Luna

THREE

L U N A

Anxiety was all I could feel.

One hour to go before I would meet my brothers. I didn't know much about them, only that I had five brothers: Isaac, Cole, Kayden, Ethan and Aiden. Mrs. Diaz told me one of my brothers would be waiting at my gate.

My left leg couldn't stop bouncing up and down, it was my body's way of dealing with stress.

A life away from Nick, I still couldn't believe it. It felt too unreal, too good to be true.

For the past two hours, I was thinking about how to act around my brothers. I'm terrible at being social, especially with new people, it gives me so much anxiety.

Since I was eight, I didn't have anyone to talk to anymore. My friends started distancing themselves when I became quieter. Maybe it was for the best, I wouldn't want to be around me either.

So what I'm trying to say is that I have trouble making small talk with a stranger, let alone connecting with five new people I'm going to live with.

What worries me most is that maybe my presence is unwanted. I know Isaac said yes to the offer of taking me in, but maybe he felt obligated to accept it.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion to just see what happens.

The only thing I know for sure is that I will try my best to hide the abuse I went through. What's done is done. They can't change anything about the past seven years, so what's the point of telling them about it?

I just want to forget even though that seems impossible. If the memories won't haunt me, the scars will always help me remember.

Nick's favourite thing was to mark my skin. A bruise eventually faded, a scar was forever. My whole body was covered with them. Some places worse than others.

I took a deep inhale, trying to ease the nerves. I had to swallow a whimper caused by the sudden pain. They have never hurt this much. It wouldn't surprise me if some were broken by the blunt force of Nick's foot.

They will heal I tell myself.

A treacherous tear left my eye. I aggressively wipe it away.

I had a change of living a normal life, a life I had been craving for years. I wouldn't waste this opportunity by constantly looking back in the past.

What's done is done I told myself again.

The light—telling us we need to put our seat belt back on—indicated that the landing was about to begin. A wave of nerves washed over me again. Just a little while and I would meet my brothers.

It was as if I just had run the biggest marathon in my life because my heart was slamming against my ribcage.

A shock went through the plane, meaning we had landed. I was going to meet them!

A few idiots started clapping, seriously what's wrong with them?

I patiently waited until almost everyone was off the plane. People had no patience, and I wasn't about to try to get in the crowd. And just maybe I tried to delay the inevitable confrontation with Isaac.

Every step I took towards the exit took more and more effort. My hands get clammy, my heart rate just keeps rising as I get closer.

My eyes search the crowd for a man of 25 years. Apparently he is tall, has brown curly hair and has identical blue eyes. I was in such a hurry to get on the plane. I didn't even have enough time to see a picture of him.