Chapter 1
"Astrid, you stupid bitch! Get your lazy ass up!" Before I even open my eyes, I know my dad is standing above me. I can feel his warm breath brushing along my face and the deep smell of alcohol that makes me want to gag.
All of a sudden, I felt a stinging pain across my left cheek. My eyes opened so fast, my vision went blurry for a couple of seconds. When my vision returned back to normal, I looked up at my dad's tomato red face, his brown hair a total mess, his green eyes glaring down at me with his nostrils flaring. You would think that steam would be coming out of his ears by now.
"Get up and make me breakfast before I slap your face again!" After he said that, he walked out and slammed the door on his way out.
I got out of bed and grab the clothes I'll wear to school today and got in the shower.
When I finished, I put on my ripped at the knees skinny jeans, a black and white striped crop top and a black cardigan. I put on some foundation on my face but still, it didn't cover up the purplish bruise on my right cheek from where my dad punched me hard in the face for no particular reason. Then I applied some eyeliner, mascara and a smudge of chap stick on my lips.
After blow drying my hair and putting it in a messy bun, I remembered I had to make dad breakfast. I quickly put my stuff away and grab my black sneakers and my backpack and look in the mirror one last time.
I have my mum's light blonde hair, slightly tanned skin, my dad's perfect nose and green eyes. I felt a tear slide down my face and over the bruise on my right cheek. Thinking of my mother always made me cry. The last thing she ever said to me was 'be strong baby girl, I love you', then she died right in my arms and my dad hit me because he thought I killed my own mother.
I walked down the steps quietly hoping my dad doesn't hear me. I can hear Sponge bob playing on the TV and someone snoring, so I walked in the lounge room to find my dad on the chair with a bottle of alcohol of some sort in his hand. It's tilted on its side, making the funny-looking golden brown liquid tip all over the wooden floor. He had his eyes closed and drool dripping down his cheek and is snoring like a maniac. I shook my head and sighed in relief. I went back to the kitchen and made dad breakfast and headed to school.
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As soon as I stepped foot inside Riverside High, I got tackled to the ground by my best friend, Stella.
"Get the hell off me Stella, you are squashing me, you elephant!" She quickly gets off me, we stood up and I looked around to see people staring at us, with expressions on their faces saying 'what the hell?!'
I spotted Andrew Black, the most popular and hottest guy in school, laughing at us with his friends - Kurt, Conner, Heath, Jace and Jack. They call themselves 'The Six'.
When they stopped laughing, Andrew caught me staring at him and gave me a heart stopping smile and a flirtatious wink, then walked away with his friends. I felt myself blush and my heart beat uncontrollably in my chest.
"Andrew is so yummy. I want to lick his abs. " Stella says, snapping me out of my own little blush session over a boy ill never be good enough for, as she is pretending to wipe drool off the side of her mouth dramatically.
I laughed at her and walked to my locker a few feet away from where we were standing and threw my backpack in my locker and grabbed my Math book out and walked to class with Stella by my side. We have Math, English and Arts together.
As soon as we got into the room, the bell rings and we sat in our seats, waiting for Mr. Park to enter the room.
Stella tapped me on the shoulder and says to me in an angry voice, "I'm not an elephant!" I didn't have time to reply because Mr. Park walked in and began the lesson by greeting us.
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