The Price Of Freedom

Chapter 3: Why does my life suck?

When I finished making my father dinner I left it on the counter. He should be home soon and I didnt want to be here when was so i went to my room to do my homework.

The reason I don't eat is because my father won't let me. He makes sure he only gives me enough money to buy him food and nothing else. But what am I gonna do.

In the middle of doing my English homework I hear the front door open and slam shut. Oh no. He's in a bad mood and when ever he's in a bad mood he uses me as his personal punching bag.

"CHLOE!" He screams,his words slightly slurred meaning he's obviously drunk, which is worse for me.

I slowly walk out of my room and into the kitchen where he's sitting in front of his spaghetti and meatballs.

My face holds nothing but fear as his face is etched with a stone cold glare. "Yes father." I stutter.

His eyes turn into slits as he gets up and points to his food. "What is this?" I look at him confused for a minute not understanding why he's angry.

"It's spaghetti and meatballs sir."

"Well why don't I have steak. What are you good for if you can't even cook me steak!" He yells. I cringe and take a step back before answering him.

"I'm sorry, you didn't ask for any steak. I made the last one for you yesterday." I say barley audible.

His face turns angrier, if possible, and he walks closer to me until he's right in front of me. "So now your saying it's my fault why I don't have a steak?" He says, daring me to defy him.

"No sir. I just meant tha..."

"I don't care what you meant! You were supposed to make me steak!" He yells raising his hand and slapping me across the face sending me flying across the room causing me to hit my head on the edge of the counter.

Everything becomes fuzzy and i can just barely reconize his body walking over to me before feel him punch and kick me repeatedly. The last thing I hear him say before I black out is "It should if been you, you worthless bitch."

When I wake up I'm on the kitchen floor surrounded by a puddle of my own blood from last night.

I try to sit up, ignoring the constant pounding in my head. Keyword is trying.

Once i got up onto my feat i swayed before falling, just barely grabbing the edge of the counter before hitting the floor completely.

I get up and clean up my mess as quickly as I can before checking the time and rushing to get ready for school, putting the maximum amount of makeup that I can to cover up my bruises before rushing out the door ignoring the stinging, burning pain all over my body. (Outfit on the side)

When I get to school I run into my classroom and I'm 20 minutes late. "Well so nice of you to join us ms. Baker. Care to explain why you bursted through the door late and interupted my class?" My science teacher snarls.

If you didn't know, he doesn't like me very much for what ever reason i dont know.

I look around at all my classmates trying to hold back their laughter. I gulp and look back at my teacher. "Oh I...I um... Overslept." I lie walking back to my seat trying not to draw any more attention to myself.

He didn't seem to believe me but he let it slide this time.

When I sat down in my seat I felt several pairs of eyes on me and sure enough when I look around me, Zoey, Kate, Courtney, and Hunter are all staring at me. Or more specifically my face. "What?" I ask.

"Why are you wearing make up. No offense but it looks like your one of those barbies who like to cake their face with 20 pounds of makeup except you used all that weight in concealer." Kate says looking at me weirdly.

"I don't know what your talking about. This is how much make up I always wear." I try to tell them but theyre not buying it. I sigh. "It's nothing anyway."

"Come on Chloe just let us see." Courtney asks pleadingly.

"Nope cause theirs nothing to see." I say stubbornly. They all look at each other before zoey, kate, and Courtney say the most random thing I've ever heard.

"Pineapples licking a lollipop diaper." I look at them strangley trying to figure out why they said that, but before I can process what's happening hunter wiped my makeup off with a wet wipe and they all gasped at the unearthly sight.

My eyes widen in shock before my hole face contorts into one of anger. The bell rings and I run out of the room and to the bathroom as quick as possible to fix my makeup before anyone else sees my bruises.

By the end of the day I have successfully avoided the johnsons. However, last period gym, I don't seem to be so lucky because they're all in this class.

Today we're running laps around the track and I internally groan. I'm never gonna be able to do this. Sometimes I wish the earth would just break open and swallow me up so i dont have to live theough this torturous life i call my own.

Why does my life have to suck.

The coach blows the wisstle and I start running. By the time I'm done with my first lap my hole body aches and I'm starting to feel dizzy. Maybe not eating and all of the beatings are finally catching up to me.

Half way done with my second lap it becomes too much and I just collapse. "Chloe!" I faintly hear someone yelling before I feel someone next to me. "Someone help! We need the nurse!" The same guy yells starting to sound familliar.

The last thing I hear before I let the darkness clouding my vision consume me is someone crying, someone yelling, and someone telling me everything's gonna be ok. I just hope whoever is saying that is right.