The Secret Princess Series - Hidden

Chapter 1

*****PICTURE OF GENEVIEVE ON THE SIDE*****

Special thanks to Dark-Shadow who madethe cover on the side:]

CHAPTER 1:

"Gene (pronounced as Jenna), I'm hungry! Go to the store and get some food!" My Mother screeches.

"Mom, we have no money to buy food with...or at least I don't.." I say the last part to myself.  My Mother will kill me if she hears me say that.  I don't know why she bothers yelling anyways. If she’d just talk regular, she can hear me from anywhere in this "house".  I also get in trouble if I don't call this trailer a house.  It consists of one bedroom, one bathroom, half of a kitchen (there are 3 cupboards, a teeny tiny oven with 2 stove places, and a microwave), and a "living room" that has a double couch and a TV.  Most times I’ll find my foster parents in the bedroom screaming and moaning, on the couch making out, or in the kitchen drinking.  They are definition of alcoholics.  I can remember the time my Dad came at me, thinking I was my Mom. I ran out screaming—I was eight at that time.

"Come here then, you useless child!" She yells again.  I suppose talking loudly might be needed so it could be heard over the moans and growls.  I do not want to go in there, but I have to.  I trudge over to the bedroom door and opened it, and almost instantly I wish I hadn't.  My Mother was in her birthday suit straddling my father giving me a scarring memory of her backside. I quickly looked down at the floor.

"Ever heard of knocking you stupid child!" she spat at me.  I cringe away and say,

"But you said to come in—," I didn't have a chance to finish.  My Mother begins to shout, yet again, but her words are beginning to slur indicating she’s definitely drunk.

"When did I say that you little… brat? When have I ever told you that you can just barggeee in here while I'm with your father? Huh? When have I? Answer me you…you arrogant b*tch!"

"I'm sorry Mum. I just—,”

"You just what?" She throws a crumpled five dollar bill at me, and continues screaming, "I want some vodka—, no! The strongest booze you can find!”

Her eyes light up at the mere thought of indulging her habit of booze. But then she seems to come back to Earth when she cuts her eyes back to me. “And if you come back with something else, something weak.... I'll let your Father deal with you." She ends with a smirk.  I could feel the fear crawl down my back. Whenever she uses my Dad against me, she means that he’s going to beat me if I didn’t do as she says.

"Yes Mom, I'll be back later, love you."  I say quickly and run out, closing the door behind me.  She never gives me enough to expect me to get what she wants. Five dollars for the strongest thing? I can probably get about 3 oz. of it for five dollars and that was the most!  So I come up with a plan.  I'll go out and buy the most powerful stuff, even if it’s only three ounces.  We have enough big empty bottles at the house that I can take one and pour the little amount of alcohol in it and fill the rest up with water.  My parents are always too drunk to realize it isn’t as strong as they think.  They’d down the whole thing in less than thirty minutes anyways.

I get to the market. Everyone in this small town knows who my parents are and knows that I would never touch alcohol, so they let me buy it for them.  They all feel sorry for me and sometimes buy me food, or big things of alcohol to please my parents.  While I'm walking to the alcohol section, someone covers my eyes.  I stop in my tracks and start to giggle.

"Hey Luca."  I turn and attempt to smile up at the boy.  Luca’s taller than me at 6'1" with shaggy brown hair and brilliant green eyes that always seem to sparkle.  He smiles down at me and says,