6: SOMEONE, CALL AN AMBULANCE!

The past couple of days all seemed like one big nightmare. I received my first kiss, then I got beaten, found out my mother died, and then was hampered from attending her funeral.

When will my life stop sucking? I asked myself.

I got dressed as it was my first day of high school. Well, technically it was Tuesday, but because Bianca's funeral was yesterday, we did not attend school. I tucked neatly my white dress shirt into my knee-length blue and black pleated skirt, a matching tie hung around my neck. I pulled my black socks up to my knees and fitted my hair in a ponytail that fell in the middle of my back.

Jenna was dressed similarly, as we attended a private school. Sinister said that since my mother gave me her last name, I should at least get educated like a Hemington. Jenna begged for us to be driven to school in style. Sinister did not hesitate as he ordered Maxwell to drive us in his stretched limousine. As soon as the limo hit the curb, Jenna stood and poked her head through the sunroof. Now all eyes were on the pretty blonde girl. The car stopped and Maxwell let us out. He told us he'd be waiting when school ended.

As usual, I thanked Maxwell while Jenna ignored him; she thought she was better than the staff. Jenna warned me not to talk to her because she hated my guts. She strolled towards the group of kids we met the other night.

“Pebbles, come over here," Evie shouted. I wavered before I sauntered up to her.

“Hey, Evie.” I smiled. I liked Evie. She told me about her weekend and how much she loved reading. Everything seemed fine until Chris walked over to us. Jenna jumped in his arms, and he squeezed her butt. I flinched out of discomfort as I remembered what happened last Saturday. I began to walk off.

“Hey, Pebbles, leaving so soon?” Chris asked. “I have something to show you. In fact, I think everyone should see it.” Chris took out his phone and swiped his fingers on the buttons, and in seconds I could see every teen in eyeshot grabbing their cells. The sounds of buzzes and pings surrounded the air. What the hell was going on?

I watched as Evie looked at her phone, then she glared at me with shocked eyes. Darius was the first one to erupt in laughter. “Nice tits, Pebbles. What are you, a B cup?” Jenna and Chris were laughing hysterically until tears slid from their eyes.

“Come with me," Evie dragged me to the girl's room. “What were you thinking, Pebbles? Chris is an asshole. Everyone knows his dad is the biggest racist in town," Evie explained, but I begged to differ. I knew no one was a bigger racist than Sinister. She showed me the photos that Chris took the other night. He sent them out to the entire school.

“Pebbles Hemington, come to the principal's office now!” The principal spoke through the loudspeaker.

Evie held my hand all the way to the office. I kept my head down as students glared at me. Some even made lewd statements at my passing. Evie left me at the big red door. I knocked before I entered the office. The principal was there, scribbling something in a notepad. She didn't even reply to me when I greeted her with a good morning. Even though her head was down I could tell she was beautiful. Her slim figure couldn't hide behind the wooden desk. Her brown hair colour was so rich it almost looked red.

“Have a seat, Miss Hemington," she spoke. She removed her reading glasses and then settled her brown eyes on me. The next thing she asked me was if I knew who sent the photos. This was it, maybe she could do something about it and Chris could be punished for what he had done.

“Christopher Sawyer," I informed her. It felt good telling on him. The principal froze. She reclined in her seat and squinted her eyes, scrutinizing me.

“My son, Christopher Sawyer?” And then my eyes went to her desk tag. Principal E. Sawyer. “Tell me everything."

OH MY GOD, JUST KILL ME NOW!

I told her about the events that took place Saturday night. Well leaving out Sinister's beatings of course. She listened keenly before she phoned Sinister. “Your grandfather will be here in a couple of minutes.” Her voice was cold and she didn't relay to me what punishments she would rain down on her son. But who was I kidding, this was how things were when you have family in high positions. She probably would give him a tongue lashing as a warning and then go about her day as usual.

I was a nervous wreck when Sinister arrived. My hands were sweaty, and my breathing was shallow. I bit my lips to keep calm. The atmosphere got dark when he stepped into the office.

“Good morning, Mr. Hemington. Your granddaughter has accused my son of sending out nude images of her," she announced bitterly as she showed him the photos.

“Wait, please don't show him those," I begged the principal, and Sinister shot me a nasty look and I shut my lips. I could tell that Sinister was angry, but he did not let it slip. The principal continued to tell him what I told her but she made it seem like I was lying on her son or it was my fault.

“I see. I know she is a liar and I will punish her when we get home, but for now, just let the little brat stay in school. I have donated a lot of money here over the years. It would be a shame if our little arrangement is altered because of some teen affair," Sinister winked at the principal.

She then asked me to wait in the hall so that she and Sinister could discuss other matters. As soon as I sat on the bench in the hallway, I heard them having sex like wild dogs in heat.

Sinister told me that I was dismissed for the rest of the day. “Get the fuck in the car," he warned and my blood went cold. As soon as we were seated in his car, he started the engine and sped off. We drove to the mansion in uncomfortable silence.

The instant we got home, and I stepped through the door, I felt a painful blow to the back of my head. I tumbled to the floor. A wave of white, hot pain took over my head. I was faced down, so he flipped me around. The next thing I know, his fists were coming at me in flashes. “Please, stop it!” I cried out in anguish. I kicked and I screamed.

He got up and grabbed a pair of scissors from a drawer. I tried to get up, but my vision was blurred. I dragged my body towards the foot of the stairs. I then felt his hands pulling on my hair. “This is what you get for being a slut.” I heard the snippets of the scissors and just like that, my beautiful natural curls were gone. He cut it all off. “I hate you," he shouted, and then he beat on me again.

Maxwell came running in, along with Peter, the stable boy. The two men pulled the devil off me. Glenda, the head maid, appeared at my side. “Miss Pebbles, are you OK?”

I tried to get up, but the pain was unbearable. Streams of blood squirted from my mouth. “Something is wrong," I gurgled out.

Sinister was still trying to shake off the two men's hold. Glenda tried to move me, but my wails stopped her. “What's wrong?”

“It's my neck. It hurts when I move it.”

“Someone, call an ambulance!" Glenda cried.

Five minutes later, the ambulance arrived. I was deposited on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. I was treated, and they placed my neck in a cervical cast because it was fractured. I just wanted to die. I felt lonely and cold. I just wish my grandmother was there with me.

“What happened, Miss Hemington?” Doctor Bailey asked me and I wiped away my tears. I looked up to see the short handsome fellow. He was a new doctor, and he did not know how things were maintained around here. His blue eyes seemed genuinely concerned.

“I fell down the stairs.” I simply said. And he looked at me with a worried expression.

“OK, if you say so. But as your physician, I will have to report certain matters to the police if I think you are being abused. I see the old and fresh bruises and I read from your medical file that both your arms and a leg were broken twice in the past two years, and your answer is always the same, that you fell down the stairs.”

Sinister entered the room. “What are you insinuating, doc?” My body tensed, and I went into a panicked state. Doctor Bailey instantly saw what was happening.

“And who are you?”

“I am her grandfather.” Sinister hissed and smacked his lips like the word grandfather burnt his throat.

“Oh well then, I will make my report in the morning. I think she is being physically abused.”

“Is that so? Doc, can I speak to you outside?”

“Sure.” The doctor answered and Sinister grinned as they both left the room. Immediately the yelling began. I could hear Sinister threatening the young doctor, but Dr. Bailey was not backing down. The doc came back inside, and he begged me to inform him who was abusing me, but it scared me to tell him. After a long pause, he said, “It's him, isn't it?”

Baffled by his accuracy, I swallowed hard. “Just leave me. I want to sleep.”

I heard his loud sigh, “OK, but Pebbles, you understand that it is my job to report my suspicions to the proper authorities?” He waited for my response, but again, I said nothing. “OK, I'll be back to check on you later. Rest now, child.”

I heard his light footsteps fading as he exited the room. I shifted on the bed and my muscles felt sore and my body ached. I didn't know how much more I could endure. I had to get away from him. I had to find a way to escape from the devil. If not, I would join my parents in the afterlife sooner rather than later.

But how – how do I get away from him? I thought long and hard. I had no money and no other relatives that could help me. How?

Then it hit me, College. “That's it, college. That's my only option." I whispered. “But will I survive the next four years living with the devil?"