Beautiful Secrets

The Crows

       I sit quietly on a rusted car under the bridge, my mother asked me to give her some space she's on one of her binges again. There's nothing I can do to stop her or help, so I just do as she asks and give her space. I turn my music up louder and lay back on the hood of the car, and close my eyes. The breeze tussles my hair, as another trail passes over me and I loose myself to the music. I imagine myself on that train, with no real destination in mind but once it stops I know I'm where I need to be. I'm yanked out of my daydream by the presence of someone walking towards. I sit up abruptly, my vision gets fuzzy on the edges. Two officers are walking towards me with grim faces, I close my eyes and take a deep breath and brace myself for what is about to come.

"Are you Annabella, daughter of Alice James?" The officer to the left ask, I jump of the rusted car and take my headphones out as I nod my head.

"Annabella, I'm sorry to inform you but we've found your mother in a Volkswagen van not far from here. She overdosed on some serious drugs." He pauses to look at me, "Hold old are you??" He finally asks.

"I'm eight years old, sir." I finally answer, after taking a few moments to collect myself. "So what happens now?"I ask, the officers look back and forth at each other. 

      They look back at me uncertain about what to say, let alone due. I'm sure they were thinking I would fall apart or something, but honestly I figured this would happen eventually. There has been multiple close calls, and many nights spent at the hospital. Her use had been getting worse the past few months, we've moved a lot and she's become extra paranoid. I dust my pants of the rust and begin walking back to the van, the officers follow behind me not saying a word. We reach the van, I see people in uniforms taking pictures. My fathers left arm dangles out the back, a see a piece of paper gripped in her hand. I walk towards her not caring about disturbing the scene, I reach my mom and I see a smile on her face. One I haven't seen in a very long time, a smile graces my lips. 

"Go be free mom, I love you." I say, I crouch to her left side tears begin to fall. I lean forward and kiss her cheek, at the same time I take the piece of paper out of her hand and put it in my back pocket quickly. Rain starts falling, the sound of two crows ring in my ears. I look up and see two crows sitting on the light post. The officer that asked my age reach me, and starts pulling me from my mother's side.

"I'm sorry, but they have to take your mother now. We have to take you down to the station, and start looking for some relatives or a foster home for you." I nod to the officer, I pull away from the officer and walk to the van. I reach over my mother and grab my backpack, I run my hand over her lovingly and walk to the officers car. The crows Krahh as I enter the cab, I put my headphones in and zone out.

      The sound of knuckles pounding at my door wake me from my sleep, I sit up startled and my vision goes black momentarily. I look down at myself and am drenched in sweat, I try to even out my breathing.

"Bella wake up, you can't sleep all day!! Remember it's your last day of summer before your senior year!!" My dad says, from outside my bedroom. I get up and walk to my door on shaky legs.

"I'm up dad." I say opening the door, he sees my drenched shirt and sweaty forehead and pulls me into a tight hug.

"The dreams are coming back huh?" He whispers in my ear, as he rubs my back. I nod weakly into his chest. "I know it's hard sweetheart, I can't imagine being haunted by a memory like that. I'm sorry we weren't there to protect you, we were looking so hard for you. Your aunt had no right taking you from us like that."

"You have nothing to be sorry for dad, you were doing everything you could to find me." I say stepping back, "I think I'm gonna go for a quick swim if that's alright."

"Be careful your brother's are back and they are outside playing with their friends. You know how they can get when you are around." He says, walking down the stairs laughing. 

      I shake my head and go back in my room, I walk to my dresser and grab the first bikini I reach. I walk to my bathroom, strip put my bikini on and brush my teeth real quick. I rush down the stairs and grab a bottle of water, mom looks at me and her blue eyes twinkle. 

"Your brothers are gonna throw a fit when they see you." She says through laughs.

"Oh they can just shut it, it just a swim." I say, a laugh bubbles out of me as I look down at myself. 

"I was headed to the pool as well, we can swim together." She says, we both head out the back door. We get outside, I put my book, water and phone on one of the seats. I run to the edge of the pool and dive in, the water wraps around me and pull me deeper under. I swim to the other side of the pool, and back I do this for a few hours till I finally surface. My brothers are squatted there watching me, their friends stand behind watching me as well.

"What are you wearing?" They all but growl at me, their blue eyes flash.

"Your protective asses didn't have to come back with your little friends if you were going to be acting like this." I growl back, they always make a scene when it's not necessary. 

"You've wounded me Bell's." My oldest brother by two seconds Sebastian says, putting his hand to his chest. 

"You don't want to se us?" My other brother Seth says, sadness quickly creep into his eyes. 

"I always love seeing you both, what I don't love is your over reactive asses. What am I supposed to wear to swim, full sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt?" I finish sarcastically, but my brothers tilt their heads thinking about it like it really an option. Their friends start laughing.

"I don't think that actually an option guys." Max says between fits of laughter, I shake my head turn around and dive to the other side again. 

"Mom get your sons or I'm kicking their asses." I say surfacing by her, and pulling myself out the pool. Water drips of my body, and a breeze brush my skin giving me chills. "Something is coming." I say looking up at the sky, crows come flying down and perch themselves on the neighboring house tree.

"Someone bought the house next door." My dad says coming out of the house, two towels are draped over his shoulder. He hands me one, I wrap it around my body quickly. 

"Back to being normal, huh?"I say as my brothers and his friends join us. Sebastian drapes a protective arm over me, Sebastian stands on my other side. "I swear these aren't normal crows." I say observing them closer, I focus on the crow on the highest branch and gasp. "That's my crow." I say, running up to the fence.

"What are you talking about sweetheart?" My mom asks, approaching the gate.

"That crow was always around when I was with mom... I mean aunt Alice... " I finish, correcting myself at the hurt look that flash my mothers eyes and point at the crow at the top. Everyone looks up at the crows, then we all turn around and head inside.

"I gotta get ready, I'm supposed to meet Clarissa and Ethan." I say running up the stairs to get ready. 

      I run to my room and jump in the shower. Once I'm done showering I wrap my hair in a towel, and dry the rest of my body. I rub the fog of my mirror, and grab my makeup bag and start applying my makeup. I don't normally wear makeup, I only wear it when I'm going out out. Once I'm satisfied with my smokey eyes, and plump red lips I open my bathroom door and walk to my closet. I put my underwear and bra on, a pair of black rip jeans, a red corset top and my black lather jacket. I finish the look with my black ankle boots, I give myself a once look over in the mirror and head downstairs. My mom grabs her keys, I kiss my dad on the cheek and we head to the garage door.

"Bye Sebastian, Bye Seth!!" I say quickly, before rushing and getting to my moms car and off we go. My mom drops me off at Pandemonium, and head off it takes up 3hours. It's 9:00pm now, and Clarissa and Ethan are waiting for me.