You Will Always be Our Little Girl

☆ eight ☆

Mabel's POV

I hear a knock on my door, but before I could answer rudely, my dad walks in, "your dad's pretty pissed." I scoff, "and you aren't?" He shakes his head and leans on the wall, "no, not really."

"But why?"

"Because what you said is true, Mabel. I did fight with my family a lot."

"I-I still don't know what happened with your family..."

"I could tell you. It sounds like a long story in my head, but it isn't." I sit up and pull my knees closer to my chest, "I just know your mom wasn't a good person.." he laughs lightly, "yeah...but before we start...I just want you to know that your dad does the things he does so your life isn't like mine, okay? He isn't trying to punish you from having fun, he's just making sure that...you don't go through the same stages of things as I did when we were younger."

"W-Why does dad feel guilty about it..? It happened to you...not him.."

"That's the thing...it didn't seem too bad for me, since I was in the household, he had to see my pain on the outside. Going to school with bruises, being late to school, not even being able to leave the house." I look down at my stuffed rabbit across the bed, "uhm...so my father passed away right before my first year of high school, quite literally right before."

"How did he pass away..?" He sighs and looks down, "he took his own life, Mabel." My eyes widen, "how old were you?"

"I was around your age."

"T-That's like-" I couldn't finish the sentence, but he understood, "that's like your dad being gone, Mabel." I look back down, "what about your mom..?"

"She was a good mother, up until dad died. After the funeral, it doesn't seem like she ever felt anything anymore. She worked and drank, worked and drank, worked and drank. Sometimes it would be days before my cousin and I ate." I bite the inside of my cheek, "I remember dad saying that you didn't eat a lot.." he shakes his head, "yeah."

I started to realize how much of the things my dads did for me, that was some things that a lot of kids don't have.

"My mother was arrested for driving under the influence and killing a little girl, Mabel. That's why you don't see her." I nod, "look, Mabel, next time, just think of what your dad does. He doesn't want you to miss school and get in with a bad group of friends.." he sits down across the bed and I instantly hug him.

That's probably what Im grateful for. I have two dads. One who knows how to have fun, and another one who can support me, even after the fact I say something harshly.

- - -

I wait at the end of the street for five minutes and sigh as I see no sign of Mason. I continue to walk, keeping my head low.

"Mabel! Babe!" Daiki says as he jumps up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I make a noise in surprise and he laughs at me, "you're so cute!" I feel my face turn red, "d-don't call me that."

"Hey, you aren't wearing makeup today." I nod, "yeah..I woke up late."

"Well, make sure to set your alarm next time." He hits me behind the head softly, but it felt more hurtful than it did as a joke. When Mason did that, I knew he didn't mean to hurt me, and he'd always apologize quietly after.

"Hey, are you alright? You're acting all weird." I nod and smile, "yeah, I'm just not feeling well. Tired."

"Oh, okay."

- - -

"Mason! Wait up!" I look up from my phone and see Emiko running towards Mason, "Hey, Em!" He smiles, taking off his headphones, "you always have these on! What are you listening to?"

"Oh, this new song that came out today called #goodday." He let her grab his headphones, placing them on her head.

"Keep walking!" A kid pushes me sideways. I sigh and walk again.

Fumiko Emiko. Her name explains her perfectly. "Child of treasured beauty" and "smiling child." She was beautiful, naturally beautiful. She didn't need makeup or anything done to make her beautiful. She had straight teeth, that were white. So naturally, she had a beautiful smile too. Everybody wanted to be her. Everybody. Including myself.

That's what stupid.

Mason is possible friends with the girl I want to be the most.

I sit down across the cafeteria from my friends, in the corner.

"Hey, everyone! This is Mason, the guy I met last night." I sigh, trying so hard to filter out what was going on, "we're practically best friends now."

"Come on, Em...we just met yesterday." I hear him laugh with everyone else.

"You have no friends and nobody cares about your existence but me!"

I remember the words I said last night and I just wanted to apologize profusely.

"There she is! Mabel!" I hear Daiki shout. I look up and shake my head, causing him to come to me, "let's go."

"W-Wait where are we going-?" He grabs my arm as I didn't collect my things fast enough, "we're going to the park again."

"I-I cant- I'm grounded, remember?"

"Oh, come on, Mabel, quit being a buzzkill."

"Hey, dude, she isn't being a buzzkill if she's not even going in the first place." Emiko shouts at Daiki. I jolt my attention over at the table next to me, "yeah, fuck off, dude." Arisu says, taking a drink of her iced latte she probably got earlier. She's in my theater class. Terrific actor and photographer,

"She's my girlfriend, you girls can't tell me what to do. Let's go, Mabel." He grabs my bag and pulls me towards the group.

God damn, Mason, I really do miss you.

Mason's POV

"What a douche." Emiko rolls her eyes, "seriously." Arisu sighs.

She never knew how to say no in situations like that.

"You used to hang out with that girl all the time, right, Mason?" I nod, "uhm..yeah, we're childhood best friends. I've known her since we were about right."

"Wow, so you guys are really close?" Ayame asks and I nod, "well, we used to be." They all nod, "hey! Quit being sad! Let's play cards!"

"Always the peacemaker of the group." Arisu says, pulling out a deck of cards, "do you want to play, Mason?" I smile and nod, "sure."

- - - end of chapter - - -

2 more chapters before this is fully published : )

song: maybe I was boring - Wilbur  (unreleased.)

words: 1111

finished: march 17, 2021 at 4:21 pm.

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-oliver