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FAYE
I fluffed the pillows on my bed again, looking around the room to make sure everything was perfect. I wasn't about to risk my father's ire again. He always found a reason to punish me. Even for the littlest things. I wished I could fluff my sorry life to perfection, just like the pillows.
I looked around at the room. My room for the past six months. Father had demanded I left the main house. He was finally tired of me being there with his perfect little family. All my life, it had always been the three of them; Dad, Erin and my stepmom and then me. The pesky little responsibility that dad had to look after. My stepmom and stepsister despised me, anyway. They always have, and they've never hidden it. I walked down the stairs, leaving the arctic
Even though he was my father, he hated looking at me; hated hearing any mention of me. I could tell on some days when I had the misfortune of running into him. The mere sight of me was a torment to him. He always said I looked too much like mom. My birth mom. And for that, he didn't enjoy looking at my face.
I entered the dining room downstairs, seeing the table already set. There was no place for me at the dark wood gleaming dining, even though it could seat seven more people aside from the three spaces already taken on it. I always have my meals in the kitchen, away from my father's sight.
I had to eat and then get to school. Erin had a mini convertible that she drove to school every day. Riding with her wasn't an option, even though we went to the same high school. I had to take the school bus or trek to school most of the time.
"Faye." My step mom Ava called out, walking out of the kitchen and giving me that look of disgust. "Take your plate from the kitchen island."
She sat at the table with Father and Erin and they started having breakfast without me. I went into the kitchen, looking at the pitiful slices of toast and bacon. I didn't get to have more than just toast. Thinking to myself and taking my food, I settled down on the floor beside the island to chomp on my food. I avoided my fathers's line of sight. Nothing good ever came of him seeing me. Finishing the two pieces of toast and bacon, I exited the kitchen, hoping to leave quickly.
"So, Faye, did you have fun last night?" I heard Erin ask with her whiny voice, as I tried to retrieve my backpack off the floor.
I looked up at her.
"Fun?" I asked, keeping my tone low and without a hint of what would come across as sauciness to my father and stepmom.
"Yes, last night. When you went out with Dad's car." She threw a sly glance my way and then sharply turned to face my father. "Dad, have you seen your car? I went to the garage for something this morning, and you should see the front bender. It's totally smashed."
I let out a gasp. What was she doing, trying to pin something I know she did on me.
"I wasn't out with Dad's Car and you know it!" I said, glancing at my father's face for the first time that morning. His face was red with rage. His veins were popping out and I could see he was already about to chew me alive.
He loved his car and treated it better than he had ever treated me in my eighteen years of life.
I shot out of my seat. Father always punished me for little things like misplacing an item or supposedly speaking out of turn to Ava or Erin. What would he do now that his precious Erin was saying I'd bashed his car?
"I didn't do it, believe me, father." I begged, already close to tears, but I watched as my father rose from his chair at the head of the table and demanded I follow him to the basement.
Tears escaped my eyes as I refused. I knew what awaited me in the basement. He always whipped me there whenever he was punishing me for a crime he felt unforgivable, which was at least once every other week.
I looked at Erin. She had a sly smirk on her face and I've always hated Erin, but I hated her even more at that moment. "She's lying! Just look at her. I heard her on the phone. She's the one who took your car out with Jared."
I continued as desperation riddled my tone. "Please—"
"She totally did it, Daddy! I saw her take the keys last night," Erin said again.
My dad growled In his low booming voice. "I said, get to the basement now and await your punishment, you cursed girl!"
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