Beauty in the Shadows

Chapter 4

The other two days went by fast. Before you knew it, i was already in the last class of the day, Math. After the altercation with Mark, I decided to ignore him for the whole day. The fact that he didn't say anything until I almost got killed really made me mad. I sat there at my desk, staring at the clock waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. As the clock was ticking, I put my hand on the desk and began to tap my fingertips on it like I was playing a four key piano.
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RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!
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There goes the school bell. I bolted out the classroom like a bullet, not minding who was in my way. I just wanted to get home safely without running into Da'Quan. Getting killed by a gang member is definitely not on my bucket list. As I was walking down the hallway I saw Mark hiding behind a corner with another girl.
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What the heck? What's going on? Just because I said "break" doesn't mean you flirt with other girls.
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Without him seeing me, I hid behind the big fake plant in the hallway. As I was standing there, I could make out some of the things they were saying.
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"Why are you working with Da'Quan? I know you were there when February almost got killed." Mark whispered.
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"Calm down. Your lucky he doesn't know I'm your sister or you'll be dead right now." said the other girl.
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Sister? Mark has a sister?! He never told me. The lies will never end.
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I leaned over onto a big plant trying to see who he was talking to without getting caught. The plant was around the corner in an angle where I could only see Mark's face and the girl's back. She was a tall skinny girl with dark brown hair, a black hoodie, and black sparkling high heels.
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Wait? Black sparkling heels?
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I leaned in closer to get a much better look at the girl's face. Before you knew it I leaned in to much and fell to the ground.
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"February?!?!" Mark gasped looking freighted by my appearance.
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The girl jumped out of shock and scurried off down the hallway like a mouse. Dang it. I didn't even get to see her face. I got up from the floor, dusted myself off and stood right I front of Mark.
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"So how's your sister?" I asked trying to play cool. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
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"What did you hear?" he asked walking up to me clutching his fists. I stepped back and stared into his eyes. They were red and had strain lines all over them. It looked as if he hasn't slept in weeks.
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"Are you okay?" I asked placing my hand on his shoulder. He shook his body letting me know he didn't want to be touched. My heart started to pound really fast and I got a little scared. I have never seen Mark this way in my life. What got into him?
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"I said... What did you see?!!!" Mark yelled grabbing the collar of my shirt shaking me vigorously. The hallway quickly got quiet and soon we were the center of attention. I could feel everyone's eyeball on my neck and I'm sure Mark could feel it too. But I think I didn't seem to bother him as it did me.
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"No-no-nothing." I stuttered in a soft voice.
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He let go of my collar, throwing me to the ground. I quickly put my hands out to guard my fall. He threw me so hard that it made a sound when I fell . He stormed down the hallway and pushed everyone that way in his way. I slowly got up grabbed my stuff and quickly limped home.
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When I got home, the front door was wide open. Not knowing what to do, I pulled my Physics textbook out and used it as a weapon. I was so terrified that I was shaking nonstop. What if it's Da'Quan again?
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"Hello? Mom? Are you home?" I said walking into the house slowly. As I walked in I saw that the place was a complete mess. It look as if a stampede of animals came by.
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"Grandpa? Are you home?" I said with a strain in my voice. I walked into my mothers room to see an empty alcohol bottle laying on the ground.
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"Mom!" I screamed and rushed by her bedside. She was laying on the floor and was bleeding tremendously on her head.
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"Mom, what happened? I need to call the cops!" I quickly picked her up and placed her on her bed. I dumped my school bag out searching for my cell phone.
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"No! Don't call the cops." she said getting off her bed. "I'm alright honey it was just a mistake."
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"A mistake? How do you drink a whole bottle of alcohol by mistake? Why is the living room a complete mess?" I said as I dialed 9-1-1. Right before I click call my mother screamed.
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"Don't!" she yelled. "Let me explain. Curious George wanted to play in the jungle, so I invited Barney and Barbie over. When we were swinging on vines Barbie accidentally fell and Barney got mad at Curious George. They started to fight and I tried to break it up."
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Great. Mom didn't take her meds again. I laid down beside her on the bed and began to cry. She never wants to take her meds. She feels as if she is being forced to live a life that is not pure. I remember this one time it was the worst. When my dad left she was very heart broken. She didn't take her pills for three days straight. She went missing and was found by a lake side naked. Officials said that they came at the right time or she would have jumped in...... and drowned.
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"Don't cry sweetie. George and Barney made up now and their friends again." she said rubbing the tears that rolled down my cheek.
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I got up and walked to the kitchen. I opened the medicine cabinet and brought out her medication. I then poured a glass of water and crushed two pills from the medicine. I slowly poured it into the glass and walked out the kitchen. As I was walking out I saw that the front door was wide open and grandpa was standing right in the center of it.
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"Grandpa? Where did you go? Mom didn't use her meds and went crazy. She hurt herself really bad." I said placing the cup of water on the living room table. "Wait.... Where's your wheelchair?"
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He quickly rushed over to me and pushed me to the ground. He got on top on me and put his hands around my neck.
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"You speak of this to no living soul." He said.
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I stared down into his eyes in fright. I saw a smear resemblance between his eyes and Mark's eyes. They were red and had strain lines all over. It looked as if they haven't slept in weeks.
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"Grandpa please, get off of me!" I yelled. I threw his hands off my neck and quickly got up. He stood up and stared right at me like he was going to regret whatever he did next. He walked over to me a shook his head as if he was possessed and he just woke up.
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"Grandpa, are you okay?" I said backing up away from him. I stopped due to the wall that was right behind me.
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He looked up at me and rushed to his room and slammed the door behind him. I walked back to the kitchen trying to figure out what happened. I picked up the glass of water and walked to the front door. I stood their for a while just thinking. What is going on? Mark went wild at school. My mom refuses to use her medicine. And grandpa just went down south.
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As I was standing by the door, I saw that silver Toyota again. I squinted my eyes to see who was in the car. To me it seemed like a big chubby man with a beard. I ran into my mothers room to see her asleep. I set the glass on her lamp stand and tucked her into bed. Right before I walked out I gave her a kiss on the forehead.
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"I love you." I whispered and walked out.
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I went back to the front door and the Toyota was still there. It looked as if the man was staring dead at me. I sprinted to the kitchen and grabbed a small knife. I then walked outside slowly to the Toyota. By the time I was in the middle of the road he quickly drove off. I watched as he raced down the road and out of the neighborhood. I turned around and started to walk back towards the house. I stopped and sat on the front porch because I felt a headache coming in. When I sat down I felt something beneath me. It was hard so I stood up and there it was. It nearly entered the porch couch, but I got ahold of it before it slid in.
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"What the h*ll?!?" I screamed. "No this can't be. Who would bring this to the house."
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I quickly through it back on the couch and stared at it. My heart started to beat uncontrollably and I didn't know what to do.
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No, it can't be mom. It can't be Hope. Grandpa? Mark? Da'Quan?!