Betrothed

Scarlett

My name is Scarlett Esmeralda Anderson, I am 15 years old, my birthday is April 13 1995. I have strawberry blonde hair, red lips, blue eyes, and fair pale skin. I live with my dad William James Anderson, I am the spinning image of my mom who died giving birth to me and my father blames me for her death. My father is a drunk, he looks barley anything like me except for our hair, and anytime I am doing something wrong he beats me. I live in Oregon and go to Salem high school where I have very little friends because everyone always thinks its wired that I'm always wearing a sweater but I would rather hide my bruises instead of letting everyone see and me having to end up in foster care. It was the beginning of the school year and I had just started freshman year in high school. I walked up the steps with my backpack and opened the doors when I heard the best voice in the world. "Scarlett, wait up!" It was my friend Opel Evanrose, I turned around and gave her a big hug. Every summer her parents and her would go on a trip to wherever she wanted and she has been to almost every state and country in the world. We walked into the school and began our classes but we didn't get to hangout until lunch time because we didn't have any classes together. I grabbed my food and sat down next to Opel at a table with only a couple goth kids. "So how was your summer Opel where did you go this time?" I said before biting into my sandwich. "It was great, I went to Washington this time and we saw the white house and we got to meet the president, then we went to a concert, I went swimming and we watched shows at the theaters." She then went into a full on story and I kept wishing the same wish that I always had been wishing, I wished that her parents would adopt me then I would have a sister and I would get to go on cool trips too, and I wouldn't have such a horrible father either but I'm pretty sure that even if I were to end up in foster care that her parents wouldn't get to adopt me. After school me and Opel decided to walk together since she lived four blocks down the road from me. As we got off campus some kids that I had classes with walked up to us. "Hey Scarlett we dare you to take off your sweater and show us what it is that you're hiding from everyone." We tried to walk by when one of them started to walk behind us. "What are you chicken bock, bock." Opel then turned to them and I turned to try and stop her. "Why don't you guys back off I think the sweater shows that she has a taste in style."
"Oh please nobody wears a sweater every time they go outside unless they're sick or something, its like almost eighty degrees out here, come on show us the merchandize Scarlett or I'm gonna tell everyone that you are a freak and a chicken a dare is dare so take off your coat." I then stepped in front of Opel and went up to the boy that was talking to me and looked him in the eye. "Go ahead I don't care I know for a fact that the only reason you make fun of me is because I have better grades then you and if you think I'm lying then let's compare our report cards from last year then everyone we'll see that you're just jealous." He stayed silent and I knew I had hit a nerve, but I soon found out that I should have kept my mouth shut. When I turned to leave with Opel the kid grabbed the sleeve of my sweater and started pulling as I tried to get away. I then heard my sweater ripping and my sleeve fell to the ground and my bruises showed and everyone became silent as other kids and their parents started walking towards us. I quickly grabbed my sleeve and ran for it to my house before anyone could start asking me questions. I made it to my house and slammed the door glad no one was able to follow not with how fast I run. But I soon realized that I shouldn't have slammed the door when my father spoke. "Scarlett what are the rules about slamming doors in my house?" I looked at the back of his head as he sat on the coach with a beer bottle in hand and my voice trembled as I spoke. "T... t... to not ever slam any door at all." He then stood up and walked over to me. "Then why in the hell did you run in here slamming that door and don't try to lie to me young lady!" I stayed quiet and he looked at my arm where he had left bruises from the other night and then at my sleeve in my hands. "Oh great did you get your clothes caught on a fence again, how many times do I have to tell you not to be jumping fences do you want to end up in foster care, do you actually think anyone would adopt you with all those bruises on you, you're lucky we don't have any neighbors!" He then grabbed my arm before I could say anything and smacked my face leaving a mark from the ring he always wore and he let me drop to the floor. "Stay home tomorrow I'll tell the school that you hit your head and ended up in the hospital with a head injury and that you'll have to stay away from school for a couple of days, now go to your room!" I then did as he said running to my room not to anger him trying to tell the truth he wouldn't believe me anyway. I began crying myself to sleep praying that I would be free from him someday.