𝚂 𝙼 𝙸 𝙻 𝙴

Chapter 9

Aline couldn't utter her protest at the sudden enrollment into the so-called school as her new found mother wouldn't listen nor tolerate her disagreement. The small child had been out shopping with her mother for school clothes and supplies for her day at school tomorrow and the entire time she had been pouting in silence. It made sense due to Alina's unfamiliar experience with an education, but Polly firmly believed that this decision would help Alina and she wouldn't change her mind about it. At all.

Alina grumbled, slipping on the blue skirt that Polly had handed her, and she looked at herself in the mirror.

She couldn't recognize herself anymore.

The bruises, cuts, and blood that once littered her skin like the freckles aligning across her rosy cheeks were no longer visible. The fullness that filled her empty, scarlet eyes was now gone as it was replaced with a fragment of joyous sparkle that made her red-colors irises sparkle like a Ruby.

Alina turned her head in shame as she appeared to look actually happy, which her mother had taught her never to do.

"Alina, is everything okay in there?" Polly called.

She stepped out with the skirt in her hands and with the determination to go home in her eyes.

"It doesn't fit." She muttered. It was a lie; it did fit but she just didn't want to wear it because of the uncanny resemblance to the clothing she used to wear before the abuse occurred. To her child-like perspective: anything related to skirts was also related to abuse. It was this god-forsaken attitude that made the girl lie to Polly.

"Oh, okay, well let's go get a bigger size, okay?"

"No."

Alina's sudden protest irked Polly to the core especially after the kindness she's shown the poor child. You could say that she couldn't take anymore of this nonsense and had to say something, but she feared what Alina would do after her words were spoken. Would she run away? No, there is no way she would do that, because she has no where to go. But then again, would she find somewhere to go in an attempt to escape from Polly and Daniel? Is she truly happy with the couple or is she just pretending so she doesn't have to go back to the mental hospital? Maybe the girl is simply toying with them and is using them to gain her own advantage as a means for vengeance?

The questions floated around Polly's brain as she was being drowned by the thoughts crowding around her. It did not take long for the Mother to finally speak her reply.

"Listen, you're either wearing a skirt or shorts, Alina. I am done with your 'I don't give a frick' attitude and if it doesn't stop happening I will send you back to the mental institution, understand?"

Her words were harsher than anticipated for Alina began to smile with her twisted and painful smile that spoke you made me mad so now I'm crazy all over her face. She dropped the skirt on the rack of clothing and grabbed a pair of shorts in the right sizing and then pushed it onto Polly's chest.

"Here, Polly."

Did she make the child mad? It sounded like she did, but then again the orphan had that casual mean sounding tone in her voice so it was pretty complicated to tell the difference. Polly couldn't tell the difference between naturally sounding mean and actually being upset so she took a guess and assumed the kid wasn't upset; not knowing she really was.

"Okay Alina, time to go home."

Alina huffed out a sigh and turned on the heels of her feet and began to walk towards the check out lady who was smiling at her.

"You're total is 34 dollars ma'am, will you pay with cash or card?"

"Cash please."

Alina observed the transaction between the two women so that she could take mental notes on how to do this herself if needed. It didn't take very long for Polly to complete the purchase of her daughter's school necessities and before long they were already seating in the car with Alina strapped into the front seat for the first time in forever. Polly grabbed the seat belt and clicked it into the other part of the seat and then did the same to her own seat belt.