Alone in This World

Chapter One

"Charlotte, get up.. School starts soon." I hear my mom saying behind my door. "Okay.." I mumble as I sit up, and rub my face.

I get up to the bathroom, and take a quick cold shower to wake me up. As I walk out of the shower, I look at my naked body through the mirror. I check all the cuts I have on my arms and hips. It's so ugly and painful.

I walk out of the bathroom with a towel on my body, and put on a pair of black sweats along with a white t-shirt, a grey sweatshirt, and a pair of black sneakers. I take a quick look at myself in the mirror, checking my brown hair, and head downstairs to the kitchen with my backpack on my back.

"Morning.." I mumble as I put my bag down. "Morning, Charlie. Mommy made pancakes." I stop myself before I sit down, realizing what my little sister, Jane, just said, and head back to my bag, grabbing it and hurrying to the door.

"Stop right there." I hear my mom say. I turn around slowly to find her pointing at me with the spatula. "Where do you think you're going?" she says. "School?" I say questiongly. "First breakfast, then school." She points to the kitchen. I sigh, and drag my legs back there, sitting down next to Jane.

You'd think your mom would be proud if you were such in a hurry to get to school on time, but no. My mom makes me eat instead. Sigh.

"Here." My mom gives me a plate full of pancakes and goes back to the oven to make more for my dad who hasn't showed up yet. I sigh again, grab the fork, and just play with the food. "Why do you keep wearing these clothes?" I hear my sister ask.

"Because I want to..." Not really.. I just don't feel like showing my cuts to everyone and helping them think of more jokes to tell about me as if there aren't more than enough already.

"Why don't you go wear that cute dress you have??" She suggests with a grin on her face. "No." I say seriously. "C'mon..." She tries to convince me by pleading. That will never work, Jane. Don't you know me? "Yeah, I think you'll look beautiful in it." But that might will, I think as my mom joins in.

"Who will look beautiful in what?" My dad asks as he walks into the kitchen, wearing his usual suit. "Charlie in her new dress she bought like 3 months ago but never tried to wear it." Jane says excitedly. Good, why don't you also grab that knife next to you and just stab me in the chest?

"I think you look beautiful in anything." I smile at my dad gratefully. "Thank you." "But I still think you should stop wearing these baggy clothes. It looks like you're trying to hide yourself." Thanks, dad.

"Go change your clothes, I'll make you new pancakes." My mom says, taking my plate away. I sigh and drag myself upstairs. I'm not even gonna try to argue with them.. Once Jane suggets something, both of our parents are on her side.

Well, actually, they're not really my parents. I'm adopted. My dad left my mom before I was even born and my mom passed away when I was like 6, and ever since then, I live here. Kinda.

But that doesn't matter now.

I go to my wardrobe and take my clothes off, putting on a burgundy belted pleat dress and ombré-effect leather ballet flats instead and go to the bathroom to see where my cuts can be seen and where not.

I take my make up and start to cover the deep-new cuts that I can clearly see. After deliberating in my head for like five seconds, I decide to also cover the ones that are underneath my dress just in case. I leave my old cuts as they are since, well, I can't really find them, and set my make up in my bag before going down the stairs once again.

"Bye!" I exclaim, wishing my mom would let me go without eating, but my hopes shatter as soon as she calls my name. "Charlie, come here and eat!" She says with her kinda-angry voice. I sigh for the millionth time this morning and head to the kitchen.