Monochromatic

Chapter 3

Eight Years Later

They were all they had now. Throughout the next 8 years of Rave and Libia's lives, Rave toiled to handle the $3,000 they've received wisely. He juggled school work and raised his little sister all on his own. Rave used the money only when necessary, usually for food and occasionally more school supplies. When the siblings had grown out of their clothes and shoes, Rave would cut and stitch the cloth together to make a differently sized outfit, or they'd find a bin with free shoes and or clothes to grab. It wasn't easy, but Rave accomplished managing their limited amount of money well even at the early age at which he started. However, he still couldn't acquire a part-time job until he was 14. Once he turned of age, Rave found a job as a janitor at a fast food restaurant after school. His boss was even generous enough to let Libia come along every once in a while, as long as she stayed quiet. He proved himself to still be a hard worker, keeping an afterschool job to juggle as well.

With a lot on his plate Rave kept himself about how overwhelming it was most of the time. He couldn't bring himself to ask for help, it wasn't something he thought he deserved. School didn't get any better either, only progressively worse. To cope, Rave took on a cold demeanor. He showed no sign of weakness, scaring most away with his glare. Nonetheless, some still challenged him to fight, which he refused to encourage. He was cautious and hated physically fighting anyone. Rave maintained naturally straight hair, which he kept untouched until the last minute. His eyes grew duller and darker every year; however, his facial features became more defined as he got older. Rave's once youthful plump cheeks thinned revealing his cheekbones, and the visible scars from the past had faded into a light reminder. His clothing style barely changed. Rave now wore jeans and slightly oversized jackets more than anything, but everything he wore came from the girl's junior section. He always wore bandages on his hands and lower arms for reasons not even his sister knew and planned to keep it that way for as long as possible. Yes, Rave was a mysterious one to most, but he thought he was a very simple minded person.

Some days Rave came home beaten up quite badly. Usually, he could hide it from his sister, but only if it was beneath his clothing. It was rare that he'd let any serious marks harm his face and neck, but when it did he always had some kind of excuse for why. Libia was Rave's only reason to live, his motivation to go on with his life no matter what the struggle. He knew it would break Libia's heart if she saw what was happening to Rave, and with practice, he was easily able to cover up his injuries like nothing happened. Aside from his job school work Rave worked hard making sure that even with their circumstances Libia was loved and cared for as much as possible. He was always there to witness every milestone Libia hit, and no matter what Rave was always there for his little sister.

Libia's once short curly locks grew to be long and wavy. Her eyes, unlike her brother's, never changed, and remain as big and beautiful as they were at birth. Her skin was now a slightly rosier pigment and remained as soft as ever. She enjoyed wearing simple dresses and boots, but for some reason would usually be seen studying barefooted with a sunhat on. Libia grew up to usually be an intelligent and level headed child. She had grown significantly attached to her elder brother, but otherwise kept to herself. When she was spoken to by others, almost all her answers were dull; however, if met with a question; person; or comment which stoke her interest, she'd answer with a blunt and honest response. Her demeanor appeared to be intimidating to others, not allowing for her to make too many friends along the way. Libia didn't care either way nonetheless. By the time Libia was of age, Rave managed to enroll her into the same school as him, Rosewell Academy Pre-K – 8. Libia did quite well with her studies, so much so, that her teachers had no choice but to notice her academic intelligence. With her brother's permission Libia could even stay after school to study in the school library. Libia soon managed to skip three grades ahead of her original class. However, that's when her school troubles began. Obviously being the youngest and shortest student in her grade, Libia was made an easy target to be picked on. The fact that she was recognized as an extremely intelligent individual didn't help the cause either. Most of the children were under the impression that Libia felt superior. Despite everyone's intentions, Libia remained focused on her studies; that, and her older brother. Libia kept most of her experiences from school to herself. Rave already had enough on his plate to worry about insignificant people, besides, she didn't care. Years went by and Rave moved to the high school next to the previous building.