Through The Looking Glass

Chapter 1

Sometimes, every morning just doesn't seem worth waking up nowadays, but in some cases, there is no choice. Either free will would wake up a person, or in this case, another round of shouting matches.

It was an everyday thing for Rachel, almost becoming like a morning alarm clock for her. It's not right to say, but it's almost become a normal routine for a girl like her. Wake up, tune out the chaos between her bickering parents, endure a slurry of insults, pack her bag, then go to school. She often wonders why were parents even bother staying together, even if they did split, they fight even harder on which parent should Rachel be dumped off too, it was fairly obvious that neither wanted her.

Rachel sighed as she stepped out of the apartment to make her way to the bus stop. For some reason every time she passed by the neighboring apartment, it felt like she had eyes watching her before finally meeting up with other students her age near the stop. She never bothered to investigate it, all she cared about mostly was trying to get through the day yet again.

"Hey Rachel," a boy called out to her. He had fluffed red hair and a cheerful demeanor. "...rough morning again?"

"Hey, Eddie...yeah...the usual..."

Eddie, fully known as Edward Mason, was a boy who lived in in the same building as her, though on the lower floors, thankfully he didn't have to hear how loud her parents would shout. Though, he has heard plenty of stories about it. Proof enough was the look on Rachel's face, so sullen and defeated, like she wanted any sort of escape.

"...Parents again?" Eddie asked, keeping his voice low to have their conversation private.

"...Every day..."

"No one's filed any complaints?" Eddie asked, "I mean, this seems like something people shouldn't ignore."

"Believe me, people have...but my dad is a cop, I don't know what he does to have every single one blown off," Rachel said.

Eddie was sympathetic, "Wanna hang at my place after school?"

Rachel lightly shook her head, "...Got a curfew...I have to come straight home."

Edward was ready to voice protest until someone else came and joined them at the bus stop, it was a girl, younger than Rachel, and with platinum blonde hair. He was familiar with her, but for Rachel, she barely knew her, not even her name.

"Oh hey, looks like the Little Bird left its cage," Eddie said, "glad to have you here, the bus is about to show up."

"H-Hi, Eddie..."

This was why Rachel never knew the girl's name, Edward always had a different pet name for whenever he was hanging around her, on top of that, the girl seemed very shy around Rachel. Probably for the better anyway, she didn't want Eddie wasting his worry over her, why should she drag another person into her problems?

Once the bus came, it was off to school, spend a few hours learning the given subjects, write down the homework assignment, ride the bus back home, and endure yet another moment of screaming again. This time, she can see her father yelling at the neighbors. Since he was a man of the law, he felt like he could throw his weight around if he was threatened in any way, and the complaints sure as hell was one of them.

"You butt out and mind your damn business!" he shouts, "wanna send the law this way? Guess what, I am the law!"

Didn't matter who it was, it seemed her father would have a violent temper at anyone. Threats and intimidation must be one of his methods to warding off complaints. Rachel did her best to avoid eye contact with her father, not wanting to agitate him even further just by existing, all she wanted to do was do her homework, go to bed, and wish she could just disappear.