The cut that always bleeds - materialrolls

part 8

Michelle Martinez looked back at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark brown eyes gazed back at her and strands of her soft, curly hair hung near her delicate tanned face. Her eyelashes were beautiful and long, her nose was small and a dimple used to appear on her cheek whenever she smiled.

Michelle quickly wiped off the bright red lipstick from her gentle lips, leaving them without colour. She had just gotten upstairs after a fancy dinner with one of her father's family friends, and she couldn't have dreaded it more. A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and faced downwards. She held onto the vanity table with her fingers harshly, she couldn't help but want to crumble inside the ground. She hated every passing moment she spent in this house. She loathed her rich parents and their mindless norms, she detested every gathering and meeting she had with any of her family members and she absolutely despised the mask she had to put on every single day in front of them.

Michelle was raised in a fairly rich family. That's how she got to be friends with Anna, both their fathers were extreme money makers and according to the exception of their households, they could only be close friends with wealthy children. Anna didn't seem to mind the idea nor did she look outside the box, but Michelle on the other hand would give anything to break free from such an environment.

Ever since she was young, she was taught to smile and wave, or to complement and impress. She could never speak her mind, she wasn't allowed too. She could never wear what she wanted too, she could never practice the hobbies she'd like too and nor could she talk the way she'd prefer too. It was like being inside a prison, an isolating prison that would continue to haunt you forever. Michelle lived in a soulless household, no I love you's, no conversation, just little petty pointers that would show the rest of the people how lovely the Martinez family was. It was never about if she was happy or if anyone was happy, it was always about what others thought of them.

And though she knew that her parents only cared about what others perception about them was, Michelle couldn't help but realise that they had made her exactly like them. She could never stand anyone not being fond of her, she always wanted to seem perfect and though perfection is just a myth, Michelle still tried to conquer it. Everyone in school thought of her as intimidating and amazingly hot, or as one of the smart girls who could walk the runway if she wanted too. Though wherever she went, she always had a mask on her face, an unseen mask that no one knew of but herself.

The only time she could be herself was when she was alone in her room, staring back at her face and seeing the scars of her flaws flashing on her eyes. Michelle used to paint or draw whenever she felt overwhelmed by the pressure of perfect by her parents, and even more when she realised that this was her life. The softness of a brush and the grace of a bright colour calmed her, but these days she wasn't doing much of that lately.

Lately, she had something else that kept her at ease, or maybe someone..

At this moment Michelle heard a rock hit the window. She gasped and her eyes immediately fell on the glass, she furrowed her brows and went near the window to see what it was. It was 11pm, what was happening at this hour?

She lifted the glass and held onto the sill, Michelle looked down and a bright grin spread across her face as she saw who it was.

Daniel.

Daniel smiled up at her and began climbing the ladder outside her window. Michelle had left it there for whenever he came, she obviously didn't want her parents to think that there was a boy coming into her room every other night. Well why would she? It would hurt their angelic reputation.

Michelle gave Daniel a hand and helped him inside, as soon as he jumped in he brushed down on his leather jacket and smiled at Michelle.

"What took you so long?" She said crashing into his arms and wrapping herself around him. She rested her cheek against his chest and squeezed him tighter, and nearer to her body.

"Sorry, Anna wouldn't let me leave." He said running his hand on her back.

"Oh." Michelle pulled apart, the smile fading from her lips.

"What happened?" Daniel asked pulling her chin up with his finger to meet his eyes, he frowned down at her petite body as she gulped.

"I'm not sure if I'm okay with doing this behind Anna's back." She murmured softly and Daniel looked as if he might throw a fit but quickly regained himself. He obviously didn't want Michelle to be mad at him or to hurt her feelings, though her guilt kept coming in the way of them getting a bit too intimate.

"Hey, don't worry about that." Daniel began brushing his thumb on her cheek. "You have nothing to feel bad about, Anna is not ready for this yet and if she's a good friend she'll understand." He explained forcefully but still kept his eyes gentle and mesmerising for Michelle to gaze at.

Michelle nodded unconvinced and looked down at the ground with another sigh.

"Besides, it's not wrong if we really like each other." Daniel continued and her face looked up at him again with a smile.

"That we do." Michelle mumbled and stood up on the tips of her toes to meet his lips. Daniel's towering figure leaned down and the two shared a benign kiss.

Daniel's hand slid down to her waist and Michelle wrapped her legs around his. He walked to the bed, lightly placed her down on the expensive white sheets and grinned at her lips as his body hovered on her own.

Michelle might have felt guilty about doing this with her best friend's boyfriend, but his smile always made her weak to her knees.