Their Broken Angel

Chapter Four

Hey everyone! I usually hate author's notes at the beginning of a chapter so I'll try to keep it short for you. The first little bit of this chapter might be a little bit boring cause I don't really know what to put here. It's a bit of a filler, but... She's gonna meet a brother soon! If you've made it this far, thank you!  I really appreciate you taking a chance on my book. Don't be a stranger, let me know what you think in the comments, and without any further ado, let's get reading!

I finish preparing breakfast and plate it up quickly, practically running out the front door. I don't even care if Lucas wants a ride, I'm not offering. I just want to be out of here. I spent hours practicing walking last night to make sure I don't have a limp, and I've bandaged every wound that I can, so I should be able to make it through school and work without a problem.

I spent the whole day staring at a wall yesterday. I was in too much pain to move, but I know that I can't miss any more days at this point, so it's off to school for me. It doesn't take me nearly as long as I'd like to get to school. I've always enjoyed driving, it just gives you a chance to sit and breathe. You don't have to worry about everything quite as much. 

I carefully park in the far corner of the parking lot, far away from any bullies who might think it's funny to deface my precious car. I groan as I think of the walk though. I absolutely despise exercise. It's the actual worst.

Pulling my long hair up into a ponytail, I trudge in, avoiding eye contact with everyone that passes. Maybe if you just avoid humanity, they'll ignore you? I laugh internally at myself. No matter how much I wish I could be invisible, I don't think I ever will be. 

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Somehow, I made it through school without too many issues. There's the occasional shove, someone tripping me in the hallway, but nothing too extreme. That being said, I'm so glad to be heading to work. 

The bells jingle merrily as I walk through the door and Sally looks up with a smile. Running around the counter to come hug me, I will myself to stay still and not flinch as she squeezes my ribcage. Yup. Those have got to be broken. There's no way bruised ribs feel like that. I swear one of my teeth cracks from how tight I'm clenching my jaw. 

"Ember! I missed you, child. Go set your things down and come talk to me. I need to hear all about your family trip!" She cries happily. Yes, I might have told her that I couldn't come in because I went on a camping trip with my family... But there's no way I could tell her that I couldn't come in because I was lying unconscious in a pool of my own blood now could I? Besides, I've gotten pretty good at coming up with stories like this. I can almost pretend that I'm actually there.

"There's not much to tell. It was just a camping trip." I call over my shoulder, heading to the back. "Oh, nonsense. You always say that but the last time you went camping a bear came into your camp!" She replies in a way that tells me I better have a good story this time. I smile slightly and set my things down on a chair before heading back out. 

"Ok, ok, you got me. There was one thing that happened." I say, dragging out my words. "We may or may not have run into a moose or two."

"A moose! You're kidding? And you said nothing exciting happened." She teases, a huge ol' smile on her face. I love making Sally smile. It's one of the few things that can make me happy nowadays. "Can you believe it? A moose in this part of Oregon!" Sally asks as she walks over to a stack of books. 

I laugh under my breath before joining her. She's attempting to carry a stack of books that's taller than her. Sally always thinks she can carry all of them at once but she never can. I catch one just in time as it plummets off her pile.