BitterSweet

CHAPTER ONE

AURELIA FARIS JOHNSON

Do you ever feel empty? Empty of emotion, like your personality gets sucked out of you and gets replaced by a whole different person. Where everything isn't real, from the way you look to the way you act. You push aside all the bitterness in you and disguise it with sweetness but it's all fake.

Everything about you is fake. I am fake.

I lean onto the table as support when a sharp pain shoots up my leg. I lean against the wall scanning my body for any injuries and let out a sigh of relief when I don't see anything major but for some minor scratches and bruises.

I let myself lean against the wall as I scanned the room. I only see the result of a broken house plant: dirt, pieces of pottery, and the plant itself.

My brain racks through my memories to figure out what happened to me. My mother's boyfriend threw a potted plant at me. It hit my head directly, causing me to faint. Unless it was a false memory and I became crazy, that's what happened 

Isn't that nice of him? Mark the sarcasm. It hurt and Lara Hart, my biological mother, stood on the porch smoking and inhaling some white powder. Thanks a whole lot Mom.

I start getting out the cleaning supplies from the closet. I'm gonna have to clean this mess up since if I don't, no one will and I rather not live in filth.

I frown when I see how rough and dry my hands are. I've been working dirty jobs around the neighborhood to save money for myself. Who knows what can happen to me considering my luck of being born into a family where my dad is absent and my mom is a drug addict who has multiple boyfriends that happen to all be assholes that also happen to enjoy hurting people.

I take that back, not all of them, at some point, she was with this kind guy, Sebastian, he used to sneak sweets in for me. He was such a sweetheart. Unfortunately, he was a druggy too, but he also had a big heart. He was just unfortunate to be a victim of addiction.

He was the one who gave me fresh water to drink, fresh food, and so much more. But he also showed me what love felt like. Even after he and Lara broke up, he still welcomed me into his home.

He started training me on how to fight. At first, I tried secretly searching it up on YouTube with his laptop, but I got caught. I remember begging him to not tell Lara, I thought I was in trouble but instead, he consoled me and promised me he wouldn't and didn't even think of it, and he offered to teach me. From that point onward our relationship just grew. He was like the father I've never had.

Even though at first I only learned how to fight for self-defense, I eventually fell into the illegal world, not like gangs or anything serious but just small illegal ring fights. It's a good way to earn money if you win. It's extremely dangerous though, Sebastian tried to convince me to stop multiple times. It can result in death but most times it just ends with someone passing out. I got myself a reputation as called 'ghost girl'. I didn't choose it but the crowd did. I heard it was because I often disappear but I always come back sooner or later. I can't tell if the name is cool or lame but I don't care as long as I am getting paid at the end

 ...

I aggressively grab the water bottle. Then I aggressively take a sip. Then I aggressively slam it back on the table. Then I aggressively groan.

School sucks. And I mean it. I've had to search up countless YouTube tutorials on this stupid problem and I still don't know the answer.

I groan even more aggressively when I realize I'll probably have to ask the teacher back at school and then get a lecture on how I didn't complete the homework.