Broken

Chapter 39

It felt like we had been walking round and round the park for hours, every guy that walked past giving me hope.

"Is that him?" Harry asked, pointing to a middle-aged man on a bench.

"Nope."

"What about-"

"Nope."

I rolled my eyes, it felt like she was just making excuses to stay tangled on Harry's hip. He screwed up his face and put her down, cracking his neck uncomfortably.

"We need to find him," I sighed," he'll be worried."

Robyn scanned the play park, the benches, the ice cream van...nothing. I was starting to panic, picturing me and Harry becoming teenage parents.

We sat at a bench near the play park, Harry deciding to get us some ice-creams. Robyn sat smiling falsely at me, her perfect teeth sparkling irritatingly.

"Do you really like Harry?" she asked curiously.

I smiled back at her and nodded, "Yeah, I love Harry."

She frowned and kicked her feet as they dangled off the side of the bench.

"As your boyfriend?"

"Yes?"

"I want a boyfriend," she sighed.

I laughed and held my stomach, her little face screwed up as I made fun of her.

"What are you...five?" I asked.

"Five and a half actually," she snapped.

I held my hands up to surrender, she had a sassy and firey personality to match her flaming hair.

"Look, you have plenty of time to worry about boys. Live life while your young, enjoy yourself...I wish I could have done that when I was your age," I said, feeling inspirational.

She looked at me oddly but seemed to get where I was coming from, "I'm not pretty enough anyway, the boys at school make fun of me."

I suddenly felt sorry for her, she seemed as fragile and tender I was when I was at her age. It made me wonder about her mum, where was she? How could she not know who she was?

"Of course you are! Don't sat that! Why do they make fun of you?" I said, not wanting to upset her again.

"They make fun of my hair, because its red."

I shook my head, school kids were so horrible sometimes...and I thought adults were bad.

"Don't listen to them," I cried,"you have beautiful hair, embrace it!"

I pulled her messy ponytail out, releasing the rest if her bouncy flowing curls. She smiled and squeezed her tatty teddy, tucking one of her locks behind her ear. Harry sat between us, handing us an ice-cream each happily.

"Right, can you see your dad anywhere around here?" he asked.

She looked around, her eyes widening as she saw a rather stressed red-headed guy by the fountain.

"Daddy!" she called.

He turned around, sprinting towards us as soon a he caught a glimpse of his daughter.

"God Robyn! What were you playing at?!" he said, voice raised, hands placed firmly on her arms.

She looked frightened, her ice-cream falling to the ground and splatting with and unpleasant sound. It brought back horrible memories of my childhood, I used to look like that too.

*FLASHBACK*

I had managed to squeeze through the unused cat flap in our front door, we had never actually owned a cat? They were in their bedroom, strange bangs and groans coming from inside. I knew not to go near the door when I heard those things.

My feet carried me towards the park I never visited often, hiding beneath the slide which was now peeling with flaky dried paint. Tears were spilling down my cheeks, the few kids in wellie boots hardly noticing me.

No one ever noticed me.

I hugged my knees, my face buried into my tight faded jeans.

"Why don't they want me?" I asked myself.

I stayed there for at least two hours, letting the rain seep through me, my body shivering. My hair was in tangled knots below my shoulders, droplets falling onto my plain blue t-shirt which was stained from the chocolate bar I found this morning. Someone caught my arm, making me flinch. A kind-faced woman stared at me, a floral umbrella overhead.

"Are you lost sweetie?" she asked, her dark bob bouncing at the ends as she spoke to me.

I went to explain, tell her everything until dad barged past her throwing his arms around me and playing the part.

"Thank you so much for finding her!" he cried, picking me up and squeezing my bony hips tightly.

"Oh...it's okay," she gasped, surprised by dads sudden appearance.

She stared deep into my eyes, feeling my pleas in his grasp. But she didn't do anything about it. Just smiled sadly and waved goodbye to my hopes of a new family...

They obviously beat me when I got back, accusing me of making them out to be something they're not. All I wanted was to be free. All I wanted was to escape their controlling hands...and I got there, I had beaten them...eventually.