red string of fate

16

[**** years ago]

„Amaya, stop!!"
I looked at my sister, her big pretty doll eyes looking at me concerned while everybody else was standing around me looking disgusted, shocked.
I slowly let go of the younger student's shirt I was holding, watching as his body collapsed to the ground without a sound.
„What did you do??? Are you crazy!?"
My mind went blank as I looked at the unconscious boy on the floor. Blood all over his face, all over my fists.

What do you mean? I did that for you, Jia. You told me to. Why are you acting like this?

I listened to the mumbling words of the others get louder and louder, turning into desperate yells for a teacher to help.
My eyes darted to my hands covered in red, trembling out of shock.
„But-" , I couldn't finish my sentence as a teacher grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me around. Her face filled with multiple emotions mostly with fear.
„Amaya, did you kill him!?"

I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my ceiling fan buzzing in the distance.

Huh, what time is it?

I forced myself to sit up and put a shirt on. The heat was outstandingly awful today, lowering all my expectations for the day already.

I know I had a dream but I don't remember what it was about...

I brushed my teeth before cleaning myself up and putting some proper clothes on.

It's a Sunday which means dad is going to visit.

I sighed and put my hair in a ponytail before walking down the stairs to the living room. I could already hear my mom and jia chattering in the kitchen, happily talking about something that sounded like marriage proposal.

Marriage?

„Good morning." , I said making myself noticeable while walking into the kitchen. They immediately stopped their conversation and looked at me to greet me back, though their faces didn't seem to be happy to see me at all.
„Something wrong?"
I took an apple and sat down as well though the mood wasn't really inviting at all.
„Not at all, we're just waiting for your dad to arrive, sweetheart."
I looked at my mom and smiled slightly before looking back at my apple who's redness quietly lifted my spirits.
„Mama, be honest to her, will you?"
I looked at my sister who seemed quite nervous, even a little too much for my liking.
„What do you mean? What's going on?"
I put my apple down and tried to make eye contact with my mother but she deliberately ignored all my attempts.
„Well, Amaya, we got a marriage proposal for you."

A what?

My head started hurting as I tried to understand my mothers words.

A marriage proposal?

I shook my head and laughed in disbelief.
It's normally Jia that got marriage proposals. My mother, as a beautiful and famous actress had a lot of attention on her and as her daughters that attention shined down on us. But my parents kept me hidden, not because I was special but simply because I wasn't special enough. And therefore most of the attention went to Jia. She modelled for a lot of brands and visits a prestigious school, one I had to switch out of because I was stealing her spotlight. She's been showered with several proposals, but she rejected them because the men were not her taste. But me getting a proposal is something new, something so bizarre because nobody really knew of my existence.

„Excuse me, what?"
I asked confused and looked at my mom. She was still avoiding my gaze and looked unpleased, even more than I was.
„Listen, Amaya. Don't turn your back on it yet. He's a family friend and you might as well-"
Her words got cut off by the doorbell ringing and Jia hastily getting up to open the door to my dad.
But right now, my focus was all over the place.

A marriage proposal? And my mom is telling me to consider it? What the actual fuck...I understand that our culture is the parents picking out who we'll have to marry..but I'm 19 years old and still going to school! I'm no where ready to marry nor do I want to marry. And instead of asking me if I even want to, she's telling me to consider it? Is she fucking nuts?

I tried my best to calm myself down and stop my hands from trembling but at no success. Once again I realised how much my parents liked jia and how much they hated me. The child that wasn't planned at all. The evil twin.
„Amaya, you're not getting up to greet me?"
I looked at my dad while my eyes filled with tears, which surprised him a lot as he backed up a little.
„Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?"
I blinked my tears away and acted as nothing happened while standing up. He seemed to be worried but i couldn't really tell if that was genuine or not.
I tried to force my voice out, tried to say atleast hello, but nothing left my mouth.

I'm an outcast in my own family. If I marry this guy, will they finally accept me as part of them?

I looked at my mother, with teary eyes and smiled.
„Okay, I'll try."
As if she immediately knew what I was talking about, she smiled while exhaling seeming rather grateful.
My dad looked at me a little puzzled but just accepted the odd situation by sitting down and ruffling through my hair.
„Well, I'm glad to see you all. How about we four go to a restaurant this evening and eat in peace. I haven't invited you to a nice outing for a long time already."
Jia smiled brightly, talking about some red dress she was going to wear tonight, but my head was still filled with so many thoughts that i couldn't really listen to her.

What is my life even? And why am I thinking of Naruto right at this moment?