How bad can a good girl get?
With her entire future planned out in excruciating detail, all Adelina Baker wants is to protect her little brother and maybe do things that she never thought she would along the way. And who better to teach her some bad...
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"She was another broken doll dreaming of someone with a glue. "
- Atticus
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FOR THE FIRST TIME in years, I wake up feeling a bit hopeful. It's been such a long time since I didn't find any reason to leave my bed besides protecting my brother. With the practice that happened on Saturday, I could already feel better and at least, imagine that something good will happen, especially for Sammy.
I look at my clock stand and it still marks 6:30. Just the fact that I woke up early than usual is enough to make me smile to myself. Today will be great, I know it.
Before taking a shower, I decided to pick my outfit for school but I don't bother to care about it that much. I just choose a light blue sweater paired with high waisted black jeans and my same color ankle boots. It's probably cold outside since we're in the middle of October and I don't want to get sick right when I'm training to protect my brother.
I go straight to the bathroom and I wasn't even going to look, yet I can't help but take a peek at how my face is looking after what happened two days ago. When I finally see my cheek, how purple it is, I have the urge to cry. I knew that several slaps would hurt like hell but I didn't expect them to look this ugly.
All the enthusiasm I had for today is gone.
Even if Tom is not here next to me, he still manages to bring the worse out of me.
I let the tears come as I enter inside the shower stall and turn the water on as hotter as it can get. A scalding bath is probably the only thing that can make me feel a bit better.
Crying doesn't take you anywhere but I continue doing it. I didn't expect me to hold this much sadness but suddenly, I'm sobbing. It keeps getting louder and I need to take a deep breath so my dad or Sammy can't listen to it.
When I finally get out of the shower, after what it feels like hours, I inhale and exhale deeply to calm myself down and face another day. At least, I'm doing something to protect my brother and me.
My thigh is still injured even after two whole days taking care of it. This time, Tom left marks on me, he made sure I would never forget him. There will be a long scar from the left thigh to my knee and I need to find a very good excuse as to why is that.
After my mental breakdown, I do all I need before going to school, pretending that nothing ever happened. My makeup is barely enough to cover the purple bruise covering my cheek but it somehow hides. Sometimes, I wish anyone would manage to see what I hide so well.
I wake Sammy up and go straight to the kitchen, to grab some breakfast for my brother. Today, I won't sit still in the damn countertop, smiling at the monster I live with.
"What do you think you are doing, Lina?" Tom asks from the top of the staircase, a big cynical smile on his face.
"Today the classes start earlier, don't ask me why. I'm already late for it." I lie, flawlessly and I just hope my dad will buy this whole story.
