Beautifully Broken

1

Mina

Sorry Would Go A Long Way plays through my earphones.

I love Change Your Mind too but, I can't relate to that one as much. Yet.

I love how Tori Kelly's new music not only represents her story, but mine too. In a sort of way.

I hurry into class, jogging off my sleepiness from yesterday's long hours.

I sit in the back of the class, ready, so not ready, for our first class of the day.

Classes finish fast with nothing interesting going on and I turn on my music as I walk to the house, change and head to work.

I work at Sally's. A diner owned by my neighbors, the Ramsey's. They're kind people and extra kind to allow me to work there. I need all the means of escape I can get.

I smile as I walk in through the back door of the diner.

"Afternoon, Honey." I greet the older lady who's super fast at memorizing meals and getting everything sorted out. We wouldn't be the best diner in town if it weren't for her.

"Hello, Mina. How's your day going?" She asks, wiping off the counter.

I shrug. "Classes were the same. Ms. Hella sat on a thumbtack again."

Honey bursts out laughing. "Again? Who keeps playing that on her?" Her laugh dies down. "Poor woman."

I smile along as I put on my apron and help get meals to the customers.

"You better be acing your school." Honey calls out. "I don't want you working here all your life, sweet girl. Though I'm sure Cole won't allow that anyway."

I hand the plates to the couple in a booth and look back at Honey. "Don't worry about me, Honey."

She gives me a playful glare as I help around the diner. We move from snack hours to dinner hours and once it's ten o' clock, I head back to the house.

Cole may be the son of the owners, but he only works on weekends. He's more than happy to let me do the other shifts.

The daily routine of Mina Dolore Reyes. Nothing extravagant. And the night's still getting started.

I dread getting into the house so I made my own way of getting into the attic without being noticed. Sometimes I go through the front door, sure. But most of the time? I take my own way.

I pull myself up the rope that dangles from the attic window and end up panting as I fall onto the floor.

"I need more exercise." I sigh. School just started, so we're yet to start track practice.

I leave my bag on the floor and fix up my room. My parents know this is my space now. I moved everything up here on my own.

I check the door and make sure it's locked, sighing in relief. Maybe I can escape tonight.

It's the first Monday of the month and dad made sure that every first Monday of June, November and August are allotted for him.

I shudder and pray silently that he forgets. I never told mom. I feel bad for keeping it but I also can't bear to see her go through more pain. She's already the main provider of the family and she goes through so much keeping my dad and I under the same roof. Let me rephrase that. She has a hard time keeping Ron and I under the same roof.  I can't bear to call him dad anymore.

They've stopped yelling at each other and throwing objects. But they still live under the same roof. How? Why? I can't answer.

Mom's at her usual hotel in Chicago, the monthly business trip she has to take due to her special position in her company.

I miss the days we used to just bake cookies, watch movies or play in the backyard.

Why do we have to grow up?

I hear the heavy footsteps and wish I could destroy those stairs. I count down the seconds to when he starts pounding on the door.

Once, I thought that if I could pretend I wasn't here, he'd leave me alone. I was very wrong.

"Open the door, Mina! You know what day it is." The lust in his voice disturbs me and makes me even angrier.

Aside from track, I also decided to do boxing this year. I need to get this guy out of here. Or, maybe I can run away and live on my own. I've been saving up in case. But I can't just leave mom.

I take a deep breath as I turn the knob.

The door opens to reveal his gruesome smile. His eyes rake over me and I know he's enjoyed his authority over time as I grew up.

I'm a senior now and almost eighteen. He knows that once I turn "legal" He can get away with more. He hasn't forgotten that I can turn him in now as a minor, so his threat hangs in the air as he steps into my room.

"Let's go down to the guest room, eh?" He says in a low voice.

His hand grasps at my wrist, his grip so tight I feel like I could lose all circulation in my left hand.

He drags me down the stairs, and I try to keep my light dinner in my stomach. Or maybe, throwing up won't be so bad...

We enter the second guest room and Ron shuts the door. He turns to me with a smile.

I know he tries to flirt and make this easier but it never works. I only see him as a lustful monster who's too lazy to live his own life so he messes with others'. I often wonder how mom ever fell in love with him. But then again, I remember the old days.

Earlier today I said I couldn't relate to Change Your Mind yet. But now it's changed. I will never relate to it because I would never invite my so called dad to my wedding. No matter what. I'm tired of this.

He starts undressing, and another horror night begins.