Chapter 1- A new life awaits368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6Sk3Fljlx
How can people be so indifferent to the malice and falsity that surrounds them? What should happen so they could see the truth? A woman takes selfies on the terrace while her child complains about the bullying he suffers in school. The waiter is arguing with an old man because the tip wasn’t generous enough. The girl in the corner expresses her point of view on the issues in the relationship while her boyfriend focuses on the girl who has just dropped her wallet and leans to lift it up. His eyes glitter with enthusiasm when he manages to see underneath the girl’s skirt. Disgusted, I turn my look towards the conversation that the woman who calls herself “mother" has with the nurse. Yes, I'm in a hospital obviously and no, I did not have an accident, though that would have been better to happen than what actually happened. I refuse to remember so I start paying attention to the conversation although this is the last place I want to be in right now. “ I don’t understand what you’re trying to say Mrs. Perkinson, "says my mother with an annoyed tone . "Your daughter has suicidal attempts every time she goes home, so it's obvious that you have a major role to play in this.” the nurse responds annoyed as well. "Are you trying to blame me for failing to fulfill my parenting duties?" "What I'm trying to say is that she needs time away from you" At this point my attention is completely directed towards the two women, waiting for my mother's response but at the same time without having high hopes knowing that nothing will change. "And what exactly do you want me to do since her life is here?" "Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that because we have already made a decision. She will live with her father for a while. " "What the??" All eyes turn to me, and I immediately regret opening my mouth. They can’t see my face because I'm hiding beneath the hood but I still feel intimidated by the sudden attention. My mother starts to laugh in an ironic way that makes me frown. I know too well what she's trying to do. "I thought you were more competent than you look. Jade can’t adapt herself to new environments and doesn’t tolerate strangers around her. Any human contact to be honest. So that would be the worst decision that you could take. I do not expect her to go to the hospital again but rather to the morgue. " The hair rises on my body when I hear that cold-blooded tone in which she speaks about my problem. I feel like I can’t resist any more seconds next to her so I turn to leave when the assistant puts her hand on my shoulder. My heart starts to pound hard instantly, in my throat rather than my chest and I feel like I can’t breathe. She notices my reaction and withdraws her hand quickly. Another second and it would have been broken. "Jade, in a few hours you’ll fly to France so you have a little bit of time to pack the necessary stuff." "She has nothing to pack, don’t you see that she wears the same black clothes all the time?" my mother snaps at her. The assistant decides to ignore her by saying: "And you don’t have to worry about people, there's a step brother who's your age waiting for you * I’m sure he’s a bastard, I tell myself * and your dad and his wife are a good example in the society." When I hear this I can only roll my eyes. "I have to take Trevor and I'm ready to go," I say with a sigh. That's how I ended up in a cab now, with a hamster in a box and with the destination Nice, in southern France. I'm starting to laugh when I realize what a big difference there is between Detroit and Nice. The driver gives me a weird look and I realize that my laugh sound hoarse and that's because I don’t remember when was the last time I laughed. A second later I decide to talk to Amelie, my only friend, actually my suffering colleague , to give her the big news. "Guess what?" I ask once I hear her voice. "You decided to write a letter to Johnny Depp asking him to play the role of a stepfather for one day. I don’t think you need more anyway, do you? "She says ironically "Don’t be silly. A fish would be more interesting to him than my person. Her crystalline laugh causes me a warmth in the soul that I'm trying to resist but I can’t. I want to be as cold as possible, indifferent to everything that happens around me, but I can’t deny that I'm addicted to her presence, her bubbly and sexually suggestive comments. It's like a spring breeze when it’s freezing outside , like a drop of water in the dessert is like a firefly when it's dark. The driver distracts me when he brakes suddenly and I almost hit my head in the windshield. After some swearing and obscene signs, we continue our journey and I keep thinking about Amelie, about the fact that I can’t tell anyone about her. It's one thing to be depressed and another is talking with voices in your head. I would end up in the sanitarium if they would find out about this. I can’t even tell if she is my alter ego, or just an imaginary friend. The fact is that I don’t know how to live without her enthusiasm and courage and I feel that she sometimes makes me do things that I wouldn’t normally do. I get off the cab in front of the airport and stop for a second to figure out in which direction should I go. Amelie tells me to turn left so I decide to listen to her at least once and it proves her to be right. As I head toward my terminal, I see several people staring me up and down. I'm not surprised, I suppose it's strange to see a girl dressed from head to toe and hood over face while everyone is in short sleeve. Better that way, I say, than to see the scars, the tattoos and the signs on my body. They would run away from me scared, and I would rather be a scarecrow than scaring people so the wide and long clothes fit better. Still, my face remained almost untouched by the things that happened to me in the past. The penetrating brown eyes, long hair, prominent cheeks, and thin lips would attract people if I didn’t have a scar across the left cheek. I don’t want to admit how much it affects me, but yes, I feel like a monster and that's why I prefer to hide it. Another reason wearing the hood is that I feel protected from all the unwanted attention and the meanness that surrounds me. I can also see much better what's happening around me. It's not like I'm very interested, but it's better to be cautious, anyway. Now I see, for example, a mini bar at the edge of the terminal and a bottle of tequila on the top shelf. I’m tempted to buy it only to manage the flight , or to celebrate my escape next to my mother but I decide to control and turn my back at it. I'll have plenty of time to get dizzy after I succeed with my plan. Once boarded, I start asking myself questions about what's waiting for me. Will I have to blackmail my alleged brother, just to make sure he won’t be standing in my way? How much does my father know about my situation? And how much time will pass until everything comes out and I will be terrorized? After a few minutes of stress, I put my earphones on and close my eyes telling myself that things can’t be worse than what I’m leaving behind.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6Wrz4tA1J
