Beyond Her Exterior

Prologue

The moment I stepped inside I prayed he wasn't here yet. Closing the door behind me quietly just in case he was, I walked up the stairs into my room locking the door behind me. I didn't want him to come in when he did arrive.

I did my daily routine, doing my homework. I had to get it done early because I knew the second he got here I'd be distracted.

By the time I finished, I was glad to see he had yet to return. So I quickly went downstairs and made myself some food. During the time I was making it the front door opened and I heard it slam shut. I flinched, he was back. I let go of the microwave handle, and stared at the kitchen entrance waiting for him to make an appearance. When he did, he grimaced at me. "You have money?" He spat rudely entering the kitchen.

I backed away shaking my head. "N-no. I don't. I don't get paid until tomorrow. I'm sorry." I said.

He rolled his eyes as he picked up the plate from the counter. "I want it tomorrow then, all of it." I nodded once again, deciding it'd be better if I didn't provoke him right now.

He was always like this. Everytime I got paid he wanted my money. I didn't give it all to him though. I split it unevenly, me taking most of it. He didn't deserve it. It's not like he used the money wisely. He just went out and bought his drugs.

I watched as he pulled the packet out of his pocket and placed it on the counter, right in front of me. "You want some? I'm willing to share today." He mutters. He pulled a needle from his pocket and I immediatly moved further away.

"No I don't want any. And I'd prefer you didn't do that in the damn kitchen." I spat at him, he was disgusting.

"You know you're a brat right?" He said ignoring my protests to leave and do that somewhere else. "Your mom should never have left you here with me, you make me miserable." He shook his head as he prepped his needle with the drugs.

I scoffed. I hated being here, I hated my mother for leaving me here just so she could go ahead and remarry some rich man. She left me here with a man on drugs, a man who wasn't even my biological father. "I don't want to be here as much as you do."

"Yeah whatever." He rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving." And with those last words, he left the kitchen and walked down the hallway to the downstairs bathroom. Once I heard the sound of the door closing behind him, I grabbed my dinner from the microwave and ran upstairs to my room.

As I ate my food, my phone rang so I quickly answered it to hear my best friend, Lindsay on the other line. "Lexi, did you forget again?" She says into the phone.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. What could I have forgot? "Forget what? I'm lost." I replied.

"You were supposed to come over my house, you remember. You promised." She sighs. Oh, I remember now.

"I'm sorry. I forgot about it. I'll make it up to you tomorrow." I told her.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" She offers.

"No, no, no don't do that! I'll be right over." I said quickly before hanging up.

I ran around my room and grabbed my shoes putting them on quickly. I packed a small bag of stuff before grabbing my plate and rushing back downstairs. I put it in the sink, and started walking to the door before he heard me. Unfortunately, he came down the hallway.

I looked back at him, he was high. His hand was in a fist as his face looked like like it was sunk in. His pupils also looked larger than normal. I watched as he stumbled closer to me, nodding his head a couple of times. He looked more drunk than he did high. But these are just some of the symptoms he suffices.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked as he gripped my arm. I flinched under his touch. I looked down at his arm to see track marks on it, it immediately made me feel disgusted.

"I'm going out." I spat at him rudely, tearing his grip off my arm.

He grabbed my arm again more forcefully, and pulled me away from the door. "No you aren't." He said. "You're staying here, and that's fucking final."

"You're not the boss of me, I shouldn't have to listen to a human who can't even take care of himself, and resorts to drugs." I glared at him. "Now let go of me."

His nails started digging into my arm, causing me to screech out in pain. It hurt, painfully bad. But it didn't hurt as bad as what happened next. Before I could even react, his fist was lifted into the air and it collided with my face. The movement caused his grip to loosen up but I ended up stumbling back, making my bag drop from my shoulder. I lifted my hand up to my jaw as I started to move it, hoping the pain would go away. "I told you, you aren't going anywhere. Now unless you want to be punched again you will go back upstairs to your room. I don't want to see you for the rest of the fucking night, got it?" He yelled.

I cowered back, and hit the door. "Why are you like this?" I whispered, just loud enough he could hear.

"Shutup and stop asking me shit. You're disgusting." He said. I picked my bag up off the floor and ran up to my room, slamming my door behind me, making sure it was locked. Like always.

I quickly texted Lindsay and told her I couldn't make it to her house because I was spending time with my father. She responded that it was fine, and she'd see me tomorrow.

I threw my phone on the floor, and covered myself up with my blanket as I cried. I hated my mother. I hated her for leaving me here. She left me, without even telling me. Next thing I know she's married to some business guy she barely even knew.

She ditched her own daughter. She knew my Step-Father was on drugs, yet she was selfish and thought of only herself and made me stay here.

I hated my life. I hated everything about my life.