Kamala straightened her blouse as she made her way to the register, her hands fingering her crystal choker, a token of love from her Grandmother. Her reflection bounced of the mirror, that layed propped on the wall her creamy complexion bouncing of one of the mirrors that layed on the other side of the wall. As she arrived at the counter her hands grasped eachother for support as her gaze met her client. The woman looked In her thirties, dark soft waves framing her face just about touching her shoulders and her almond eyes glaring straight at her. “Hi ma’am, can I help you?” Kamala said in her sweet voice. She knew these type of clients, she had them often. “I have been waiting here for 2 minutes” the client said in an awfully loud tone. Kamala’s colleague, who was mid sweeping peered at them, stifiling a laugh. Kamala couldn’t help by giggle too as she turned to her colleague giving her a mischievous look. Then she slowly turned back to her client, seeing lines etched on her forehead. Her thin lips pressed into an irritated line. “If you think this is so funny I’ll have my husband sue you- all of you” she said, her tone dangerously low. “I’m so sorry ma’am, we meant no harm, me and my colleague’s were tending clients and were not available, again we’re so sorry for the disconvenience” Kamala said meekly, her voice remaining sweet and timid. Suddenly the store bell rang, another client. She motioned her to sit down. “Lizy can u tend this client please” I asked my colleague, motioning the Karen client to follow me. “So that rat of a person doesn’t have to wait but I do? What is the meaning of this.” The Karen client said, her tone full of disgust. “Ma’am we treat all of our clients equally, we just are more available at this moment” I said quietly, peering to the other client examining her. The young man wore an oversized hoodie, a tattoo running down his neck. His head hung low. But I could still see his cobalt blue eyes inspecting the place, a tiny bit of sweat glistening on his deep brown skin. Kamala felt a deep blush etch on her face when she looked away, noticing that this young man was particularly handsome. “Since your not asking, I want layers and 3 inches off” the Karen client barked. “Sorry ma’am, thank you” Kamala said in a hushed tone scrambling for her materials. She managed to get 2 quick sneak peeks at the man while grabbing her scissors. “Instead of looking at him, you should be doing your job- and ew aren’t you gonna use fresh scissors on me” she snapped, crinkling her nose. I said nothing picking up the scissors feeling the sensation of joy creep up my skin as I went into my own world, perfecting the woman’s hair, examining it from different angles. When I finished I looked at her hair with pride, turning her chair to face the mirror, her hands adjusting it. “I hate it, can’t you just do your job?!” Karen woman said, looking at me like a bug she wanted to squish. “I-.. can do a blowout if you want” I questioned biting my lip as I felt the blush creep onto my face again, feeling Mr. Handsome guy’s gaze on me. Karen looked up to me straight in the eye, stood up and left. She left the place without paying. I felt my all the blood from my face draw out as I bit my lip a little harder. My boss was going to kill me. I rushed up to Lizy, her eyes looking down at the floor with fear. “What do I do Lizy?!” I cried to her, shaking her shoulders, but she wouldn’t look up. Suddenly I felt chills run down my back, my brain still trying to register what was happening. Someone was in the room. I quickly turned around my hands flinging behind my back as I looked at my boss with complete terror. His cold stare looked like it could bite me, Making me quiver slightly. “What you should do is you should find that woman before I fire you.” He bellowed, his hand beckoning for me to go closer. I held back my tears as I slumped forward. I knew what was going to happen. He titled up my chin, his breath warm on my face. I closed my eyes bracing for it as i clenched my fists, then it came, a slap so hard that it left sharp tiny tingles on my skin, then a punch, then a kick. I struggled to breath, as my stomach heaved my knees bent on the floor, hands pressed protectively on my belly as I crawled behind Lizy, letting out a wheezing cough as Lizy hugged me tightly sobs ricocheting out of her. “How could he do this to you” she sobbed, gently stroking my slightly damp hair. I felt my counciousness go thin as I silently passed out.
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I woke up to the sounds of blaring sirens, a headache flaring as I struggled to get up. I peered at the clock, 1:27. I looked around, my eyes adjusting to see cops and officers surrounding me, asking questions and taking pictures. I blocked them out as I got up and the. Stumbled, reaching for the nearest chair for support. I hadn’t gone home that night. My face lit up seeing mr.handsome guy in a police uniform, I had to get his number. I felt almost drunk as I sashayed over to him, teasingly tapping him on the shoulder, my words slurring together. “Ma’am you have been exposed to drugs, please sit down” he said. I sat down in the chair, feeling confused. I tried to remember after the beating. Lizy hugging me, tears falling down her face as the same words echoed in my ears “How could he do this to you!”
“Stop that” my mom barked in my ear, as she pinched my arm, which is definitely a signal to back down. But I couldn’t control it. No matter how much effort I tried. “Sorry mrs.rubenstien, my daughter is just in her teenage years” my mom chuckled, forcing a smile, as she beckoned me to go inside. I could feel the therapists glare burning my back as trudged back into the hallway, sitting on the rough metal chair outside her office, Litterally spelling boring. With its rigid edges and uncomfortable, not to mention cold, seat. “All qualities represented mrs.rubenstien” I Said to my self. Trying to muffle my chuckle on my damp maroon raincoat my mom had bought for me, well not necessarily bought, figuring it was totally free. After all it was a yard sale. I felt a sudden cold rush of wind on my face, my nose now numb, water trickling down my hood which was propped up on my head, not all the way on, but still managing to cover my ashy long brown hair. I felt my left eyebrow twitch all of a sudden, making its appearance curved, like the type of eyebrow raise you see in movies from funny characters, the tippy tops of the eyebrow hairs almost touching a hair strand, but not quite. I suddenly burst into a laugh, a deep throaty one, like the one that comes bubbling up from your stomach, as you choke on it, not bieng able to grasp the situation fully. But like I said, i cant Control it. It comes at a random time, at a random place. I certainly did not find anything funny, i mean except the eyebrow hairs of course, but that wouldn’t make me laugh. Or even giggle, maybe smile though. Suddenly I heard loud footsteps, I knew I was going to get in trouble. I had to stop. The laugh was still going on. Hysterical giggles now bursting through my mouth. I covered my mouth with one hand, trying to muffle the laughter, as the other hand struggled to move the eyebrow down to its normal position. Of course that was the time Mrs.rubenstien came in, looking like she had saw a ghost as her beady eyes squinted at me, trying to understand what the hell i was doing. Suddenly I felt my face burn, it felt like as though it was on fire, each inch of my face lit on fire, melting. I howled, my other laugh halting to a stop, trying to grasp what was happening. Tears slid down my cheeks, as I heard voices, but all I could focus on was the pain, the searing, burning pain. As my eyes focused I could only see one person, and only one. I didn’t focus on my moms screams and cry’s for help. Or the sound of the 911 dispatcher. All I saw was mrs.rubenstiens beady eyes, still staring at me, her expression fades to monotone, but a slight grin etched on the left corner of her mouth. “Sleep little girl, sleep” as she pulled out a handkerchief. Suddenly it all clicked. She had been controlling me. Mrs. Rubenstien cackles as she held it to my face, the sweet scent of drugs blurring my vision as I fall into a deep slumber of frenzy.
The treacherous waves lapped at my feet as trudged back, my arms making it way to my torso , wrapping it simountanisly around, holding tight, as if I let go some part of me will go to.
Me and my family went to cape may every summer. Every. Single. Summer. But this summer felt especially peculiar like some sort of expectation was burdened on me. The one thing that terrified her the most, the one that made me shudder when she even thought about it.
“Don’t be a baby Maddie, go in the water” a deep voice said behind her. Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. Jeremy, her family friend had been going with her family with his sister-her best friend- and their parents.
Part 2 Tmr!
Everyone and everything is gone. The house The car The children The bar The pool The floats
My friends Are dead Me and my husband Divorced Rejoiced But forced To leave for sure My mom My dad Are out Of my life
I’m expelled From school Anyway I dropped out I’m loosing control Drinking even more The losses Sorround me The voices Around me The hospital The beep The line that Fleets When the line Goes flat I lay still Barren
Lin peaked over at the half stained magnifying glass feeling the warm summer sun on her back as she leaned over as grabbed it, cleaning it generously with her shirt. “Gold, gold, gold” she murmured to herself. She tried thinking of every possible structure Gold had. Her grandma’s gold earrings carved with intricate designs of flowers. Her necklace her boyfriend has given her, an anniversary present. She pictured the necklace, the way it glinted when she tilted it just below the sun. The extraordinary weight it had, making her back droop when it was worn. She barely wore it anymore, but she could remember it like a song. She turned the magnifying glass around examining it from all angles, as if it would give some sort of clue. She got up, feeling the hot sand press her foot, feeling the burn pierce through her skin, eyes watering from the sting. She trudged over to the deck, where a gold statuesque of Marilyn Monroe stood, dust coating her, as flies flitted around the bulging hanging lantern, perched right above her ear. “Gold, gold,gold” she whispered to herself, walking slowly over to the statue, hand out stretched in front of her, like she was expecting something. Someone. As she placed her hand on the statues chin, gently caressing, examining every part of the gold structure. Waiting. Suddenly Lin yelped as she saw her boyfriend behind her watching her, intently as if he longed some expectation out of her. “You found it yet?” he asked in a gruff tone. “Nope” she said softly. She had to find it, otherwise she would pay for it, and Lin knew she couldn’t afford it. As she searched for hours, it could have been even days as she checked every nook and cranny, every shelve, every room. She had lost track of time as she searched, feeling the burning sensation of her boyfriend watching her on her back. Waiting. Lurking.
Priyanka shuddered as she walked down the school hallway. Shadows taunting her like fish on a bait, kids lurking, smelling. She was used to bieng new, she had been moving all her life. From India to China to Poland and finally to the place she hated the most. New York City. Someone suddenly shoved her from behind, “Move you pig” a girl sneered as she knocked down my books. She took my steel water bottle, looking at the fresh ink of a sharpie sizzle into the post it note her mother had set on it. “Have the best day and don’t forgot to make friends, love you priyanka XO Mom” the girl read out loud, her face marked with disgust. I looked at my shoes, my face heating up with embarrassment. “Aww is piggy priyanka having trouble making friends” she mocked, wheezing from laughter. She opened the the bottle, sniffing the fresh nimbu pani her mother had made before she left. She took a step forward to me. Her tall slim frame shadowing over me, a smirk lifting the corner of her mouth. “Next time don’t be slow” she whispered in my ear, dumping the liquid on my head. I felt the cold juice soak into my newly ironed shirt, the dampness biting my skin. I felt my hair drip of moisture, the strands matting together, sticking to the back of my hair. I heared the loud sound of metal colliding to the floor, but I couldn’t move. All I could see was red, dark red. I was sourrounded by it, but I could still hear her voice. It taunting my every move. I felt my head tighten as I felt my eyes water, letting out a scream, at least I thought I did as I collapsed, thick tears running down my face. But no one cared. No one even acknowledged my existence, or thought, or feeling. The rotten disgust of humility on my tounge, the sour taste of anger branded on my heart. Because all I was, was new meat. I had been chopped, but the bone was too big, I was thrown In the trash, but not given a chance. But then I hear a new voice, a deep tone surround me whole m. I use the back of my hand to wipe my eyes, shakily rising to face the new sign. My eyes adjust to the light as I look to see who it is. “Girl Scouts?” The man said questionably a hopeful smile on his face, not acknowledging that I was soaked with water, or that I was crying on the floor. I took the flyer his hand contained, looking at the bright words before me. “Have a Jolly time and make new friends!” It said, the bright words sounding inviting. I look at the sign up paper on the large bulletin board, probed up on the wall. I sign up. I officially hate this school.