Ember Rose

10

The rest of the school day flew by, I had double sociology after lunch and I loved it. The sociology teacher took note from last lesson and let my sat next to Flo which was good and the class seemed to go way too quickly.

I made my way along the footpath home, enjoying my own company. Thats something i think i've been kind of forced to enjoy. I like being alone because I know no different, you know, growing up with no siblings and only having a mother for the first eleven years of my life.
I open the front gate of my home, dragging the empty recycle bin into the garden with me before slipping my key into the lock and stepping inside.

"Aunty May?" I call out.

"In here" My aunt replies from the kitchen.

Aunty May is the best Aunt i could ever wish for. She's been my legal guardian since everything happened with mum. May is sixty-six, she's my mothers aunt.. which makes her my great aunt. She's the most loving woman on the entire face of the earth. She loves having visitors, loves socialising, she just loves people in general. My mother was half Italian, my grandad being from Italy and my Grandmother from England. Aunt may is Grandads sister, so she's Italian but she's picked up the English language amazingly, although her accent is still pretty strong. She's a widow, I miss my Uncle, he was also a massive family man.
Aunty May is quite big in size with brown..going grey hair (but don't tell her or she'll upper cut you), It falls to her mid back and is thick and wispy, she usually wears it in a plait or bun.

She's also the best cook in the entire world and as soon as I entered the house I could smell something delicious cooking. "ciao zia" I smile as she wraps her arms around me, giving me a tender kiss on the cheek.

"Ciao my love, how was your school day?" She grins in her beautiful accent as she stirs her homemade sauce.

"Good, how was your day?" I smile.

"My love, tiring as always but I enjoy what life throws at me" She chuckles.

"Do you need any help?" I ask and she nods.

"Please cut the cipolla" She says as she places the onion on the worktop. As I reach out she slaps my hand playfully.

"lavati le mani my love, wash your hands!" She makes me chuckle as I head over to the tap. After washing my hands I begin to cut the onion, finding myself thinking mindlessly to myself.

"Aunty May, theres a boy at school an-"

"A boy? Does he look after you well?" Aunty May butts in.

"No, Aunty not that kind of boy" I chuckle.

"Eh?" She raises a brow.

"He's not even a friend, he calls me names and makes me feel bad" I sigh and May slams the spoon on the worktop. Oh, did I tell you how feisty my Aunt can get?

"I will shove the spoon in his asshole" She says, the Italian accent making me unable to keep my laugh in.

"No, aunty listen. I went to a party, the night I said I was staying at Jess' house and this boys friend called me names, so I attacked him and people have videoed it, everyone knows about it and-"

"Why didn't you tell me you were at a party Ember" My aunty crosses her arms.

"I don't- i don't know" I shrug.

"And you had alcohol?" She raises a brow.

"Y-yeah? Sorry." I give her a lopsided smile,

May tuts, turning her concentration back on her sauce. "If they hurt you again I will castrate them" She says lowly as I turn to cut the onion.

"Aunty, what does It mean if someone is nice to you one minute and horrible the next" I ask lowly.

May frowns, as she scrapes the chopped onion off of the chopping board into the saucepan.

"A boy?" She questions and I nod in reply. "It can mean many things, my love. They may not like you but are trying their best to be kind, they may like you but are too afraid to show it, maybe they're just afraid to fall in love?" She shrugs, pinching my cheek.

"Oh no, they hate me, they despise me, we despise each other. I just want to know why, why do they hate me so much. Theres no obvious reason" I huff.

"Take what life throws at you my love, he'll tell you in his own time; do not force someone into speaking up" She smiles.

I nod. "Thankyou" I smile.

I make my way upstairs and change into something more comfortable before scrolling through my phone on my bed. Nearly everyones posts were either the video of me at Finlay's party or some kind of post relating to it. I hated it. But i'm obviously not going to try about it. I just have to take what life throws at me, like Aunty May says.

From: unknown: so you're the girl that attacked Lewis?

I stare down at my phone with a slight frown before typing a reply.

To: Unknown: Who is this? How did you get my number?

Almost instantly I get a reply.

From: Unknown: No need to worry, just know you'll get whats coming.

To: Unknown: who are you?

From: Unknown: You don't need to know

To: Unknown: Well i do mate, i'd quite like to know who the fuck's messaging me about things that don't concern them.

From: Unknown: Don't get rude; people like you  get their faces smashed in, you'll soon pipe down, just watch.

To: Unknown: ..can't watch if idk who you are

From: Unknown: Don't try and be smart. Wait on it.

To: Unknown: I'm waiting :)xxxxxxx

After that I get no reply. I sit on my bed and giggle to myself. I didn't know who it was messaging me but they were doing a shit job at scaring me or whatever the fuck they were supposed to be doing. "People like you get their faces smashed in", may I just mention, Lewis is the one with the black eye.

Dickheads, whoever they are.