BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

44 : Precious

I had never questioned Darius's love for Ellie. He had always been a good father to her. Taking her out to dinner, encouraging her to take up things she'd be too shy to do and treating her like a normal kid without CP. Because Ellie had this illness others would be wary and unsure around her, making her out to be a fragile little thing which Ellie loathed. It made her out to be who she was now. Too insecure and shut-off to involve herself in anything and more than often miserable.

I had gotten into my fair share of fights at school as we grew up over mocking bullies who would try and pick on Ellie. I had always taken on this overprotecting role of big sister, especially when Darius left us years back for a woman half his age.

Now that Darius is back, though, I'd never seen Ellie so happy. She smiled with sincerity and didn't hole herself up in her room like she'd normally do. So even though Darius and I were constantly arguing and he was always trying to nit-pick at everything I did with scorn I tried not to complain as much that he was here.

I didn't get his and Mum's relationship. They were supposed to be separated and while they didn't show any romantic affection towards each other, they were still close, always talking and laughing together.

Darius made my family happy and if they were happy I just had to suck it up even if he tried making my life hell.

* * *

Mother and I were having a screaming match.

Well, she was screaming at me to clean my room up while I was calmly trying to explain to her that even though my room looked messy to her it was neat and organised enough for me.

I had just ate two boxes of Pringles and I really couldn't move. My stomach hurt slightly. It was always after eating junk food that I realised how bad it was for me. It was one of those repetitive cycles in life.

Darius showed up with Ellie, both of them carrying bags of groceries ten minutes later as I was laying down on the sofa. They went back to the car and grabbed some more bags while I peacefully watched The Great British Bake Off.

"Get up and help your sister," Darius ordered as he was passing.

I ignored him.

"Beatrice, I am not going to tell you again. Go clean your room; it's filthy!"

I ignored her.

"I brought you y-your favourite c-cereal," Ellie held up the box of chocolate flavoured cereal and I held up my thumb to her.

Then, Darius marched in and switched off the TV. My glare was so frosty it could've made icicles although Darius wasn't fazed by it, instead he matched it with a thundering look. "When your mother tells you to do something, you do it. Understand?"

"No,"

"What did you say?"

"Yes," I begrudgingly changed my answer and heaved myself off the sofa. If I wasn't so scared of Darius he'd be getting a back-hand slap to his face every time he dared showing his ugly mutt to me.

I walked up the stairs, going into my room and sighing deeply. I took a few steps before collapsing on my bed. There was no way in hell I was going to --

"I'll be coming up in an hour to check if it's clean!" Darius shouted warningly.

Damn everything to hell. I sat up, and with a small sound of frustration began cleaning; firstly, kicking everything under the bed.

It wasn't long, with music playing in the background and actually concentrating on cleaning the room, I reached a large, disorganised and extremely messy pile of books, shoes and half empty bottles of Dr Pepper. Placing the shoes on the bottom shelf of my wardrobe, I afterwards threw all the bottles in the bin and started on the books.