I began sobbing and dropped to my knees, picking up the glasses and holding them to my chest as he spun around and left the pantry, slamming the door at his back.
After a while, I knew I had to move, but my face was red and blotchy, my eyes were swollen, and I had a lump the size of an apple in my throat. I spotted a bottle of water and grabbed it, some pop tarts, and a few sugary snacks from the shelves. I shoved them shakily in a bag I found in the pantry before taking off out the door.
I had my glasses in my hands and a book under my arm and when I reached a quiet spot in the woods by the house, I climbed a thick tree and sat there reading and getting lost in another world.
I ate the snacks and drank my water, until a few hours later, my stomach rumbled, and I wandered back through the woods, heading in the direction of the house. Before I left the woods, I put my glasses into my pocket, still feeling a pang that they’d been broken.
As I came through the clearing there were cars everywhere, some police and some I didn’t recognize. My mom spotted me through a gap and came running towards me.
“Bailey, how could you worry us like that? Where were you? Why didn’t you have your cell on you?”
I was taken aback in surprise when Shawn walked towards me looking severe. “Mom, I was in the woods reading. I didn’t take my cell because Zane took it from me last night and I forgot to get it back from him. What’s going on?” I asked, glancing around as a police officer walked towards us.
“She’s okay, then?” he asked looking between my mom and Shawn, and they both nodded tight-lipped. My mom grabbed my arm and marched me into the house and upstairs to my bedroom. She threw me inside and I stumbled, cracking my arm on the side table.
“Mom, what the hell?” I asked her as she advanced on me. Her livid face was joined a moment later by Shawn’s and I stared up at them.
“Bailey, this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. I don’t allow my children to wander around unchecked and since you live here now, you will need to learn to obey my rules or there will be consequences.” Shawn yelled at me furiously.
I shrank back a little as I nodded fearfully up at him, and he handed me my cell. “This was on your bedside table this morning, and I don’t appreciate you lying about my children. If it happens again, I will take my hand to you.” My eyes burned as I stared at him and my whole body shook. I hated them, I hated them all. “You are grounded for the next month and if you pull anything like that again, I’ll make it two months.”
They left and I collapsed into bed. I was exhausted by all the drama. Stepbrothers sucked and mine were the worst ever. They hated me, and if I thought they’d be nicer when the dust settled, I was sadly mistaken.
The next few days passed quickly, and my mom told me I was going to start school within a few days. They were just waiting on my transcripts. On the morning I was due to start, Cooper was gone, and I was glad I didn’t have to deal with him.
I’d gone downstairs early and just gotten myself a coffee which I was sitting at this island in the kitchen sipping as the kitchen door opened at my back. I froze, nervously, but when Cooper came around from behind me, he didn’t speak or give any sign that he saw me sitting there.
I watched as he grabbed a bottle of water from the pantry, opened it, and downed it. His top rode up, exposing some skin at his midriff and I could feel my face heat as I couldn’t stop staring at the exposed skin.
I finally managed to drag my eyes up and met Cooper's scorching gaze as he glared at me. He turned and left a moment later and I followed after a few minutes, rushing to get ready for school. I had to put on a uniform, and I hated it, but the skirt was the worst of it. It was around my knees and it was a little tight, but I managed to get the zip up.
My mom came in and smiled at me, before informing me that she would be taking me to school. She drove me there and we sat in silence all the way there. She didn’t come into the school and I didn’t want her to, but it would have been nice if she’d offered.
I was so nervous as I made my way inside, but it was worse than I ever imagined. I was so alone and the whole day was a disaster because everyone seemed to hate me.
I hated the school with a passion and I no longer had my glasses to hide behind which upset me more than anything. I’d bought another pair after school a few days later, but I’d found them on Tuesday broken on my bedside table.
The first week at my new school dragged and everyone called me the Christie charity case, and no one spoke to me. I spent my time avoiding Cooper and his friends. Anytime I had a class with his friends, they’d hit me with books, bags, and I was hit full in the face with a basketball.
The ball had come flying out straight at me and I didn’t have time to move or duck as it smacked me full on the cheek, snapping my head back and knocking me to my ass on the ground. I sat there dazed for a few minutes and Cooper’s girlfriend and her friends all stood smirking and fighting a laugh nearby as the gym teacher advanced on them. My cheek was swollen and bruised, and even the teacher who’d witnessed it believed Cooper’s girlfriend, Abbi, when she’d said it was an accident.
It was finally Friday, and I was desperate to go home, my face had been throbbing painfully since being hit with the ball that morning and finally, home time arrived. Cooper was supposed to be giving me a lift, but he took off as soon as I walked out of the school.
I didn’t know what to do. I had no one to call that stayed in the area and although part of me wanted to call Wendy, I didn’t know what to say to her or how to explain my current situation. Plus, my head hurt. I stood there for a few minutes in the icy rain when a girl I recognized from my Spanish class approached me. Her name began with an E- Elisha, that was it. I was proud I remembered.
“Hi. Are you okay, honey? I saw what happened to you in gym class this morning.” I nodded at her staring out at the parking lot. She shrugged and went to walk away and something in me snapped.
“Thank you for checking on me.” She turned back towards me with a genuine smile on her face.
“Sure thing, honey, it looks like you could use a friend right now.” I nodded at her, and she smiled, before waving and walking away to her car.
Just then, Cooper pulled back into the parking lot and I sighed in relief at the sight of his silver car. He sat for a moment and as I started to walk towards him. I realized that he wasn’t waiting for me. Abbi was walking from cheer practice with a scowl on her face. As soon as she was in the car, he revved the engine for a moment, sending a wave of ice-cold water over my boots and into my socks.
He laughed as he drove away, and I started walking in the direction of their house. My whole body shivered and about halfway home, I’d wanted to give up. I’d been walking for an hour when Zane pulled up beside me. “Get in,” he commanded. I glanced at him as he nodded and opened the door for me. I jumped gratefully into the warmth of the car.
My teeth chattered and my body shivered as he turned the heat up. “Where’s Coop? I thought he was to give you a lift.” His voice broke the silence, and he sounded tense, but I didn’t know him well enough to judge.
“He got a b-b-b-bet-ter of-f-f-f-fer…” I chattered out and he nodded.
He didn’t say another word for the rest of the way back and as soon as the engine cut off, he was out of the car and racing for the house through the rain. I squelched slowly after him, my body shaking in terror at what might await me when I walked through the door. I didn’t need to wait long to find out. Shawn came out and met me in the garage, his face livid which surprised me.