Broken (Edited edition)

Dinner in Hell

Once Mark and I took our medication, and after I took a shower, it was time to get ready for Dinner.  I pull on a dress Nona bought me while she was shopping.  It's a short, dark blue dress.  It goes down to my knees, has short sleeves, and has a pale ribbon around the waist.  I have long sleeve gloves that don't touch my hands at all.  They just cover my forearms, making sure my scars don't show.  I let my legs show, but put some cover on them to hide the scars.  I rub my arm up onto one of the sleeves.  I tighten my grip onto it, and smile softly at myself.  I kind of...look beautiful.  Seriously, my hair is shiny and I'm wearing a dress.  Two things that I never believed I would see in myself.  I pull out a necklace that I have.  It's a cheap one that I bought when Todd dragged me to a thrift shop.  It's gold with a silver heart locket attached to it.  I look myself in the mirror, and fix up my hair just a little bit.  I hear a knock on the bathroom door, and I open the door.  Mark is standing there in sweats, a black T-shirt, and a black zip up jackets.

"Holy shit."  He mumbles, and he walks into the bathroom next to me."  Wow Lyca, you look...gorgeous.  I mean seriously, your outfit is perfect."  He says, and I start blushing."  Th..Thank you Mark."  I say, and he smiles."  You look beautiful."  He says, and I kiss his cheek."  come on, let's get to the car.  I think you'll like where we're going."  He says, and I nod."  I'll like anything, as long as it's food."  I tell him, and he smiles at me."  Understood."  He says, and we walk out to the living room.  Thomas is wearing a normal T-shirt, jeans, and a black shoes."  Oh, wow!"  He says, and he stumbles for a moment."  Lyca...you look beautiful.  Seriously, you're looking incredible.  Good lord, you have great taste in clothing."  He says, and I grin as I twirl around in a circle."  Mark, she's so cute."  Thomas says, and Mark starts chuckling."  Yeah, I know."  He says, and I smile at both of them.  Nana comes out of her bedroom, wearing a long cardigan and also black pants."  Lyca look nice."  She says, and I smile at her."  Thank you, you do as well."  I tell her, and she smiles at me."  Thank you."  She says, and I smile at her gently.

"Okay, let's get going."  Mark says, rubbing his hands together.  We all get into the car, and Thomas starts driving us to whatever restaurant Mark has picked out.  I'm not even sure it was him who picked it out, he just told me we're going to dinner with his family.  I just hope his stepmom isn't as cruel as she was last time I saw her.  It's not a surprise she doesn't like me, lots of people don't.  Because they believe that I'm a damage child.  Some people believe that a damaged child could cause serious problems in their family.  They call children like me 'Little Mistakes', just because I was tortured and abused.  It doesn't bother me that much, but it bothers me that Mark's step mom sees me like that.  Like some kind of Monster.

I watch out the window as we drive through the city, and Thomas parks in front of a nice restaurant."  A steak house?"  I ask Mark, and he shrugs a bit."  Kind of, but they have the best meat here.  So sweet and juicy."  He says, and he starts to drool."  Hey, snap out of it."  I say, lightly smacking his cheeks."  Oh, sorry."  He says, wiping his mouth.  We all get out of the car, and Mark puts his arms around my shoulders.  I feel him put some slight pressure on my shoulders, but not that much.  So he's gaining some strength to my knowledge, not trying to keep that pain hidden from me.  Nona holds the door open for us, and we walk in to see Mark's step-parents sitting at a round table near the window.  She stares at me for more than minute, then smiles at Mark."  Mark!  I'm so happy you could make it."  She says, standing up to hug him.  She kisses his cheek, and smiles at him."  It's great seeing you walk around."  She says, and Mark grins."  Thanks Mom, Lyca you know my Step-Mother."  He says, and I know."  Of course, the woman from the hospital correct?"  He nods at me, and I give him a soft tug of his shirt sleeve."  Can we sit now?"  I ask him, and he takes me over to the seats.  Thomas sits on the other of me, and Nona's next to him.

The waiter comes over, and smiles at us while asking for drinks."  I'll have a water, and she'll have a water as well."  Mark say, and I nod."  Why not soda, or milk?"  Nona asks after the drinks are put in, and I shrug."  Milk makes me burp and Soda makes me hyper."  I say, and she nods."  Why are you thinking about eating?"  Thomas asks me, and I shrug."  I might get something small, maybe a burger or chicken."  I say, and he grins."  I think you would like the burger more."  He whisper, and I nod."  Okay, I'll get the burger."  I say to him, and he grins at him."  Soooo, how are you doing in school Lyca?"  Mark's Step-mom asks, and I look up at her."  I'm the top of the Freshman grade."  I tell her, and she looks confused."  I thought you were ten years old?"

"I am, but my intelligence upgraded me to Freshman year.  They're not allowed to put me in any other higher grade."  I tell her, and she seems impressed."  Wow, and hear I thought you were..."

"Just a regular ole' Freak?"  I ask, my voice deadly cold."  Lyca..."  Mark whispers to me, and I look up at him.  I remain quiet during the meal, and see Mark's Step-Mom looking at me every few seconds.  She's also whispering to her second husband, and I can hear every word."  I mean seriously, how was I suppose to know about her past life.  It's not as if Mark or her told me.  I just assumed she was from an orphanage in L.A.  You know as well as I do that those kids are Bastard children, kids the parents never wanted.  Look at her, with those scars and burns.  Anyone would've thought of her as a bastard child.  I mean, it's as if she's thinks I believe that she didn't do that to herself.  Of course she did it!  Who else could do that much damage to a body?  Only the person of that body."  I feel rage fill my body as I listen to her continue to whisper to her husband.  I snap.

"I CAN FUCKING HEAR YOU!  DO YOU THINK I CAN'T?  I HEAR EVERY WORD!"  I slam my fist on the table, which cause all of the glasses to almost fall over.  I kick back my chair, and I walk outside of the restaurant.  I walk into the parking lot, and sit down next to the car.  I take in deep breathes, and realize what just happened.  I went Black without fully going Black.  No black vision, and no memory lose.  This time, that rage had it's full extent.  I was so angry about what she called me, and what she thought that I was a Bastard Child.  And I fucking am!  My parents never wanted children, yet they had to have me because they needed two instead of one.  She called me a Bastard child...IN MY FACE!  I feel shaky, and take in another deep breathe.  I bring myself closer to sanity, and hear someone calling my name."  Lyca?  Where are you?"  I hear, and I yell out."  I'm over by the car."  I say, and see Mark walking over to me."  Hey, why did you walk out?"  He asks, sitting down carefully next to me."  She called me a 'bastard child'!  Why do you think I stormed out?"  I ask him, and he puts his arms around me.

"Lyca, you don't have to care about her opinion.  You don't have to care about anybody's opinion.  How many times must I tell you this?   Your opinion should be the only opinion you care about, no one else's matters.  Even  my opinion doesn't matter, unless you believe it does.  I'm telling you this for your own good, because you need to trust in yourself if you're ever going to get anywhere in life."  He says, and I lean into his leg.  He pats my head, and kisses my cheek."  I'll always be here for you, I promise.  If you don't want to go back in there, I'm not going to force you."  He says, and I shake my head."  No, I'm going to prove to them that they can't get to me."  I say, standing up."  Come on, let's get back in there."  Mark says with a grin, and walk back into the restaurant.