Arrivederci 🔪

II

Two years passed since Oleg became a part of the Cardwell family, and the situation didn't get any better. Prudence was slowly starting to become like Fred, repeating his behavior. Richard became overly strict and now began using the belt as a discipline technique for his older kids. Whenever Dan or Prudence did something he didn't like, Richard would remove the belt, not caring about whether it had spines or not, from his pants and slam it on his foster son and daughter. Palutena didn't care about it, she used the same method, but with her hands, sometimes fists instead of the belt. Dan has closed down and fell into depression, as well started gaining weight rapidly. Richard wasn't a fan of Dan's new routine. "In the morning you'd just wake up, eat some grub, go to college, eat grub there, then come back home and eat more grub, then sit your greasy ass on the couch and play on your iPad, then eat again, sit down to do homework, eat, then go to bed. You already weigh eighty-seven kilograms, your BMI is twenty-eight point three, just a few more months and you'll reach obesity class one!" Richard would tell Dan every time he'd sit down to have dinner with the family or have a snack. "I don't have to listen to you. You don't need to control me anymore, I'm not five years old," was the reply to Richard's lectures. "Freaking spaghetti slurper," Richard would shout and bang his fist on the table, "even I weigh less than you do! Me, a forty-eight-year-old male! When you'll start having heart attacks, you'll be sorry for not listening to me. You wanna be Mario, like that overweight plumber, fine, keep eating all that garbage and poisoning yourself. I won't even come for help when you'll start getting heart attacks because it'll be your own fault. You should listen to me, Dan,"

These messages only worsened Dan's depression. He'd stand up from wherever he was sitting and leave the house with money to buy a bag of chips or a candy bar. 

At this time, Prudence was in tenth grade and started failing. Sometimes she didn't show up for classes. She had three of her friends: Jefferson Hughes, Maurice Washington, and Ryan Justice who supported her in school and kept her away from bullies. Thanks to them she started smoking and tried alcohol a few times because Jefferson had a fake ID and the ability to buy cigarettes. Mostly just because of them, Prudence went to school. Her biggest problem was the school bully - Sara Elisa Moscow. Ever since Sara and Prudence met in fifth grade, Sara would have none of it. She threw food at her in the cafeteria, sent her hurtful messages and emails, and physically fought with her during recess and after school. Sara has been expelled from four schools in the past, nobody could deal with her. Her grade point average was one point six, all of her grades were less than fifty percent. 

One other friend Prudence had was a boy from Poland, Joshik Gjoni. Because of him, she had some kind of grades that were higher than sixty percent, and he'd let her stay at his house after Prudence had fights with her brother or parents. Joshik's whole family enjoyed having Prudence around, mostly because she pretended to be somebody who she wasn't at all around Joshik and his family. If they knew who I actually am, they'd just call the cops and tell them to take me to a mental hospital, she thought. She was in love with Joshik but was too nervous to confess her love to him. 

Prudence had a diary. A paper diary where she wrote everything that was happening in her life, but what she wrote, only she knew. She wrote "Amore. WARNING: TOP SECRET" on the diary's cover and drew knives and bloodshed on the cover to keep people away from it. 

Things were pretty normal, until one day...

Prudence became bored. She escaped outside to the park and saw Joshik. She sat down next to him on the rusty merry-go-round under a pine tree. He was sad. 

Prudence: "Josh, is something wrong?"

Joshik: "A friend of mine killed himself,"

Prudence: "Who?"
Joshik: "You probably don't know him. His name was Dave Roberts, he lived in Saline. Last night he stabbed himself to death for unknown reasons,"

Prudence: "There's a possibility that he was depressed. You never know,"

Joshik: "He wasn't. Whenever I saw him, he was the usual happy self, smiling, laughing, with his earbuds around his neck, always wanting to talk to me. But I feel like it's my fault that he's gone,"

Prudence: "But why? You couldn't have done anything,"

Joshik: "Forty-eight hours ago he called me on my cell phone. I couldn't answer because I was in the bathroom, playing games on my DS Lite. When I got out of there, my screen said that I had a missed call and a voicemail from Dave. I listened to the voice message, and he said: 'Hey what up man. Listen, I need to talk to you. Hope you can call me back.' well, I never did call him back. And in twenty-four hours after that missed call, I received a text message from Robin that he has died. I wish I had called him!! Because if I did, maybe he still would've been alive,"

Prudence: "I don't think it's your fault, man. It was his decision to make that act. And nobody except for him could've stopped him. But really, I'm so sorry,"

Joshik: "Don't worry about it. It's life. And life is not fair,"

Before Prudence could say another word, a loud shout stopped her. She looked over. A slightly overweight latino girl was standing in front of her. It was Sara. "Who on earth invited you? I'm talking to Joshik over here," asked Prudence, standing up from the merry-go-round.

Sara: "Joshik is my boyfriend and my property, so wherever he is I can be there too. And before you do anything to him, let me just get rid of you for now,"

Sara pulled Prudence by the hoodie away from Joshik and hugged him. Prudence plopped on the ground. As Sara kissed him, Prudence stood up and took off. Her hand was bleeding. She ran home and started throwing furniture. In a second, she halted. Prudence came up with an idea. A very risky and treacherous. She grabbed her diary and wrote in her idea. Then got her dagger from under her bed and grabbed her cell phone to text Sara via social media.  

✉ hey

✉ whaddya want leave me tf alone bitch

✉ i want u 2 meet up w/me in the woods that's what

✉ strange place to meet up but ok see u there in 15 min

Prudence put her phone, dairy, and dagger into her book bag and was about to run out the door when Richard exited the bathroom and stopped her. "Where are you going out so late?! It's dark outside!" he gasped and blocked the door.

Prudence: "I don't give a shit, Dick. I've gone outside later than this. Now let go of the god damn door and get out of my fucking way,"

Richard: "You do not call me Dick, do you understand?! I'm your dad!"

Prudence: "You aren't my dad. Fathers don't do what you do,"

Richard had enough of the back talk. He began removing his belt from his pants. "You asked for this, you get it," he said and pulled out the belt. "Put that belt down, Dick!" Prudence insisted. Richard raised the belt at his daughter, however, missed because Prudence has crawled out of the way, ran a few circles around the living room, then escaped out the door. "God damn teens!! Wait 'till she gets home!" Richard whispered to himself.