I smiled as I waved to the boys and Jess after school. I climbed inside my car and began the journey home. I smiled happily as I rolled the windows down, allowing the cool breeze to brush through my hair.

I turned onto Sunnyvale and my smile slightly dimmed when I passed my house. I shivered, that house had bad memories, ones that I didn't want to relive.
Ever since Bella and Vernon allowed me to live with them, Id never seen Mother around. I never did ask how Bella and Vernon handled that situation, or where Mother exactly was...something inside me said that this wasn't the end.
Not the end of my pain, or sadness. But I knew that I could handle everything that came at me if only I had my friends, family and my boys by my side.

+++++++
Later that day after I had finished my school work, and made a surprise dinner for Bella and Vernon, I'd decided to go for a wallk.i grabbed my house keys and slipped into a pair of tennis shoes, before going outside and locking the door.
I hummed gently as I walked on the sidewalk, I stopped by the odd Jade green house that I used to live in and muttered,
"Fuck it." Then sprinted up the steps, picking the lock and opening the door. I had a few things I needed to get from here anyway.

Inside the familiar house, it was still clean and spotless. It was silent, so silent you could here a pin drop. I released a shaky sigh and continued to look around, memories surfacing.

____FlashBack____

Sixteen year old me was sitting on my tiny bedroom floor as I tried to contain my cries, her shaking and bloody hands clutching her throat.
Mother once again made me drink her concoction of lemon juice, vinegar, and liquor. I took in slow breath as my throat throbbed, damn my throat would be fucked up for days.

Suddenly my bedroom door slammed against the wall with a huge bang and Mother stood in the open doorway, a large cruel smile on her crimson pained lips.
"Aries..."

+++++++++++++
I abruptly jerked myself from my thoughts and winced, I definitely didn't want to relive that one. I took the stairs two and a time and opened the door to my room.
Inside, everything was as i left it that one fateful day before school. Clothes neatly folded, books stacked under a small lamp, a makeshift nightstand, and my tiny little bed. I smiled and crouched and pulled an old wooden box from under the bed.

Inside the box, was a picture, a few nicknacs, a bottle of nail polish, and a ring.
I smiled and sat down, pulling the box into my lap. I first grabbed the picture and stared down at it.
In the small aged picture stood a tall handsome man, with his arms wrapped around a tiny seven year old girl, with dark hair, icy eyes and a bright grin.
The people in this picture was me and my dad. Titus Quinten. With his dark hair, and icy eyes, we looked alike. Much to Mother's disdain.
I traced a finger over his face, and closed my eyes. Maybe he could have saved me from Mother and actually acted like a Dad...instead of shunning me and taking a wife.
I'd think by now he already had a couple of kids. Kids that he loved.
But I wasn't that little girl who wished and prayed everyday that her daddy would come and save her. Not anymore.
I dont know why that man even bothered to give me a credit card and a car, must be guilt.
Since he never bothered getting to know me. The last time I had saw him was when I was eight and I never saw him again.

I shook my head and dropped the picture on the ground and picked up the ring instead. This was probably the most precious piece of jewelry to me.
The thin band of fragile silver was beautiful, and the blood red stone in the center shined like freshly spilled blood.
Bella had given this to me for a tenth birthday. I smiled and took off my necklace, and threaded the ring through the chain and connected it back around my neck, hiding it from sight.

I sighed a stood up, about to leave until I stopped, turned around to see the picture laying on the ground.
I huffed and strode back, picking up the picture, folding it up and sliding it into my pocket.

•••••••••••••••••
As i stepped out of the house, I looked around and realised it was really dark. I huffed,"Bells is going to have my ass for this!" I bit out and locked the door back.
I jogged down the steps and jogged down the road, passing houses with the living room lights bright in the night.
I smiled as I passed Kota's house, seeing Northstar, Silas, Sugar, Honey, and meanie inside through the large window in the living room. I smiled and waved as I passed, seeing their smiles as they spotted me.

BANG! Suddenly white hot pain erupted on my stomach and I gasped and stumbled back, looking down seeing crimson blood spread and staining my white shirt. I screamed, and clutched my stomach as I heard the unmistakable sound of familiar heels click on the asphalt. My eyes widened in horror and I slowly turned around, feeling weaker and weaker by the second.

Sounds of house doors slamming open, shattering the quietness of the night. Screams erupted as they saw my stumbling bloodied form.
"ARIES!" Multiple voices screamed, and I looked up from my stomach and my eyes connected with Kota. His eyes were filled with horror and anger...anger toward the women walking towards me.
I heard running way down the street and looked, Bella and Vernon.

Strong arms captured me and started to drag me away as I bleed out. Choppy blonde hair and brown eyes. Mother.

"Mother?" I croaked out, fear filling my insides. Mother smirked and threw me inside the back of a car and shut the door. I groaned and crawled my way and the car peeled down the street, tall forms were seen running down the street after the escaping car.
Mother raised herself out of her seat and out the window, pulling out a pistol.
"NO!" I screamed and tried to wrestle the gun out of her hands, before she killed anyone I cared about.

Mother grunted and elbowed me harshly in the face, and shot blindly. I sobbed and covered my mouth as I see a form fall.
"N-no..." I sobbed, holding my stomach in pain as I saw my Meanie fall onto the ground as blood spreads over his chest.
The last thing that I saw was mothers grinning face before she knocked me out..

______𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝙾𝙽𝙴______

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜! 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜𝚋𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜! 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚒 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚏 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛...𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢.
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙱𝙴 𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙻!!!

𝚁𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜!

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙰𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜!

𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎,

𝚇𝚘𝚡𝚘,𝚔𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚎𝚗-𝚓𝚊𝚍𝚎