~Never Fades ~

The Boyfriend

A few weeks had passed and Amaranth was trotting into the flower shop after spending her Friday at the thrift store.

It was getting colder. Damian had gotten her a coat. The money that he had given her she had given it to her mother so she could pay bills. Amaranth has no clue that only a small portion of that money went to do so.

Amaranth made her way up the stairs that led to the living area and she was met with a homely man who was in a chair in front of a tv. They had never had a tv. She had never seen that man before but he made her stomach churn. She stood close to the stairs to prepare herself to run if necessary.

"Amaranth! Why are you standing there clean up!" Her mother barked as she appeared from her bedroom.

"Of course mother but, who is this man," Amaranth asks.

"Oh," Mara says with a sinister smile, "this is my new boyfriend Mark. You will be behaving for him as well. He is an adult who now lives in this house."

Amaranth did question her mother's actions but, she could do nothing about it. She shrugged it off and got to cleaning. She was hoping that she would be able to make it to the Manor to see Damian but she knew that that would have to wait. Her mother said she was going to run an errand leaving her with Mark. She was ok as long as he was focused on the Tv.

"Hey, brat, get me a beer." He sneered.

Amaranth scurried over to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer and rushed it over to him the went back to busying herself. She just had to listen and life would not change she thought but, when her mother came home all hell broke loose.

Mara came back with food which was not a common enough occurrence in the house.

"How was she. Did she give you any lip?" Mara questions Mark.

He looks at Amaranth and gives her a nasty smirk with malicious intent in his eyes. "Yeah, the kid was annoying as hell and gave me lip the whole time. All I asked the kid was if she could get me a beer and she made it seem like I asked for an arm."

Amaranth was very confused and was about to speak up about the blatant lie until she felt a smack on her cheek.

"You had one job! I thought I raised you better than that," her mother roared.

This was not the first time this has happened but, even Amaranth,(with the heart of gold she may have) couldn't help but be vexed by Mark who had started such conflict. She looked up to her mother and held her cheek. Her mother had fire in her eyes that clashed with confused and irritated champagne eyes that gave her mother a very disappointed look as if she were the one scolding Mara and that made Mara's blood boil. She pushed Amaranth hard and she hit the cabinets. Amaranth fell to the ground groaning in pain.

"Get out now! Go take a walk and come back when you've learned your lesson. " She screams at her nine year old daughter.

Amaranth picked herself up and limped our the door. It was still daylight out, she would head to Damian's house.
~*~

At the manor Damian was sitting in his fathers special car pouting. Alfred was loading in Damian's suit case while his father was on the phone with Dick telling him that they were on their way. Once he was off the phone he made his way over to the car and got into the drivers seat next to an angry Damian.

"I remember telling Grayson and you that I didn't want to go." Damian sneers.

"And I don't remember caring," Bruce responds. "Also, you only have to go on the weekends and other various times so you'll be fine. Quit pouting.