"Miss Lenny!"

Immediately, I winced at the tone of the voice; an action that was promptly followed by a sheepish smile.

Stealthily, I hid the item I'd recently bought behind my back - along with the Fridge Guard - just as my only real friend stomped along the pavement towards me. The community school's compound, flooded with departing kids and parents, only a few metres behind.

Nobody was headed our way and I was grateful for that. The stores lining either side of the road were all closed early; as they always did on Fridays, and I relished that fact.

I wanted us to be alone so I could surprise her without any prying eyes and ears.

And not to mention, the stolen Fridge Guard in my hands kept getting weirdly heavier with each step Ellie took towards me. But I brushed the guilty feeling aside.

It's too late now.

Maintaining the apologetic smile on my face, I mentally prepared myself for the tongue lashing I knew I'd receive.

"You were supposed to walk with me after school ten minutes ago," the little six-year-old chided, hands placed haughtily on her small waist after she'd come close enough to be heard without yelling. "What took you so long?"

Her question made the sheepish smile I had on automatically morph into an amused grin. "I was busy getting you this" - I pulled my left hand away from my back and waved the little gift in the air - "but since you obviously don't want it..."

Her eyes widened, hands immediately dropping from above her hips. "No! I want it, I want it!" She reached out before unsuccessfully attempting to grab the boxed item from my hands.

"Are you sure?"

Her eyes lit with excitement. "Yes, yes!" She giggled.

"But I thought presents were usually opened after the cutting of the cake?" My grin grew wider as I taunted her, but froze on my lips the second she halted her attempts and stared at me with a shocked expression on her face.

My eyebrows subsequently scrunched, concern nibbling at my conscience. "Ellie, what's wrong?"

She opened her mouth to reply.

"You..."

But when not one single audible word was uttered, she changed tactics and instead chose to close the distance between us to wrap her tiny arms around my middle. It was then that she took a deep breath and murmured.

"You actually remembered my birthday," she whispered so softly, before suddenly laughing delightedly into my skirt, tightening her grip. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Lenny!"

Present forgotten, my heart softened as I knelt down to her level and placed the items on the pavement behind me. I then placed my hands gently on her shoulders, holding her at arm's length.

"We've been through this, Ellie. Call me Lena," I corrected softly. "And why wouldn't I remember your birthday when you seemed so excited to tell me about it last week?"

"I didn't think you would remember because I know you have many problems and I didn't want my stupid birthday to be part of your worries." The little girl shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but I could see the façade wearing off from her expression. "So I thought you forgot."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I didn't." I reached behind me to pick up her present and handed it over to her, a warm smile splaying across my lips. "Happy Birthday."

Ellie put on a wide, happy grin and excitedly took the gift from my hands. "What is it?"

I nodded at the gift. "Open it."

Without hesitating for a second, Ellie ripped the wrapper away and gasped when a pink plastic container met her gaze.

After looking through the transparent surface at one side, she exclaimed, "You got me a doll?!"

My grin returned. "Yep."

"Oh, wow!" she squealed, tearing the box open and gushing at how cute the baby doll looked. "She's so pretty!"

But her shoulders dropped. "I can't take it though. Mummy says I'm too old to get a doll, so I'm sure she'll take her away from me." At that, the excitement I'd detected in her eyes gave way to a flash of anger.

I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at the barely seven-year-old in confusion. "You're too old for a doll?"

She shrugged solemnly. "She buys me big books all the time and makes me learn ahead of my class. She says she wants to prepare me good and make me smart for when she takes me away to the city so I'd get a chance at one of those big schools for smart kids."

Ellie suddenly lifted her gaze from the pretty doll in her hands before she threw her little arms around my neck and squeezed. "But I don't want to go, Miss Lenny!"

I sighed, already feeling my heartbreaking for the infant. "Look, your mum may not understand you, Ellie. But she thinks she's doing what's best for you" - like hell - "and surely doesn't intend to hurt your feelings." It pained me to say those words, but I didn't want to worry Ellie even more by telling her plain that her mother was a selfish, inconsiderate female dog and would likely send her away to the city without a second thought on what kind of effect it would have on her daughter.

"I know you're just saying that to not look mean," she angrily replied, clutching my neck tighter. "I don't care what she thinks. I want to stay here with you, Miss Lenny. You're my only best friend and I love you so much! Please, you've gotta help me. Don't let my mother take me away."

I closed my eyes and finally wrapped my arms around her little frame. "It's okay, Ellie. I love you too. We'll figure something out, alright?" I said to reassure her, but when I heard the distinct rumbling of an engine draw closer towards us - the engine belonging to an agonizing familiar vehicle - oncoming words of reassurance promptly died on my lips.

The sleek grey saloon car halted beside the pavement, right in front of Ellie and I, and I clenched my jaws when the driver cut off the engine and arrogantly sauntered out of the vehicle.

Her body was held rigid beneath her black suit and her heels clicked an even pattern on the cemented ground although they were of no use in a small and unprofessional town like this.

She appeared so out of place but I was positive that the woman didn't mind that fact at all.

Almost immediately, I felt my immense hate for her rise but for the little girl in my arm's sake, I swallowed in a nasty retort - before I mistakenly voiced it out - and made a move to push Ellie behind me.

But she stood her ground when she'd heard the heels clicking and glared at the woman approaching so hard that I felt like she was the one protecting me.

Nevertheless, I let her remain there, using my free hand to block the Fridge Guard from sight.

"I believe that I have told you time again to keep your filthy being away from my daughter," Ellie's mother, Felicia, snapped before she reached forward, grabbed the squirming girl's arm and snatched her away from me.

"Mummy, let me go!" Instinctively, I lifted my hand out to pull Ellie back and away from that monster. But then held myself and rooted my body to the ground when my conscience told me to back off.

Let her go. She's not your daughter.

"And what the hell is this?" Felicia snatched the doll from Ellie's hands when she'd caught sight of the little gift I'd gotten her. My blood boiled heatedly in my veins when the bitch threw back her head and let out a dry, menace laugh.

I shut my eyes for a second. Don't let it get to you.

"You got her a doll?" She chuckled, seeming genuinely amused by the situation and holding the doll by her heel before raising it in the air.

Choosing not to retaliate nor answer, I simply watched her examine the object in disgust and bit on my lower lip hard when she let the doll fall on the ground.

"Don't treat her like that!" Ellie yelled angrily. "She's mine!"

Felicia laughed again. "Yours?" She gestured towards the little gift lying battered on the ground. "This filthy, cheap, worthless puppet is yours?"

Puppet? My eye twitched. I took a deep breath.

Don't overreact.

Ellie visibly flinched at the references to the doll but didn't hesitate to reply, lifting her chin in defiance. "Yes! Miss Lenny got it for me and even wished me Happy Birthday after you forgot again. That's my present and I'm going to keep Cindy! Whether you like it or not!"

Felicia arched an eyebrow as she assessed her daughter. Instead of expressing anger at Ellie's words and tone of voice, the woman merely cocked her head to the side and studied her daughter with intense boredom.

"Cindy?" she repeated, and even scoffed at the chosen name. "Whether I like it or not?"

Not backing down, Ellie raised her chin higher, her lips thinned into an almost inconspicuous line.

Looking away from her daughter, Felicia diverted her attention to mine and allowed a sick, twisted smile to invade her lips. "It seems as if my daughter has grown fond of this new puppet in a short amount of time. How adorable."

She said it again. She used that word again.

I took in another shaky breath.

Just calm down, Lena!

"What? Can't speak?" Felicia taunted. "Well, considering I was looking forward to a fight, that's a real shame." She turned to her daughter. "Enough with the tantrums, twat, or else I'll destroy the...you know what? I don't believe you'll be needing it, Ellie."

Before Ellie and I could react, she lifted her foot and stomped her heel into the doll's plastic face.

"Mummy, no! Stop!" Ellie tried to intervene - struggling violently as she did - but Felicia tightened her hold on her and proceeded to disfigure the doll until it was beyond redemption and recognition.

While all that happened I simply stood there silently and watched all my money go to waste. Money that I'd broken my vow to retrieve. Money that I could've used to get something that would've benefitted I alone in my broke state.

Money that I'd sacrificed so much to get not more than thirty minutes ago, only to have the results being ruined before my eyes. Thrown at my face.

To say I was mad would've been an understatement. I was enraged and furious.

My hands fisted at my sides after I'd unconsciously lifted my left hand more than two inches towards my face.

Unfortunately, Felicia had noticed the action, and I didn't miss the small trace of fear and wariness that briefly flashed across her features.

But when she looked down at her daughter still glaring up at her and fighting against her hold, the uncertainty and trepidation immediately vanished from her expression, leaving only triumph and arrogance.

I gritted my teeth. I'm going to kill her.

"You know what, honey?" Felicia bent slightly to pick up the disfigured doll and handed it to Ellie. "I just had a change of heart. You can have it now and keep it for as long as you like."

Snatching the doll from her mother's hand, Ellie's eyes grew slightly misty as she fought to hold back the tears that I knew wouldn't stay dormant for long.

"I hate you!"

With a careless toss of her hand, Felicia began to pull her daughter towards her car. "You'll hate me even more when I tell you what I got for your birthday present, honey."

After none-too-gently forcing Ellie into the vehicle and securing her in, Felicia glanced backwards to send me a sly grin.

"I hope you die tonight, Lena."

I sneered. Likewise.

Grinning at my expression, she gave a small wave which I didn't return. "Have a wonderful evening, Witch."

With that, she rode off, accompanied by a furious little girl in the backseat who had forgotten to wave me goodbye.

☆~☆~☆