Greyscale [✓]

Prologue

PROLOGUE {11 years earlier}

"You can't just ignore her, she's your child!"

"I don't care, I don't want that disgusting brat!"

"She's just a kid Jasmine!"

"And she's already like him!"

Hannah whimpered hugging her knees tightly as she listened to her aunt and mum fighting about her. As usual. She put her head down until all she could see was the pink Powerpuff Girls pyjamas she was wearing but it was no use, she could still see her mums' angry eyes glaring at her in her mind.

"Come to sleep Han. Please?" She heard from behind her. She wiped the stray tears from her cheeks and turned around to smile at her cousin.

"Okay Cammie," she whispered, pulling herself up from the stairs she was hiding on and following her cousin, holding tight to his hand. She tried not to wince at how much lighter her skin colour was – the source of her mother's hatred – and instead concentrated on how annoyed he was by being called Cammie. He puffed out his chest and snorted, no matter how many times he told her he was six years old now and not a baby anymore, she would still call him that.

She tossed and turned in her bed but she still couldn't sleep, all she could think about was the words she heard in the fight. Auntie Sara and Uncle Jay loved their son and everyone knew Hannah was much better-behaved than Cameron despite her being a little bit younger, so why couldn't mummy love her?

She felt her bed sink down with someone's weight and Cam curled up next to her under the pink covers Auntie Sara had gotten for her on her fifth birthday. He wrapped an arm around his cousin protectively and clutched her hand tightly.

"It's okay Hannah, she's silly. I love you," he murmured sleepily. She smiled at his words and allowed herself to fall into a dreamless slumber.