Chapter One

Charlie's POV

My alarm went off and I rubbed my eyes, how many other seventeen year olds woke up at 4am every day I wondered and rolled out of bed, I pulled on my sweats ready to clean before school started and walked out my bedroom whilst tying my black hair up in a bun so it wouldn’t be in the way.

As soon as I left my room I could smell the stench of beer and cigarettes already, I hated it but that was what my life was like living with addicts for parents. Just one more week and I could get out of here although I had nowhere to go.

Beer cans covered every surface along with syringes they had used for drugs, I sighed, this had been my life since I was ten years old. I got up early to clean the mess they left every night, sometimes I would find one of them passed out on the floor or sofa, sometimes completely out cold, sometimes covered in vomit. At least it seemed like they both made it to their bed this time.

Sighing at the mess, I pull on a pair of rubber gloves that I have stashed away, I had to protect myself from being stabbed the best I could and money was tight so rubber gloves were my best option. I start to clean and as I move forward, I felt a crunch beneath me, there was shattered glass on the floor and I was just grateful that I had chosen to put my trainers on before leaving my tidy and clean room.

By 6am I had cleaned and scrubbed every surface, I did wonder why I bothered when it would be exactly the same tomorrow morning and headed to the shower, I was lucky because my father and step mother were always high on drugs or alcohol they had let me have the room at the top of the house which had an ensuite.

I removed my clothes and stepped into the shower, washing away the stench of stale smoke, when I heard him. My father was banging on my bedroom door “Let me in you stupid girl, you threw away my beer” I ignored him knowing the locks on my door would hold.

“Charlotte, open this damn door right now” he was slurring his words and clearly still drunk, I was surprised he even made it up the stairs. As I turned the shower off, my door was ripped off its hinges, I reached for a towel but it was too late, my father marched towards me and grabbed me around the neck, pinning me my wet body against the tiled wall not caring that i was naked.

“Dad please” my words came out squeaky as I begged him to put me down

“Where is it?” his stale breathe was vile and I tried not to urge as it reached my nostrils.  “My booze you stupid girl”

“Everything was empty, I checked” I was whimpering now and he threw me down onto the floor of the shower causing me to bang my head.

He stormed out of my room, leaving the door on the floor, as I coughed and spluttered. I stayed here a few minutes more just in case he came back and when I heard the front door open and then slam I finally found the courage to look in the mirror. Bruises were already appearing around my neck “Great”. I wipe away the tears that are threatening to burst out and dress myself, thankfully I had a green turtleneck that would hide the marks perfectly.

I was getting better and better at hiding these marks that my parents would leave me with, sometimes the beatings got so bad I wish they would just kill me but they never did enough to put me in hospital. I pull on a pair of blue skinny jeans and a pair of uggs. The cold weather meant this outfit was perfect, I wasn’t sure what I would do if it was summer.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my black hair was still knotted up in a bun, my skin had lost it’s colour long ago due to poor nutrition and was now a pasty white colour, my eyes were a bluish grey colour, probably the only interesting thing about me. I sighed and looked at my door on the floor, something else I would need to fix to try and keep them out.

Quietly creaping downstairs, I made myself some porridge, it was probably the cheapest meal I could make that would keep me full until this evening or maybe tomorrow if there were no left overs. I checked my school work and made sure that I had completed my homework, I had a routine each and every day and generally would complete my school work at lunch time, whilst everyone else was at lunch, I would use the computers, it wasn’t like I could afford to eat anyway.

My grades stayed the same because of this, they were not the best and they were not the worst, they would get me where I needed to go and also meant that I stayed under the radar with the teachers so they did not harass me either.

A little while later and my father stumbled back into the house slurping from a can whilst carrying a bag with loads more cans in, thankfully he ignored me this time and I was able to leave the house without any problems.

Getting to school was another thing, I had to walk no matter what, I didn’t get the school bus or a taxi, nor would my parents give me a lift, it wasn’t to bad it was only a three mile walk and after a while you get used to it. Bonus was that it wasn’t raining today.

I had managed to save enough money in the summer to buy myself some headphones and a cheap phone, which helped pass the time. I also had to keep it hidden from my parents, no doubt they would sell it so they could score.

Arriving at my school, everyone was rushing around, normally I was one of the first here but today it seemed as if I was one of the last. I pushed past people and made my way to the locker, dumping all the things I wouldn’t need. I watch as some of the girls giggle as they walk, talking about a guy and wondering if he will notice them, others were plastering on makeup using the mirrors in their lockers. What was going on, what had I missed.

“They are really coming” I heard a group of girls standing by me say, I move a little closer to make sure I hear correctly

“Yes” another one nod’s their heads, “The royals are coming”

Oh yes, I remember, they were suppose to come a couple weeks go but it didn’t happen for some reason or another and apparently today was the day they would be coming for the grand opening of the crappy science block. I rolled my eyes, it made sense now, all the girls wanted the single prince to choose them.

I ignored them and carried on to my first class of the day, I did not want anything to do with this, I needed to stay invisible.