Sister

Fin.

Shelby Zac may be young but she knows when she is not wanted.

She stare at the pile of boxes in front of her with not much interest, propping her chin on her palm. Men in a blue uniform moving out and in the house, carrying and unboxing the boxes from the moving company's truck. The move did not take that long since the house already had built-in appliances and other furniture.

Her eyes wander around the house, the wall were painted in cream and it looked cozy. She open the window in the living room and let the cold breeze in to get rid of the unfamiliar smell of the new house. She hear some footsteps and when she turn around, she met her mother's eyes.

Cold

Her back shivers subtly and quickly averted her gaze away from her mother. To be honest, Shelby is used with the cold piercing gaze of her mother but what she is not used to is the loathing in her mother's eyes.

She goes outside, leaning on the balcony. The wind softly sweeps her hair away from her face and a bitter smile lingers on her lips. It's not like she wanted to be like her father. Does he even deserve to be call her father anymore? Her body trembles with fear as bad memories relapsed within seconds. Cold sweat started to form on her forehead and her hands shook subtly. She tried to close her eyes and tried to catch up on her breath. She places her hand on her chest soothing her erratic heartbeat.

Her father. The man she had seen as a role model but her image of him crashed and broke to fragment of a broken mirror. Her father was kind, caring, and loving but one day he changed. Maybe it started when he stressed out because he lost his job. He started to get drunk frequently and one night it was the first time he slapped her mother. Since then, Shelby would hide in fear when her father get drunk. Shelby was young but she wasn't spared. It started with a slap and when it wasn't enough, he would use his belt and most of the time, his fist. Since then, he always beat the living life of hers. She was barely 5 years old at that time but she has already tasted such pain and suffering. Her heart would race uncontrollably as the smell of alcohol hits her every time she arrives home from school. She should have run but one call from her father would make her stop in her tracks.

She didn't want to move but it seems like her legs has it own mind. Her leg tremble from time to time. From her peripheral view, she saw her mother sitting in the corner, curled into a ball as if protecting herself. The once fading blue and violet color on her body were once more visible. Shelby could see the hopelessness in her eyes even if they were closed.

Her heart stilted when her father smile cruelly. He grabbed her wrist and Shelby closed her eyes, worrying on how to cover another bruise from her friends and teacher's peering eyes.

Her eyes open as soon as a hand grabbed her wrist. She almost yelps in surprise but when her eyes rested on a tiny human, she stopped.

Two years after her father died from a car accident. They started their lives all over once again and her mother get a job in a big company, that's when her mother met Tristan Noel her step father. He was the head of the department at where she work. He was a total opposite of her father. Kind, caring and a loving father. Triston Noel raised his daughter on his own after her wife died during a burglary incident. Mr. Noel was not around that time as he was on a business trip. Mrs. Noel and their barely a year old daughter were present that time.

Shelby thinks that they've found refuge with each other. Her mother longs for a loving husband while Mr. Noel longs for a wife and a mother to his only daughter.

They moved to a newly-bought house of Mr. Noel. A new house where they could build new memories and leaves their past behind.

Shelby actually likes him but she could not help but feel wary with strangers. Even people who are close to you are capable of hurting you, what more if it's a stranger? Aside from that, she feels like an outsider. She feels like she's intruding them. She feels like she's not supposed to step inside their own bubble. She knows that she's unwanted. She thought that Mr. Noel may not show it to her but she just knows about it. She doesn't even want herself so what makes other people want her? Her own mother doesn't even want her. Maybe if her mother was given a chance to throw her out, she would do it without hesitated. Shelby wouldn't even blame her mother though. She may be young but she already has a grasp of how the world works.