C H A P T E R E I G H T
SHE FELT FREE. HER LEGS BRUSHED PAST THE FIELD.
Everything was in control. The weather was perfect. Her feet moved in harmony. Both sides of her hands moving with the same force as her feet. Nothing could stop her. The air was scented with pollen and tree sap. She enabled the aroma like it were a protein juice, pumping her and making her go faster. Behind her, she could hear footsteps trying to keep up with her. Reyna was one of the fastest people in her class. They didn't stand a chance.
Everything happened in a split second (theoretically, speaking of course). She could feel her feet jumping from above the ground. Sweet tricked down her face. She could feel her breath grow faster.
There hadn't been a time in her life where she hadn't run and pushed herself to get first to the finish line or beat her record. Reyna trained herself like a warrior, constantly trying to get better. The more she worked, the better she got but there was no satisfaction until she made it to the finish line. Nothing beat the feeling she got when she was the first to get their.
Reyna made it to the end across the course track and let out a heavy breath. Mr. Mars, the gym teacher met her at the finish line. She was glad to say that no one else had finished yet.
He checked his timer,"5" 14' minutes. Well, you almost beat the record which is 5" 11' minutes."
She hid her disappointment and sat down on the grass which was at the moment, covered with sunflowers. Reyna brushed the dirt before sitting down on it and crossed her legs. She grabbed her water bottle and took short sips.
Someone sat next over to her. A tall girl with jet black hair. She could tell by her clothes and earring who she was. It was Drew. Reyna didn't know much about Drew besides that everyone knew about her and that she brought trouble wherever she went and pretty much dated almost every guy in the grade. That was enough to make Reyna's body tense. She didn't feel comfortable around this moving and talking Asian Barbie doll.
"Hey,you're pretty fast!" Drew let out a gasp.
"Not the fastest," She said, bitterly. Reyna cursed herself for not being kind. She wished she could easily talk to people like Jason did.
"I heard that you're not going to my party?"
"I practice everyday. I have no time for partying."
"So, you're not going with Jason?" Drew pursed her lips.
"Go ahead! You can have him. Not like I had a chance."
Drew raised her eyebrow, a gleam in her eyes."no, I'm on a hunt for another boy."
Reyna didn't like the sound of that. She heard the gym teacher whistle and everyone started getting up with him.
"but I can help you with Jason." Drew handed her a sheet of paper."here's my phone number. Oh, and you're invited to sit with us."
Reyna looked at the sheet for a split second before putting it in her shorts. She had nothing to say but nod.
School had gone by like a blur. She hadn't thought once or checked her schedule to see what classes she had. Today went by very quickly if not being boring. Today was Thursday which Reyna felt nothing usually happened on a Thursday. She could not wait until Friday tomorrow just so she could do nothing but stay home.
Hazel caught up to her in the hallways. Today she was wearing a Gravity Falls tee. Her curly hair was pinned up in a ponytail although strands of curls full across her face. She had an excited but worried look on her face.
"I have to tell you something," Her face was flushed and her teeth bit her lips.
"What?" Reyna asked.
"Pretended that you're at least interested what I'm about to say."Hazel frowned and sat herself next to the locker above Reyna's.
"I am!"
Hazel crossed her legs."now pretended to be girly and a type of person into gossip."
"I am girly!" Reyna shot back point by at her pink shirt."Is this not girly enough?"
"Frank asked me out." Hazel blurted."well, I know he's been into me but I didn't think he would ask me-"
"Wait,what? What have I missed?"
Hazel laughed, excitingly.
"So,are you going to the party together."Reyna asked. She hoped she didn't sound a tiny bit envious.
Hazel rubbed her arm."we were thinking of just going with a group. Do you want to go with us?"
Reyna dunked her things in her backpack."I don't know.."
"The party is at a hotel resort. I checked it out online. It's gorgeous."
She bit her lip. Who would take care of her father. He could survive one night. Another thought came to her mind. Who would she go with?
"You'll go with Jason. I already asked. He said yes!"
Reyna his her excitement."I guess I have no choice but to go."
A T H O M E
There was nothing to do.
Her clock ticked on her nightstand as the seconds past to minutes and so on. the minute Reyna got off her bus, she ran straight toward her house, closed the door shut, pulled down each one of the curtains, passed by the closest, and laid her boy on the bed.
Reyna felt tense all over. Goosebumps filled her bare arms. She could hear the hardwood floors squeaking from downstairs. Besides that, the only sound was the constant movement of her body as she moved side to side, trying to get some sleep she had lost from yesterday. Through her shut curtains, she could see but a little light from outside. Reyna could imagine herself go outside, feel the ray of sunshine on her face. Maybe outside she could relax, but as long as she wasn't the only living body in the house, that was out of question.
She was afraid of her father. Afraid that he would never leave this forsaken, awful house. As long as he was here, she would always live in fear.
Once more, she tried closing her eyes, keeping her mind clear so she could get to bed, but it seemed her mind didn't want to go to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Finally, she got the courage to go back downstairs and grab a cup of milk from the kitchen. After filling the glass up until it raised up to the top, Reyna walked carefully upstairs in case she would spill any milk in the ground. She could already imagine what would if she did even though she tried not to. Her hand would loose its grip on the cup. It would crash on the cup, startle her father, and have him banging against the door he was caged in once more. The thought of all this happening made Reyna feel worse than before.
After she was finished with her milk, she laid back down in her bed and went to sleep.
.
.
.
"Don't touch her," Hylla said,sternly stomping her foot in the ground, her words tumbling down her tongue with fear. "don't you dare get near her."
A shimmery form glared through Reyna's body.
The shattered family was in their broken home. Not even Bob The Builder could fix this now.
"I'm your father," His voice thundered."Now you listen to me."
He shoved Hylla out of the way. Her body crashed against the wall. Reyna watched in horror. His hand clutched Reyna's chin.
"Reyna, you have to learn a lesson." His once, sweet coffee, brown eyes were stern and cold.
His hand burned her cheek as it made a loud smack against her skin. She flinched. Just for a second, but it was done. The damage was done.
.
.
.
She blinked her eyes wide open. Someone was knocking on the door. Reyna wiped her eyelids with the back of her hands and rolled of the bed, warm feet touching the cold floor.
Someone unlocked the door with their pair of keys before Reyna made it downstairs. Hylla looked like a wreck but she still managed to smile. She could never understand how her sister could be so beautiful when she herself hadn't inherited any of it. She was wearing a uniform that was restricted to wear for everything that worked at Cici's. Her long hair was braided in streaks aside her shoulders.
"You're home," Reyna let out a breath of relief.
She could barely contain her happiness. Reyna even pretended to not smell the scent of nail polish remover and heaps and heaps of perfume sprayed on her wrist as she gave her sister a hug. She forgot about her day of school; everything no longer matter.
Hylla rubbed Reyna's cheek with her thumb, soothingly."Why are you so excited to see me? Usually you just mope around like a mop."
"Just relieved you're here. I have good news!" Reyna smiled."in going to a party this weekend."
"Party? But Reyna your grades?" Hulls pursed her lips."where's it at?"
"A resort. I was invited."
"Why were you invited?"
"Hylla!"
"I'm just kidding!" Hylla then frowned.
"I'm so excited Hylla!" Reyna squealed."Hazel's going to help me pick out a dress and after that-"
"-That's odd. I swear, I had to pound the door to make it stop screaming last night and now it's quiet." Hylla said, suddenly.
Both of their voices shut down. The only noise Reyna could hear was the rapid beat in her chest. She knew what her sister was talking about.
It as in her father.
The house was quiet. Too quiet.
Hylla shook her head."Nothing."
She pursed her lips and pushed Reyna aside. "I'm going to go check the closest."
"No!" Reyna let out a cry. "Don't Hylla!"
"It'll just be a quick peek," Hylla promised.
"That's all it'll take," Reyna muttered.
"What?" Hylla said, pretending to hear her. "I'll be back in a minute."
Hylla ignored her and walked over to the closest door. She couldn't look, her eyes wanted to close shut so badly but Reyna couldn't let herself. Hylla turned the knob door open as Reyna held her breath. Her fingers flew up to her face as she covered her eyes. She heard the door knob click as Reyna clenched her teeth against her lips.
"Reyna, you can look now. I know you closed your eyes."
She let go of the hands on her face. The closest door was wide open but no one was inside.
"Where,where is he?"
Hylla could only shake her head.
"It's gone. Somehow, I don't know how, it found a way out."
Everything made sense now. Why the house was strangely quiet and why Reyna felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"But he can't leave," She said, both of them thinking the same thing.
"He's a ghost, Hylla. He couldn't, shouldn't have been able to leave?"
"I know."
~Coming Up~
Piper IX