Life Before You

Chapter One: Tear Stains and Photo Frames

Chapter One- Tear Stains and Photo Frames

Raven

I look down at mums careless expression, the edge of her mouth turned up, bright blue eyes beaming. Then dad, who was laden with worry, the tired lines etched into his face always looked deeper when he smiled. And me in the middle, the only thing that kept my family together for such a long time. My finger traces my dark blonde hair, blue eyes and thin frame, I'm the spitting image of my mum.

The sound of my mums knuckles pounding at my bedroom door makes me jump. I quickly hide the photo under my duvet, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "Come in."

I dry my eyes quickly as the door swings open.

"How about we go shopping today Raven? Get some new clothes, have a bit of a refresh?" Mum glides towards me, her silk top flowing behind her.

"Yeah, sure." I say trying to remember the last time I actually went shopping with my mum.

She beams, "Well, I've just made some chicken salad for lunch so we can go after that."

"Salad?" I snort. We never have salad. Mum's stick thin and has the fastest metabolism on the planet. She never bothers with all of the healthy eating rubbish because she just doesn't get fat.

"Tough." Mum spits, her smile faded. I furrow my brow, hurt at her harsh tone- mum never shouts.

"It's fine." I say as enthusiastically as I can.

"Good, well come downstairs then. You've been stuck up here doing God-Knows-What for ages." mum glides back out of the room leaving me alone with my thoughts.

"What's going on with her today?" I mumble to myself, reaching for the photo frame.

I look down longingly at dad, wondering what he's been doing for the past four years of my life. There's no way I can contact him or vice versa unless mum gives him my phone number which is really unlikely. I just want to know whether he has another family, another life and why he isn't bothered with my life. I'm his daughter, his first child and he doesn't even want to know what Sixth Form College I attend.

"Raven, do I have to come back up there to drag you downstairs?" All of a sudden tears stream down my face and splash onto the glass. I don't really know why though. I've been without my dad for so many years and it hasn't affected me this badly, and then mum... Well, she never shouts but I thought I could handle a bad temper.

My door bursts open and mum looks at me with narrowed eyes, "What are you doing?"

Before I can even think of a reply mum demands, "What is that?"

"A-"

"How the hell did you get that?" She says, snatching my most prized possession from my grasp.

"I um-"

"Where did it come from?" Before I know it, the heavy glass frame is being hurtled in my direction and

*BAM*

Right on target.