Theodore |Book 1|

New Again

I looked at myself in the mirror. The red slap mark on my cheek was going to bruise. I wiped the tears from under my puffy eyes. I never cried in front of Roe. I usually don't cry anyway but her words hurt more than the abuse.

I let another tear escape out of my eye and roll down my cheek. I sat down on the bathroom floor and recalled what had just happened down stairs.

As soon as the front door slammed shut, I knew I was in for a bad beating tonight. I winced as I heard her stomp through the house. I was cowering in my room waiting for my punishment. "PAIGE!" She yelled put my name.

I quickly scrambled up and paused before I left my room. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself before the storm.

I slowly stumbled down the stairs to meet an enraged Roe standing at the end of the stairwell. Someone had seen one of the bruises in my side in school and decided to tell the principle. The principle decided to send me home and call Roe.

"I told you not to show your marks to others." She hissed through clenched teeth. She was trying to act calm but I knew she was fuming under that mask. "I assured your principle that it was nothing, but we will have to leave again." She said as she turned away thinking. 

"I don't know how your parents dealt with you. You are pathetic and useless. You cant even hide your marks. I bet their glad that their dead so they don't have to deal with your worthless ass anymore. They didn't even love yo-,"

"Yes they did Roe! They loved me!" And faster than I could think, Roe slapped me across the face. I grabbed my cheek and felt the stinging sensation behind my eyes.

 "Just leave, I don't want to see your ugly face anymore. Don't come out until tomorrow!" She threw her arm and pointed at my room.I ran upstairs and went to my bathroom connected to my room. That's where I let all the tears fall.

I walked back into my room and laid on my bed. Why did we have to move again. She said she reassured the principle that it wasn't anything serious so why did we have to move again? It's not like it actually mattered. I didn't make friends at any school we moved to because we moved so often.

I wish mom and dad were still here. I would still be the happy child that wasn't covered in scars and bruises. They were such good parents. Everyone loved the two as a couple. They loved each other so much but the only thing they loved more than each other was me. I loved them so much too.

I was at school when our house burnt down. They were trapped inside somehow. When our neighbor noticed the fire and called for a fire truck, the house was already burnt to the ground. I was at school that day. I remember walking home from 5th grade and seeing fire trucks and ambulances surrounding my house, or what used to be my house.

After a Police officer found me, he took me to the station and found Roe. That was the first time I had see Roe. She never came around when I was little. The beatings started a year after I moved in with her and they haven't stopped since. I've been living here for 6 years. I only have two more years to go until I am a adult and can live on my own where Roe can't hurt me.

Tomorrow is going to be my last day in Wyoming. I'll miss it here. I have grown accustomed to this little town. It's the only thing that isn't chaotic in my life; it's  so quiet. Roe wont tell me where we will be moving to until the day we leave. Right now it's a game of guess and wait. I wasn't able to come out of my room until morning so I decided to just get some sleep. 

***

I woke up to loud music playing downstairs. Great. Roe had invited over her friends again. I hate them. Especially her boyfriend, Chad. He was a complete douche bag. Roe would have these parties frequently. She would blare the music and drink a bunch of alcohol.