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Pretty in Pink
Chapter Seven

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Ray's POV

The mellow sunlight dawned over me, glistening over my face. It was an early Monday morning, mom didn't know about the school's policy. She's currently mumbling about father in the bathroom, she's so loud I can hear it from my bedroom.

I lay awake, my eyes wide open, staring at the broken ceiling light. Mom threw a bottle at it during one of her mood episodes, she's been more violent.

Emma asked me about Child Protective Services. Due to her naïveté, she doesn't realize how more harmful than helpful they've been in my life.

2,160,000 reports of abuse or neglect were never investigated by CPS.

Of those reports, 1,299 children died from abuse or neglect.

90 percent of those kids were 5 and under.

They've visited the house at least 5 times already, mother never let them in. They didn't bother filing for a warrant to enter, and I was never allowed to talk to them.

To be honest, I'd rather live with her than a foster family. I'd be leaving my 2 friends behind, Norman and Emma. It sounds pathetic, but I'm scared of being put into a worse family.

Maybe if I go to the pharmacy for meds.. I can bargain.

I'll save up money for meds.. money..

I heard Mom's loud footsteps rumbling down the staircase. She's headed off for work.

I'll talk to the school when they come during school. Mom will be threatened with prosecution, she won't like that. She's money crazy, she'll be forced to send me back.

I fiddle a broken pen between my pointer and middle finger, waiting anxiously for the school's staff to come to take a little visit.

I used a bobby pin to pick the lock for my bedroom door. I ended up breaking it by accident once I defected the lock, so I can't use it again.

Twisting the handle, I open the door and looked into the barren hallways. The time was about 8 o'clock, school is surely going on by now. I just hope they get here fast, I can't bear this nervous feeling that lingers inside of me.

I decided to go outside, for the first time in a few weeks. Mom never let me outside since she pinpointed me dallying at the orphanage. I didn't even get to confirm that she was the same little orange-haired girl from my childhood.

I walked around in the yard, feeling the fresh hair enter my body. I looked at the cobblestone path and approached it, noticing something out of the ordinary.

I looked down at the path, tiny dark red speckles covered some of the rocks and pebbles. I kneeled, wiping my finger on the odd substance.

The metallic odor smelt of iron and fish. Blood. I know what it smells like, from the beatings gifted by my mother.

But the question was, why was blood here? Fanta takes this path to get into my yard, right? Yet, she didn't look injured at all.. and around here there's no wildlife nearby.

I shook it off, she wasn't bleeding, she was okay when I saw her, right?

"Isabella Leslie, ZHS authorities!"

They're here!

"Finally!" I murmur to myself, rushing towards the front door entrance.

"Ray?" One of the men asks, approaching me.

I nod, Fanta was right. These guys really did come, huh.

"Why haven't you been at school for weeks?" The shorter, blonde man asks. He was wearing a black leather jacket with our school symbol engraved on the shoulder.

"My mother prohibited me."

The taller one takes out his phone, "suspicions were correct. That woman is no good. Yes, her— no, 3 weeks." The man sounded impatient, agitated. I was getting impatient, I just wanted to go to school like a regular kid. I've never thought that one day I would actually miss going to school, it sounded so surreal. Many kids would love to never go to school and to stay home, eat and play all day. It sounds like heaven, but for me, it's not. It's more like hell, getting beat by my mother whenever she's going through one of her bipolar episodes.

I felt more secure at school than at home. I bet a lot of kids could say the same thing. This is how life is, this is reality.

Situations like these affect others if they get involved. I don't wish for Fanta hair or albino to find out my mother does more than just prevent me from going places. I don't want them to find out that she physically hurts me at least once every day. I don't wish for that.

I just need to handle this on my own. I can handle my mother, I'm still alive. Emma has a peaceful and carefree life, with no worries. I don't want to ruin her lifestyle or mindset, she's innocent.

"Kid's right here, safe. Yes, officer."

Were they contacting the police? I guess it made sense. They were going to take me away now, to a foster family.

I don't want to, I can't.

Foster families haunt me.

"Sir! Please, don't take me away!" I refute, panicking.

"Your mother is no good to you, she kept you home for 3 weeks, she—"

"My father recently passed." A stern voice states behind me.

I hate that stern voice. That stern voice that's been yelling at me for years and years.

Mom's voice.

"M-Miss Leslie?" The man stutters, lowering his phone. "Why haven't you notified the school?"

"I was busy preparing the funeral for my father. He was very close to my son and I, have you no respect?" Mom innocently puts her hands on my shoulders and pulls me closer to her.

"Ma'am, we still must conduct an investigation—"

"Sir, you're harming my child's emotional state even further. The police will only deteriorate his heart even more, we've been mourning for the past 3 weeks! Please leave us in peace, will you? I will send my son to school tomorrow."

My mom's most scary ability is being a convincing liar. It's like she's a different person all completely. She can fake being all lovey-dovey and then convert back to being a menacing bitch.

The man looks at the other man in question, he nonchalantly shrugs. "If he's not at school tomorrow, we will not hesitate to conduct an investigation."

They're just like everyone else. Like the CPS, they do the same thing. They believe lies, lies, and more lies.

Mom would probably kill me if I decided to fight back.

The men take their leave, and mother stares at me with a manic expression. "Ray, why the hell are they here?"

"Don't know. Let me go to school tomorrow and you won't be punished."

"Your insults mean nothing, Ray." Mother drags me by the collar and throws me back into the house. Shit, that hurt.

I groan, "t-they'll mean something if the police say them.."

Shit, I've crossed the line again. Mom hates when I talk back, she hates everything.

She hasn't tried to kill me, yet. When she does try to, I'll retaliate.

And now, the world went black.

—

My bedroom door slams open, making yet another dent in the wall. "Get up!" Mom screams. The floorboards creak as she walks down the staircase, walking to where I presume is work.

I sit up, "I'm finally going back!" I quietly exclaim, rushing to my closet. I quickly undressed and put on the uniform, eager to go to school. I skipped breakfast, I don't ever eat breakfast anyways. Mom only gives me a single piece of fruit when she goes to work and gives me the leftovers from her dinner that she didn't eat. I looked at myself in the mirror and looked at how skinny I looked. I sigh, walking downstairs and grabbing my school bag. I only packed a notebook and pen, and a book to keep me busy whilst riding on the bus.

I read the time on the clock,  6:23. The bus would be here soon! Scrambling to open the front door, I hastily run to the bus stop, not wanting to miss it.

I see it! The bus was close, and I swiftly turn my body so I could make a right turn. I spot the bus stop and manage to get there just in time, arriving there at the same time the bus did.

"Pep in your step!" The driver yells, and I aboard the bus.

How I missed the bus, even though I've only been on it a day.

Some of the kids gave me looks and murmurs.

"Hey, that's the kid who beat up Martin's gang. Attention seeker."

"I heard in Junior High he stole every guy's girlfriends..."

"You gotta admit, he is kind of hot."

I groan, tired. I just wanna be left alone, why can't anyone take a hint?

A girl jumps to the open seat next to me and tapped me on my shoulder, "Hey, heard you're the player type. Wanna test me out?"

I ignore her, swiveling my head towards the window.

"Playing hard-to-get, huh? I'm the prettiest girl in our grade, you're lucky to even be in my presence right now, Ray."

I continue ignoring her.

"Ow! Watch it," the girl winces for whatever reason. I could care less if someone hit her.

"Sorry!" A gentle voice apologizes to the girl.

Wait, I know that annoying voice!

I turn my head toward the girl who apologized, and a flash of orange met my eyes. Emma?! She was on my bus?

"Who're you looking at?" The girl next to me hisses.

"None of your concern. Leave me be already."

This bitch.

Finally, I arrive at school. Thank god, I don't think I could handle sitting next to that girl any longer. Who the hell acts like that? Do people think that type of thing is okay to do? The hell!

I sigh, getting up from my seat and exiting the bus. As I walk to the entranceway, a set of voices yell my name.

"RAY!!"

Oh god, is it that crazy girl with her friends again?! I look behind me, and four arms embrace me. Wha?!

"Norman, Emma!" I exclaim a smile wiped on my face. I hug them back, I already know people are staring.

"Are you serious, the student council president and a cute athletic girl like this guy?"

"Makes that girl more special, means more fun."

These assholes. Always have shit to say about anyone I'm friends with.

"Ray, we missed you!" Emma says, with that big signature smile on her face. Norman chuckles,

"Been weird without ya, buddy." Norman bonks my head. I laugh. I'm just glad to see Norman and Emma again, along with this school.

All three of us walked to homeroom, talking about past events.

"Norman got appointed to student council president!" Emma exclaims.

"You sound like I've been appointed to king."

"Fanta, you do sports?" I ask.

Emma hesitates, "I-I used to. It's hard for me now." Her smile fades for a second and then jumps right back.

"Hm?"

"Horrible immune system."

Well, that's a surprise. Emma seems so energetic, I didn't even think she had a bad immune system.

Norman whispers to me, "she has a PIDD."

PIDD? That's shortened for a Primary Immunodeficiency Disease, which means your immune system is weaker than normal. I've read about it in books, there are so many types of it.

I've never thought Emma of all people had one, she's always energetic and I don't ever see her sick.

"Anyways, we're in homeroom!" Emma announces, jumping in her seat.

I shook it off. She's a fighter, she'll be okay!

I take my seat next to hers, "oi, Goldilocks." I whisper at her.

She doesn't hear me.

"Pumpkin." I tease.

Her head instantly swivels towards mine, "Ray!" She whines.

I give her a little cartoon giraffe keychain, "I wish I could give more, but this is thanks. For the bao."

She's sparkling again, just like she was the first day I saw her. "Rayy, I love it!" She twirls the keychain around, admiring the thing.

How did I get this keychain? Welll, I used to collect things I'd find on the floor of buildings or the ground. This was when I was younger. I'd wash those things and try my best to make them anew, one of those collectibles happened to be a giraffe I found laying on the floor in Gracefield.

"I feel like I've seen this before.." Emma inquires, looking closely at the thing.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things.."