the three of us {chim}

Piece 49

Author's POV

"Good Morning, bubba." Cheryl softly said as Camille finally opened her eyes for the first time this morning. Cheryl admired the way that her daughters eyelids flickered to adjust to the sun outside the open window-blinds.

"First day of school! Are you excited?" Cheryl smiled widely and sounded more excited than Camille.

"Yeah!" Camille's tried to sound enthusiastic, but she was so sore from yesterday. She came home and stayed as far away from her mother's as possible. She didn't want them to see her suffering because they would ask so many questions.

"What are you doing up?" Camille asked Cheryl, who's never awake at this time of the morning.

"I wanted to drive with you and Kimba on your first day, is that okay?" Cheryl raised her eyebrow as she watched Camille choose her clothes. Camille picked out a pair of black ripped, skinny jeans and took a dark blue, short sleeve top off its hanger.

"That's more than okay." Camille walked out of the wardrobe and kissed her mother's cheek.  Cheryl smiled as the teen wrapped her arms around her.  She looked down and saw a red mark on her lower neck.

"What's this?" Cheryl touched the reddish-purple mark on her daughter's neck.  Camille squirmed at the touch and stepped away.

"I must have scratched myself in my sleep.  I'm sure it's nothing." Camille blurted out and walked straight into her ensuite.  Cheryl stood there in disbelief of Camille's lie.

Camille immediately shut and locked the bathroom door.  She went over to the large mirror over the sink and took her shirt off.  She revealed her body to herself.  Her eyes welling up at the sight of her own self in the mirror.

The bruises are a multitude of hues.  Purple and red welts are scattered all over her collarbones, lower neck, and chest like a disease.  There weren't any gashes or blood or anything like that.  Every time her chest went up and down, she struggled to get a full breath.  Camille knows that she should have told her mothers', but she doesn't have the heart to.  She knows that it would crush their hearts, maybe even more than Fearne crushed hers.

Camille shook the thought away and turned her gaze away from herself.  She washed her face and brushed her teeth.  She put on her normal makeup and her outfit.  The teen loosely curled her hair, like normal.  Camille ended up covering the red mark on her lower neck with foundation and concealer. 

"Millz!  We're leaving in thirty!" Camille heard her Mam yell at her from across the hall.  She rushed to the wardrobe and grabbed her brown booties and slipped them on.

Camille looked as though she slid down the stairs, her feet were moving so fast.  She went into the kitchen and saw Kimberley making a coffee. 

"Morning." Camille cheerfully kissed her mother's cheek, earning an adoring smile from Kimberley.

"Morning." Kimberley pulled Camille back into her arms before she could walk away.  Even though Camille felt her bones crushing from the hold, she embraced her Mum. 

"Hey, listen to me for a sec" Kimberley cupped Camille's cheeks as they pulled apart "I want you to be the best you that I know you can be.  I know that a new school can be daunting and scary, but you can do it.  You always show great strength and because of that, I am so proud of you." Kimberley said, just wanting her daughter to know something she's had inside of her for a while.  Cheryl listened in on the other side of the kitchen door, letting her two girls have their moment.