Miss Worth While

Defense

JAX

Thomas's house was a one floor expanse of highly modern architectural beauty on top of a hill that overshadowed the town. Rich tones of creams and golds made the house warm and inviting, but also reflected the type of person Thomas was. Warm and accepting. 

Thomas looked vaguely nervous but smiled at me. "Come, I'll show you your room." Thomas, who was 48, was the type of person who was young at heart. I liked it. He stopped at a huge room that had dark grey walls,  and had a complete wall window that overlooked the city. I turned around, genuinely amazed at the room. Thomas nodded, then clasped his hands behind his back. 

"You don't have to feel weird about living with someone when you're 20. A lot of the 20 year olds here do live with their parents, and I own an apartment complex that you could move into whenever" 

This man, my uncle, was very different to my mother. She was a cold hearted woman who blamed others for her misfortune. Thomas was a person who was grateful to everyone else for his achievements. I could tell by the way he talked about his teachers and staff, the slight sparkle in his eyes. 

"I'll leave you to get settled in then. Dinner will be ready in 30" 

He left, leaving me to the paradise he called my room. 

**********************

The next day was a day off, since I didn't actually start my contract until next week. I was running near the bottom of the barrel with the money I had found from my mother, and had about $150 to tide me over until I got paid from my new job. Thomas said that all new workers got an early bonus to buy clothes needed for the workplace, which made me suspicious until Claire told me that she got one too. 

He really looked after his staff. Better than my parents looked after me. I sighed, shaking myself out of those depressing thoughts, choosing instead to bask in my surroundings. There was a strip of shops near his house that made me curious, as I needed more clothes. It was a lively street, not too populated but just enough to keep it bustling. I walked leisurely along the straight, stopping by a small lake that families walked around. Near there, a gym was located, Sabine Fitness, an international brand. Young, muscled teenagers hung around there, a few of them in a circle jeering-

A boy was being beaten. I caught glimpes of his gace on the ground and I sprinted to the crowd of boys. They were laughing, blood splattered all over the floor and dripping from the boy's face. 

"HEY, STOP THAT" I yelled, shoulder barging the one closest to me, immediately squatting down and turning to the attackers, holding my arms out in protection. From the glimpse I caught of the boy, he was badly bruised and his face was already swelling. 

A man in front, the leader it seemed, laughed in my face before trying to push me over. Growing up with a pimp for a father and a prostitute for a mother didn't make me a pushover. I stood firm, ignoring the fear that was creeping into my thoughts. 

"Look lady, get out of our business or you'll end up like him, capiche?" 

The man sounded exactly like one of my father's cronies, Jeff. A sick, perverted man who enjoyed acting out fantasies where he had sex with his daughter. That hinting smile came to mind and I shook my head, spitting at the man's feet. 

"Get f*cked. You're not going to lay a finger on this boy any more" I growled, my voice intimidating enough to make the rest of goons step back. Pathetic cowards. The leader stepped forward, getting into my face even though he was about an inch shorter than me. 

I stepped closer to him, my body tensed and ready to fight. I glowered at the leader, leaning so close our noses touched. "You understand me right and you understand me now boy. You will not touch, look or even breathe in his direction okay?" I felt a deranged smile form slowly, getting larger when I saw him gulp. "Don't try me. I will beat you until no one can differentiate between the dust on the earth and your pathetic, puny remains. So f*ck off, and don't come back.