I smile at the text. I like Kyle and his girlfriend Sara. They went to this same high school, Kyle was the captain of the volleyball team and Sara was the captain of softball. They were high school sweethearts and have been together ever since and even go to college together as sophomores - Yale University.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Reece whispers from next to me.

We were in chemistry class right now.

Mr Heart was drawling on and on about atoms and molecules which I have already studied.

The bell rings and the students rush out of the class quicky while I follow slowly with Reece behind me.

At the parking lot, I quickly climb into Reece's car as she drives.

Oh. I forgot to mention. I babysit - Keagon from 5 to 6. Keagon is an adorable five year old who also happens to be Sara's sister.

Once Reece's mother gets home at six, I am good to go.

"Hey Keagon." I smile at her as soon as the door is opened.

"Hi." She smiles.

After Reece leaves, I play with Keagon for awhile and even make her some pasta.

Keagon is one of the only ones that has seen me without a hoodie.

Once Mrs E comes home, I leave for home since I forgot to bring my Pizza Palace uniform which is a blue shirt with a pizza at the front and a May I help you at the back.

I open the door to my house cautiously, afraid that dad is home.

You can never be sure with him.

I look at the old couch and he is not there and so are the beer bottles so he isn't home yet.

At least I hope so.

I enter the kitchen and open the rusting creaky old fridge.

Nothing.

I sigh as I walk to the sink and fill some water in a glass. Just as I am about to put the glass into my mouth, it is slapped away from my hand.

I look at the broken pieces of glass on the floor.

Dad.

"You are just like your mother. A slut. How dare you run away like that? I am going to kill you." He screams.

"Dad, I -- " He doesn't let me complete. He lunges at me with the empty glasd bottle in his hand, smashing it against my face and head.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

I fall down on my back on the floor. I bring my hand up to my forehead only to feel the feeling of cold metal.

Numb. That's how I feel.

Black dots dance in vision and then I black out.

~

I groan as I wake up, for once before my alarm rings, which is really early.

I open my left eye first, and then my right. I look up the white ceiling - wait. My room ceiling is brown.

I know, brown is ugly.

The series of events that happened before I blacked out enter my mind.

Dad. Glass. Blood. Forehead.

I automatically bring up hand to my forehead, only to feel that it has been covered with something hard.

I look to my left to see a sleeping Sara.

Sara?

Then Kyle should be here too.

I open my mouth to call her but my throat feels too dry.

Water. I need water.

I reach up to grab the jug of water on the side but fail. Sara wakes up from the creak of the cot and looks up at me surprised.

She notices my hand reaching up to the jug and jumps and gets hold of the jug. She pours me a glass of water and hands it to me and I drink it wordlessly.

By now I had myself realised that I was in the hospital. The all white in the room and bland settings and also the posters about cough and medication in the room.

"How long have I been here?" I ask.

"Two days."

"Kyle?"

"He just left to get something to eat. He hasn't left your side the whole time, even slept on the couch." She says pointing at a really uncomfortable looking couch with barely any cushion.

"How do you feel?" She asks me when I don't bother making any conversation.

I just shrug in reply.

"You know, it's really weird seeing you after all this time." She says and the door opens and Kyle enters holding a bag.

He walks over to Sara and places the bag on the table without noticing that I am awake.

"Kyle."

He jumps at that and turns to look at me. There is a pause as we stare at each other without moving.

"I am going to go make a phone call." Sara says and leaves quietly probably to give me and Kyle some sibling time.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing Kyle... I just bashed my head against a glass bottle," Obviously Kyle doesn't know about dad hitting me. "Accidentally obviously." I quickly add.

"Just because I haven't been around you for a couple of years doesn't mean that I won't figure out when you lie to me." Kyle says as he folds his hands.

"Tell me." He pushes on when I am quiet.

The door bursts open and a familiar person enters.

"Shit. Aria, I was so worried." He pants as he stands at the door.

My father.