Young and in Training

Chapter 4 - Seeing Red

'Can you get any tackier? Your uniform is a complete disaster!' I looked up from behind the register where I was counting my earnings for the day. Mackenzie glared at me while her friends eyed me from top to bottom as I walked out to restock shelves with products. Her hair was annoyingly perfect with her small white toy poodle prancing along behind her with its head held high. They continued to follow me all the way to the storage room where the store held all of its canned foods. Once I emerged from the storage room with a trolley full of canned fruits, I froze. Xavier was standing there with Mackenzie and her minions. Ever worse than that, Mackenzie held my phone in her hand laughing like a maniac as she flicked through all of my photos. 'Ohhh. How sweet. Little Anne with her Daddy on Christmas Eve! What a daddy's girl!' She mocked me as she turned to show me the photo she was referring to. It was the last photo I ever had taken with Dad. I was in my spotty pink PJ's holding my teddy bear close to my chest while Dad wrapped his protective arms around my tiny waist. The Christmas tree gave off a golden glow in the background of our old apartment. We were both so happy there together. We had everything, I had everything. We had each other. Not anymore. Just like that I saw red. My blood boiled as my anger rose up. Nothing could hold me back anymore. 'Look Mackenzie,' I said as sweetly as I could. 'I would appreciate it if I could have my phone back and you could forget what happened today.' She just glared at me like I was some sort of big joke. 'You are not serious are you? Actually asking me for your phone? Not happening sister.' Without warning, I bolted towards Mackenzie determined to wipe that smug smile off her face and retrieve my phone at the same time. *BANG* canned foods flew off the shelf I had just rammed Mackenzie into. With that smug grin on her face, she flung my phone across the room to one of her minions. I continued to hold her to that shelf as her toy poodle started to bark madly and growling at me. 'Okay Mackenzie. I gave you a chance to give my phone back to me.' As my eyes locked on hers, her sky blue eyes opened wide with terror. She started to squirm and struggle to get away. 'Get off me you freak! All I did was mention your Dad....' I cut her off and pushed harder against her shoulders and hot tears started to run down my cheeks. 'My Dad? My Dad is dead!' I screamed with frustration and anger. With a waterfall of hot tears falling down my cheeks I backed away from her, my arms shaking. I looked up at her. That terrified look still plastered on her face. 'I...I'm sorry. I...I need to go.' As I turned away to retrieve my phone everything went black.