Life at home

"Hey let me help you," She heard someone volunteered.

    Dream raised her head, looking at the mirror. The image of the junior student who had brought in the cart of strawberry was reflected on it.

    "Uhh—Who are you?," She asked. She was scared, many thoughts  were running through her mind.

    "My name is Erica," The girl introduced herself and walked towards Dream.

    As Erica drew nearer to Dream, she took a step back till her back hit the strong brick wall.

    Erica couldn't help but chuckle on how scared she was, they must have really been tormenting the poor girl.

    "Don't be scared senior, no one sent me I just want to help," explained Erica.

    Dream sighed and gave her the small handkerchief and Erica started wiping her skirt.

    "Senior Dre—,"

    "It's Dream, just Dream," corrected Dream.

    Erica sighed before continuing, "what made you become like this? Why does everyone like bullying you?"

    Dream shivered as memories played in her head. Memories of how her mother and father would quarrel when she was 10, her mother would angrily drive away to the club or God knows where while her father would vent the anger on her, beating her mercilessly.

    He would threaten her not to say any thing to anyone and she would wear sweat shirts to cover the wounds till they heal. Her low self-esteem started then.

    "Hey it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Erica spoke, after waiting for the dazed Dream to say something. She felt bad for bringing back bad memories.

    "No it's fine," Dream replied, trying to recover from her dazed state.

    "It's all done let's head out," Erica told her, handing her back her hanky.

    "Thanks alot,"

    "It's my pleasure to help," grinned Erica, "I'll go grab my bag, please wait for me"

    "Okay," Dream responded, cleaning her stained bag. She was lucky, her bag was waterproof she had bought it few days ago.

    Besides her parents wealth, Dream owned an online shopping website for selling hand made crocheted wears. She was very good in crocheting, she hoped to face the business as soon as she graduates secondary school because she had no plans of going to college. 

    "Hey!! Let's go," Erica shrieked and Dream gave her a small smile before picking up her bag.

    The both of them walked down the hallway, their footsteps echoing. Dream sighed, happy that most people had left school.

    Since grade 12 Prestige was located at the last floor of the school, they had to take the elevator down to the car park.

    While inside the elevator, Dream spoke up, "I live with my parents who are in pretty bad terms and—my father takes out his frustration and anger on me most times, so—"

    She broke into tears, she didn't know why she was telling the stranger she just met today of her parents, she had never told anyone else.

    "I'm so sorry about that," Erica apologised and hugged the crying Dream, patting her back. She felt so bad for her, she was really going through alot.

    "Thanks," Dream sniffed, wiping off tears from her face and quickly braced herself up. She felt little bit embarrassed that she had cried In front of her junior.

    The elevator chimed as its doors slid open, they both walked together to the parking lot. Dream searched her bag for her car keys and pressed the button on it, making the car beep which signified it was unlocked.

    "Bye Eri," Dream waved at Erica who had already entered her car.

    "Bye Dream, I'll see you tomorrow!" Erica squealed before starting the engine of her car and zoomed off.

    Dream sighed reclining on the driver's seat, she slid the car key into it's hole, started the engine and drove out of the parking lot in a slow pace.

    Dream drove into the garage, parking her car besides her mother's, properly. She picked her bag from the passenger's seat before getting down.

    She looked at the garage, the cars her parents drove that morning was parked. Her brain immediately processed FIGHTING!. She sighed preparing for the worst and opened the door.

    Surprisingly, she met her father sipping juice from the cup he held and her mother was nowhere to be seen.

    "Good evening sir," Dream greeted and her father only replied with a hum.

    "Mom I'm home!" She announced, heading upstairs. 

    "Welcome honey," Mrs Brooks shouted from the kitchen. Her mother always treated her well whenever she is in a good mood.

    "Dream," Mr Brooks called out in a calm voice, making Dream to pause her steps.

    Why was dad calling me?, Did I do anything wrong?, Did something bad happen?, She thought.

    'Maybe it was just my illusion, dad can't call my name so calmly,' she waved it off and took another step.

    "Young lady I'm talking you! Or didn't you hear me call your name!" He half yelled.

    Dream shook in fear, her bag dropping from her hand. Her father was definitely annoyed, what did she do this time?.

    She climbed slowly down the stairs, walking to where her father stood. 

    "Dream, why are you such a failure!?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth when she got to where he stood.

    Dream lowered her head, many thoughts were going through her mind.

    "Why are you bent on disgracing me!?" He half yelled.

    "Am I talking to some corpse or something!?" He asked, obviously very irritated.

    "Please tell me what I did sir," She rasped.  She hated calling him dad, it irritated her, that monster was not qualified to be called her dad.

    "You're asking me what you did huh? Do I look like a 5 year old to you!?" He yelled and Dream shook in fear. Her father doesn't shout for nothing, he was definitely going to hit her.

    "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to tell me what I did—", before she could finish what she was saying, his hand landed on her face twice.

    Dream lowered her head as tears spilled from her eyes. This was so wrong, she thought she didn't do anything wrong, but even if she did he was supposed to let her know instead of hitting her.

    "Now take a look at this!" He shouted, pressing his phone. "Raise your head Dream!" 

    Dream raised her head to meet her father's phone shoved in front of her face. A video was playing, it was a video of Zara and her crew bullying her.

    She remembered been recorded earlier, but she never expected the video to be uploaded on the school's website.

    "Err—Sir, that—," She stuttered, the video was real, she had nothing to lie about it.

    "Shut up! Shut up!" He yelled, drawing Mrs Brooks attention. 

    "Jack anything the matter?" She asked, walking into the sitting room. She saw Dream's head down and her father fuming, she immediately knew he was about to start his madness. 

    "Jack I asked you a question,"  

    "And so what? You and this useless thing are always giving me troubles!" 

    "Shut the f up! This is the problem I have with you! I asked a question calmly and you couldn't reply does that not make you a foolish thing!?" Mrs Brooks yelled.

    Dream sighed watching her parents argue and rain profanities on each other but she does not dare to leave without her parents, especially her father, knowing. 

    "Ohh you want to know what happened," Mr Brooks said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Now look! Watch how this God for nothing disgraced this family!"

    Mrs Brooks watched how her daughter was kicked down, poured strawberry juice and shortcake. She was furious, how could they do that to her daughter?.

    "You're such a foolish man Jack! Can't you see that your daughter is being bullied by those lowlives," She shouted.

    "Ohh so you're in support of this retarded being?" He questioned, getting more infuriated. 

    "My daughter is not a retarded being, you are the retarded one her!" She yelled and he hit her on her face, making her yelp. 

    Tears were streaming down Dream's eyes, even her own father hated her, as a matter of fact the world hated her. 

    "I hate you! Must you be a hypocrite?" She questioned, mockingly.

    "You have been a bad luck to me since I married you!" Jack sneered. 

     "Do you think you are a good luck either?", Samantha scoffed, "you're the worst man and person I've ever met!" 

    "And so are you! You're the most stupid woman I've ever met!" He yelled. 

    "Would the both of you just shut it! Just shut up!!" Dream shouted, she was fed up of her parents always quarrelling and raining insults on each other. 

    "You useless thing! How dare you talk to your mother and I in such manner!" 

    "Just don't add me to it, like I matter to you," She uttered, mumbling the last part. 

    "The both of you are just useless!" He shouted and turned to Dream, "you're nothing but I bad dream to me!"

    That was the last straw that broke the camel's back, as Dream started  yelling with no spec of fear in her heart:

    "I hate you dad! I really hate the both of you!" She yelled before walking out, ignoring her parents call, especially her father's which was filled with anger. 

    She stood in front of the door, trying to listen if they were still arguing. 

    "Walking out on me won't make you free from the punishment I'm going to give you! Better go fixed the shit you've caused!" She heard her father yelled before she finally left the door. 

   Dream got into her car, reclining on its seat. She rested her head on the steering wheel and started crying. 

    She felt like the whole world was against her, her father had turned into a monster overnight and her mother slowly following suit. 

    Why was she so unfortunate? Does she forbid to have a perfect life?. Many thoughts ran through her mind as she cried her heart out....