Barbed wire roses chapter two

'Where the hell have you been you stupid girl?!' The slap hit me hard in the face as I reeled and tried to keep balance on my feet. My father pressed his face up against mine so I could practically taste the alcohol that reeked from his lips. 'I told you before not to be in late again but you didn't listen. Is it so hard to remember that? Even a stupid kid like you should be able to handle that' his eyes were bloodshot and his words slurred but the impact was just as sharp.
' I..I..I'm s-sorry' I tried to speak clearly but the words came out in a stuttered mess.
'Sorry isn't going to cook my dinner. But I guess it's too late now' the words drooled sarcasm as his rough hand gripped my wrist.
'You always were just. a useless. piece. of s**t.' He hissed the words, speaking them slowly and empasising the last few as he twisted the white skin of my wrist with each word.
A yelp escaped my lips as I tried to bite back the tears that were welling in my eyes.
'Crying isn't going to get you anyones sympathy, you're pathetic, you know.' As he spat the last words he twisted my wrist violently and despite the crack wrenched my whole arm back. A tear escaped my scrunched up eyes as he held me there.
'Please..' I whispered, my words barely audioable.
My fathers eyes scanned their way over mine and with a grunt he let go. 'Just get out of my f*****g way and stop being a inconsiderate little b***h' . he leant away from my face slightly and let his fingertips reach up to my lips and dig the his nail in to slowly tear the delicate skin 'now that's a good girl, you keep your mouth shut'
His drunken laughter echoed through the house as he headed towards the stairs.
I stood there for a second blood trickling down my chin then collapsed onto the floor and burried my head behind my knees. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged my knees so tightly I left indents of fingernails in my bare leg. I'd done this ever since I was young, it was my way of trying to hold myself together when I felt like I was falling to pieces. I'd pretend the arm's we're Kai's holding me tightly and for a few seconds I'd feel safe until I felt the absence of his body next to mine. Then I just wanted to dig my nails in deeper and deeper to make the pain my only focus. I just lay there, hunched up in a ball until I fell asleep. I didn't dare go to my bed, My father would no doubt be near by, and right now I just felt to tired to deal with him again.


It was the throbbing of my wrist that woke me up. I didn't want to open my eyes and face the day but the pain was just too much. I sat up against the wall and supported my wrist with my other hand. It was swollen red and even my own touch made me yelp in pain. I looked up at the clock to see the 6 am didgets flashing at me. No one would be up for atleast another hour so it would be best to try and get out of the house by then.

I pushed myself up on my unswollen wrist and then crept up stairs. I opened the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and scrambled about for a bottle of painkillers. I found a couple of paracitomol and gulped them down. I wasn't exactly sure what I was meant to do about my wrist so I found a bandage and clumsily wrapped it around. It was only when I looked in the mirror I realised what a state I looked. My lips were still in a pretty bad form and my cheek was covered in shades of blue, green and yellow. I splashed water over my face trying to wash away any blood then reached for my mothers concealer, it wasn't really the right shade but it would have to do. I started slathering it over the bruising and dotted some under my shadowed eyes for good measure. I stopped to look at myself, it didn't look half bad, you could still make out the bruise but it was a much less shocking shade. I cleared away the makeup then headed to my room. I picked up my uniform and slipped it on. The sleeves and trousers hung at that awkward too short height but that was because seventeen year olds do tend to have grown since they were fourteen. And ofcourse my mother and father weren't going to waste money on new clothes for me when they could spend it on alcohol and new hair curlers.

In the kitchen cupboard I grabbed a slice of toast and shoved it in the shocking pink toaster- arriannes choice, not mine- whilst I waited for it to pop up I made myself a sandwitch and took a packet of crisps to put into my bag. I perched on the edge of the kitchen table and stared at the toaster, of course I wasn't actually that excited for the toast to pop up, it was just a point to focus on as I tried to get my head straight. I squinted so my eyes blurred and the pink surface of the toaster merged into a curved rectangle, I liked shapes, shapes were simple, they just were, I wished my life was that-
'Morning Emery' the false smile that covered Arriannes smile only lasted for a second before she seemed to decide it would be more fun just to start with the snide remarks straight away.
'Morning arrianne'
She took a step towards me and reaching out a long finger propped up my chin so I had no choice but to look at her. 'So I see the s**t's decided to live up to her name today with the makeup'
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. I didn't want to say anything in reply. Use sarcasm and she'd rip me apart, stammer back an answer and she'd walk all over me or just remain silent: it seemed the safest. Arriane bought her lips closer to my ear, her words brushed my ear lobe 'little s***s like you don't belong in a family like this you know, don't forget that.' She paused for a second before pulling away and smirking at the way my eyes dropped to the floor. I didn't dare look up, I could feel her gaze through the silence...silence...silence...then the toast popped up.
'Why thankyou. Maybe little s***s are good for something' Arrianna plucked the toast out with her hand and took a bite. 'On second thoughts I take that back. You can't even set a f*****g toaster right' and with that she flounced out the room, leaving me to stare after her.
I sat there just watching the empty door way for a moment then in a clumsy sweeping movement grabbed my school bag and rushed out the front door.
As soon as my lips tasted the fresh morning air I felt my lungs gasping for huge gulps of the stuff. It was only then I realised how much I was shaking -not that the bitter cold helped- after my encounter with Arrianna. 'F**k f**k f**k' I muttered under my breath as I tried to calm myself. Putting one foot forwards I took a wobbly step before clenching my fists and lurching into a stride as the words 'f**k her, f**k them...just f**k it' raged through my mind. Funny how that girl always seemed to make me develop a rather sudden case of tourettes.

Author's Note

There's probably quite a few gramatical errors in this, but I'd really appriciate some feedback on the writing