the bed, I notice that both Claire and Chris disappeared while I was lost in my memories. Sighing, I move to my closet to find an outfit.

After choosing a one piece that was a navy blue halter, I pick out white washed skinny jeans and a loose dark gray sweater. Despite having a swimsuit there was no way I would get in the water because not only would they know too much, but every time I end up thinking about it and have a panic attack. I actually kind of hate the beach.

I go through the same old morning routine of hygiene and makeup before heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Hey, Vi(Vee)!" What was Aiden doing here? I look around the kitchen and notice that all of the guys are here plus Kaylee and Mad Lib. Kaden was even holding Lanie in his arms.

Grabbing the whiteboard that we attached to the fridge, I scribble my question down.

'Are you guys coming along?'

"Well yeah, Ms. Wilkes invited us because we are awesome and she wants to make sure that you have fun!" Jacob was practically squealing and I rolled my eyes, looking over to Victoria for confirmation.

"I am going to make up for some quality time with Claire and Chris, and I figured that teenagers can entertain each other better," Victoria trained her eyes on the scrambled eggs and I sighed, great.

She was not that sneaky and she knew it, Victoria was blatantly meddling in my affairs, and although I was fine with the company, watching her squirm is rather entertaining. Shaking my head, I move past my guardian and take a seat at the table in between my two siblings.

"Hi, Avi! Are you excited for the beach? I love to swim and I bet that you love it too! Icee loves to play fetch and we once saw this thingy that turned out to be a tire, but we thought it was a fish-" Chris was babbling on and on about his previous beach outings, and I smiled at him, nodding my understanding.

I couldn't help but feel someone staring at me, and I locked eyes with Kaden, who was tilting his head in concern, I understood almost immediately.

He has not seen the bruises since that day, so he is probably wondering how the heck I am supposed to pull this off. The answer to that is that I have no idea. I shrug at him and he rolls his eyes in a not so subtle way. Well gosh, I am sorry that I lack foresight, I never planned to be going to the beach and him silently judging me did not seem warranted.

Miss Victoria was still humming away when she began to serve everyone, and I could see the hunger in every teenagers' eyes. I couldn't blame them, everyone in this family showed amazing potential in the culinary realm.

Eating my food with gusto, I lift my head to watch Ginger guzzle down his milk and Brownie start in on his second helping. These guys were really just normal hormonal teenagers, so it was hard to see why anyone would worship them, but then I factored in their looks.

All of them were drop-dead gorgeous, and some females think with their bodies and not their heads. Heck, I am I attracted to these guys, and that is perfectly justified with their heavenly appearances. Would I ever become a part of their awestruck following? No, I am much too stubborn for that, plus I refuse to be inferior to anyone.

I suppose that most victims of abuse think they are worthless, and I used to, but since Miss Victoria adopted me I have had a lot of time to rethink my opinions of my self-worth.

No life is meaningless, and that goes without exceptions, even for the countless scumbags of the world. I have become a firm believer that everyone does something that impacts our world and way of living. Nobody should feel like they mean nothing, no one, because good or bad, you mean something to someone.

"Vi, you alive over there?" Aiden looks at me with one of those admonishing expressions. Almost like the way a mother looks when reprimanding their child. I roll my eyes and scribble a response.

'I am alive and doing just peachy Moody!' Plastering on a sarcastic smile, I feel a bit of pride; I finally decided on his nickname though it was the weakest of the bunch. Turning my attention back to the plate of heaven, I quickly finish off the meal.

After a few more minutes, Miss Victoria stood up, trying to puff out her chest to appear more dominant and official.

"Alright guys, let's get going! Everyone head to the vehicles!" Her smile never disappeared and I could not help but shake my head in disbelief. How could such a happy and pure soul exist?

I found out why Claire and Chris were fatherless a month ago, and the story only increased my respect for my caretaker. They were high school sweethearts and got married after two years of college. She told me about how romantic he was for the first few years of the marriage, but after Claire was born he changed.

He started abusing Miss Victoria both mentally and physically, but she took it for the sake of her child. When Claire was four she found out that she was pregnant with Chris. She also found her husband screwing a brunette in their bedroom. She found out that the affair had been happening for three months, and that there were several before it, so she finally kicked him to the curb.

After I got Miss Victoria to stop crying, she revealed that the brunette was her sister and broke down again. Her family sided with her sister for reasons that I don't understand, leaving Miss Victoria alone with one child and one fetus.

Thanks to her intelligence and thriftiness, she was able to support her kids and become a top executive at her software company. Her story is slowly coaxing me into telling her my story, but I am hesitant.

I have never told my story before, and I don't know how she would react to it. I don't want revenge or justice, I just want peace. My father is already out of the picture and incarcerated, and my mother is somewhere where I will never have to see her again. What more could I ask for?

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Sorry for the wait! I have been busy all Summer, but starting next week I should have way more free time. Thank you for anyone taking the time to read this note and this chapter!