The Scholarship

A rough slap caught me off guard as I went crashing to the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T GO TO THE STORE?" He screamed at me. Spit hitting me in the face where my raw cheek ached.

"I...I'm sorry bu-but you didn't g-give me any mon-money t-to g-go." I managed to stutter out as I waited for the next blow. He muttered incoheriently and threw two hundred dollar bills at me and walked away. I sighed...well atleast this wouldn't be drug money...

I got up and grabbed my old tattered sweatshirt and pulled it over my sore body. Quietly I walked through the front door and down the stairs of our small ratty apartment. How was he able to get this much money? His pay check barely gets up by with our bills each month. But than it hit me and I sighed. He wasn't paying one of the bills this month. I looked around the city. It was mid december now and it was really cold outside. Though I don't think many of the people I walked by noticed. They were all bundled up in large warm coats. I eyed them in envy and hug myself and walked faster to the local store. I kept my head down and practically ran until I ran into something. I fell down and help in a yelp as I fell on my bruised tail bone.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" A deep voice asked. I jumped and kept my head down and continued walking passed him, "Hey wait!" He said as he grabbed my arm roughly. I started freaking out thinking my father had was around and bolted to the store. His calls getting quieter and quieter as I ran farther and farther away. Once safely inside the store I grabbed all of our nessecary things quickly spending as little money as possible knowing when he was at work I would have to pay bill he refused to pay this month. By the time I got home it was alittle after 8 and though it was early I was ready for bed. I had alot to do tomorrow if I wanted to get away from my father as soon as possible. I had to apply to the Stark Scholarship before tomorrow night. And if I didn't get all of my schooling paid for than I was never going to get away from this man. The Stark Scholarship was alot like the Gates Scholarship except this scholarship was only available for those going into a engineering or tecnhincal type major. Lucky for me my favorite thing in the whole wide world was mechanical engineering. I constantly found myself on youtube at the public library looking up different videos. It was my passion and I hadn't even started doing it yet.

The next day I got up praying he was still crashed from the large amount of alcohol he had consumned the night before. But luck didn't seem to be on my side...than again ever since mom left it hasn't been in my side.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He muttered and sipped on his gin and tonic.

"I have school." I whispered and kept my head down. Eye contact made everything worse.

He just grunted in response, I silently thanked the gods that I now knew were real and scurried to school. Manhattan high to be exact. 2.34 miles away from my house and felt like 5 miles while it was snowing as it was today. I trudged to school letting my mind wander and my hopes build up. I was going to do everything I could to get away. Even if it meant taking out loans. I had already been accepted into the local university. This city was so big he would never be able to find me. Besides he would probably die from liver failure with in the next 5 years anyway. I got to school and pulled my hood closer to me.  I had been around these people for the last 13 years of my life. Well most of them atleast. And I had always been invisible. I wasn't hated, but I wasn't liked either. No one really cared and I just sorta blended into the background. Never being one to talk I just sorta kept to myself while everyone branched off. Quickly I went to the library to do the scholarship...well start it. The day went by too fast as usual. School was always such a safe haven. The final bell rang and I ran off to get home before my father got home. And I ran into someone again. Why does this keep happening?

A deep voice chuckled, "We need to not meet like this anymore." I jumped and looked up. Damon Stark. Tony Starks one and only child. Whom everyone treated like a god. I don't quite know why either. Granted he was just as smart as his father and the heir to the trillion dollar throne.

"I'm sorry." I whispered and prayed that my long auburn hair was covering the bruised cheek my father had left last night.

"Why'd you run away last night?"

"I...I had to get groceries." I muttered. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up efortlessly and kept his hand there. I liked it, and I didn't like that. My face flushed as he looked at me. It was like he was looking for something. I stared at his chocolate brown eyes and  brown hair. A spitting image of his father. But looking nothing like his mother. But than again I had no idea who his mother was. I'm sure it wasn't a secret, just never something I thought of. His father was young, only 38. How he managed to raise a child when he was 21 and build up the company his father left him I had no idea.  Than I caught myself smiling. Captain America knew 3 generations of  Starks.

"What are you smiling about?" I gasped as my face flushed.

"I...I...uh...I need to get home." I muttered and walked away from him.

"Wait!" He caught up and stood in front of me. I stood there waiting for him to say something, but when several minutes passed and he just balanced on his feet back and forth so I  walked away knowing for sure I was going to be late today. Good thing I finished everything I needed to get done because there was a large chance I would not be able to move tonight. 

About halfway home there was a honk, I jumped and looked to my right to see a sleek black car pull up beside me. The window rolled down and Damon with some of his friends I assumed were in the car, "Need a ride?" He asked. I shook my head and continued walking passed him. I had about 9 months or left less with my father, I didn't want to do anything to get him too angry,"But it's snowing and all you have is a thin old sweater."  I shrugged and kept walking. I could hear the car following slowly beside me and decided it would be best to take a way the car couldn't follow. I cut down the next alley and heard him calling out to me. The bastered didn't even know my name why the hell was he trying to hard. I jumped over the fence and kept running. In the process my hood fell down and I looked behind me. Some how he was still caught up to me. I pumped my legs faster and took a sharp turn and jumped into a recyling bin. My breathing hitched in my throat as I listened for his foot steps hoping he would just leave me alone. I wanted nothing to do with anybody. Not when I was so close to getting away. Even if it was still here in New York and in Manhattan there was such a slim to none chance that I would ever see these people ever again. Besides I was just going to pack my bags and leave New York when I got my degree. Where ever the best job offer I got. And I was gone. Putting my life behind me. After a few minutes I heard foot steps retreating and hopping out of the recyling bin.

"Found you." He whispered in my ear and grabbed my waist and pulled me towards him. His words chilling my spine. I screamed and elbowed him and continued running, "I hope you know I love a good chase!" He yelled.

"Just leave me alone! I have enough in my life, I don't need some concieted jerk following me around!" I screamed as the tears fell down my face. He stopped for a second looking confused before he ran faster towards me. But that few seconds was all I needed. I was ahead and once I got  this nex left I would be free. I took the left and jumped into my open window, slammed it and shut it. I knew there was a reason why I kept it open today. I pushed my back up against my wall as my breathing caught up with me. My heart beating in my ears, my body shaking uncontrollably. I needed to get something to eat. It had been a few days. I quietly made my way to the kitchen and cooked a quesadilla and scarffed it down as I waited for my father to get home.

"WHAT ARE YOU A PROSTITUTE OR SOMETHING?" He screamed as he got into the door.

"Wha...what are you talking about?" I stuttered as he got in my face.

"I saw you you little bitch. Talking to the fucking car. I was on my way home and I saw your slutty ass talking to that car. Fucking random guys now are you?" He spat. I closed my eyes as the beating started. The kicking, the punching, the anger. He had so much anger. And he took it out on me. He ALWAYS. took it out on me.

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I made a new story :) Tell me what you think loves <3