"Do you know what happens to little girls who back talk their father?" My dad's voiced boomed across the kitchen as he stomped towards me. The smell of alcohol was present and accounted for and his high dollar suit wrinkled from falling asleep on whatever surface he passed out on at the time.
"Leave her alone, Vernon." My mother begged from her crumpled spot on the floor.
He turned, grabbing the first weapon he could find on the counter, a large knife, and plunged it into her throat.
"I told you to shut your mouth, bitch." He yelled as the blood pored from her neck.
~~
Beep, Beep, Beep.
My alarm sounds, awaking my from the nightmare of my memory. It's been a year and the nightmare just keep coming, always the same, always haunting me. I grab my phone from under my pillow and silence the alarm looking at the room around me. It's the last hotel I'll be in as I'm only two hours from my destination. I could have finished the drive last night, but it's not like I could have moved in to my dorm last night.
I climb out of bed and grab my toiletry bag from the top of the table in the corner on my way to the bathroom. I turn on the water and step under, hoping to wash away the memories, even though I know nothing helps.
I take my time washing my hair and body, knowing I'm in no particular hurry to get to campus. When I'm clean I step out and wrap myself in the rough fabric of the hotel towel. When my body is dry I take off the towel and wrap it around my wet hair, taking a moment to stare at my naked, scar covered body in the foggy mirror. My dad really did a number on all of us, using whatever tool he could to cause damage to my mother and I. It's a wonder we lived as long as we did, a miracle almost. A fucked up miracle.
Still naked, I walk to my suitcase and pull out a matching set of emerald green lace cheekies and bra and slip them on before deciding on black shorts and my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt. Lucky for me, Dad's assaults were kept to my stomach and back, leaving my arms and legs free of scars, but covered in ink. Tattoos and piercings sort of became my outlet for the pain after the 'incident'.
After I finish dressing I walk back to the bathroom and take the towel from my hair and brushing through the mess of colored curls. Currently my hair was deep brown with streaks of green hidden throughout. I find my styling cream and put a generous amount in my hair before blow drying, letting the waves run wild before taming them a bit with the curling iron. As I dab BB cream into my hand my phone begins to ring from it's spot on the bed.
I run over to see my best friend's picture on the screen, as he attempts to face time me. I roll my eyes and take my phone into the bathroom with me, accepting the call and placing the phone on the counter so I could finish my make up.
"You know the whole point of face time is so I can see you right?" He laughs.
"I'm doing my make up." I reply simply as I spread the cream onto my face.
"You're still at the hotel?" He asks. I look down to the screen to see his face, blonde hair into it's usual quiff and shining lip ring on his rose lips. I swear if I hadn't known the boy since I was three I would have probably jumped on that by now, but he's like my brother, the only form of family I have left.
"Luke, I told you I would text you before I left." I laughed, before returning my attention to the mirror, brushing powder over my face, careful not to get the brush caught in the multiple piercings on my face.
"I was just checking." He laughed. "Are you leaving soon?"
"As soon as I'm ready. I just have to throw my bags in the jeep then I'm on my way." I tell him, moving on to working on my eye liner and shadow.
"I wish I could be there to help you move in." He says, and I don't have to look down to see the frown on his face.
"Me too, but you decided to go to a school on the other side of the country, like the asshole you are." I tease.
"I know, we've been talking about UCLA since we were thirteen. I'm sorry." He says as I finish up my eyeliner.
"Lucas Robert Hemmings." I say picking up the phone so that he could see me. "I've told you a thousand times that I'm not mad at you for choosing Yale. It's fucking YALE!" I practically yell at him, earning a laugh from my blue-eyed best friend.
"I know. I know." He says as I place the phone back on the counter and move on to adding mascara and my usual bright red lipstick, avoiding my double lip piercings, but still making it look even and perfect.
"You aren't going to forget me are you?" Luke questions with a pouty face as I gather my things from the counter.
"Like you would let me." I laugh, but quickly turn serious. "Luke, I could never forget you. I'm going to text you like a million times a day, and facetime you every night. I wont even have a chance to miss you, because you'll always be there."
"That's my girl. Now finish getting packed up and facetime me when you get in your dorm so I can see it. And make sure you dorm mate is hot so I can flirt with her every time I come to visit." He laughs.
"Idiot." I mutter with a laugh before telling him my goodbyes and getting off the phone to do exactly what he suggested. Within minutes I'm out of the hotel room and back on the road with my jeep stacked with boxes and bags for my new dorm.
