Those Ocean Eyes

•Chapter 3•

A/N: Three major topics in this chapter. Mental/emotional abuse, physical abuse, and minor mentioning of sexual abuse/rape. Please skip over those parts if they may be hard for you to read.

"You're revoking from the gym challenge?"

The girl tightly held onto her dynamax band. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes welled up with tears. Even through all the pain she felt, she nodded her head reluctantly. "I-I'm going away so I won't be able to participate anymore."

The gym staff member nodded. "Give me a minute to gather some papers for you. Go ahead and leave the band here on the desk."

He disappeared into the back room. Violet sighed and took the band off. She set it on the desk. Her eyes couldn't leave it. She was giving up something she was truly having fun with, for something that she wasn't sure she wanted to do just yet.

Yes, it was her dream to go out and become a performer, but she didn't want to do any of that until she was ready. She certainly didn't feel ready then. Not as a child.

"There you are!"

Violet jumped at the sound of his voice. She felt chills run up her spine. She could hear his footsteps going up to her. Her arms wrapped around her body, her nails slightly digging into her skin.

She didn't want to have to explain everything to him, so she asked her brother to do it. Unfortunately, it seems that wasn't enough to satisfy him.

When he was close enough, Raihan grabbed onto her shoulder and turned her abruptly. He had a troubled look on his face. A mix of anger and sadness seemed to fill his once happy eyes. Violet had never once seem him look at her in anger. It frightened her, but she knew he had every right to feel the way he was.

She was going to leave without telling him goodbye. At least, telling him herself.

"You're leaving?"

Violet slowly nodded her head, "I-I wish I could explain, Rai, but... It's all too complicated. My father... He..." she sighed, "He knows what's best for me."

Raihan was so confused. He had no idea what was going on. He knew Violet was in some type of confliction, but there was nothing he could do. He could see the desperate look in her eyes. They were pleading for help, but there was no way he could help her.

He grabbed onto her hands, "So he thinks separating you from your mother and brothers is best for you? Making you stress over a big job at such a young age, too? That's best for you?"

Violet only shrugged. She looked away from him, "There's nothing I can do."

"There's a lot that you can do! You can stay here and try to become champion! I get it, it's Leon's dream, it's mine too, but you know damn well that out of us three, you're the best battler there is." He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her body, "Prove to your father that you're greater than a performer. That your dreams can achieve greater heights. His sons aren't the only ones that are talented. He needs to see that."

Violet couldn't help herself. She cried. She held onto the boy tightly. He could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but he didn't care. He knew this was hard for her and all he wanted was to be there for her. To see her smile once more, possibly for the last time.

"It isn't easy, Rai... My father is a tough man to impress. All my life I've tried to be good enough for him. Good enough to live up to the Reinhart name, but no matter what I tried, it never seemed to capture his attention." She sighed and pulled away, "He knows I can battle. He knows I'm an even match to my brother, but because he's his son, he praises him more than me. He even praises Hop already," she laughed, "The kid is seven yet he's already better than me."