Gia's alarm rang, piercing through the thin veil of sleep that had barely surrounded her. She yawned, her eyes still closed, as she stretched lazily in bed.
She hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, sneaking in after the house was locked. Her stepmother was aware she was still outside. The woman told her father. They had to impose a curfew on her, treating her like a child despite being eighteen. She confronted her stepmother- since was the one who was always at home, about it, but her stepmother had coldly reminded her that she didn't own the house.
Neither did she.
Her exact words were- "My house, my rules".
But Gia didn't want to talk back. Because she couldn't risk being thrown out—not when she was still saving up to move out.
"Just they wait and watch me leave," she thought, a proud smile playing at the corners of her lips.
With a deep sigh, she got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she stood in front of the mirror, toothbrush in hand, her phone rang. She strolled back to her bed, the toothbrush in her mouth, and picked up the phone.
"Talk to me," she said.
But the caller didn't respond. Instead, there was static.
"Hello?" Gia asked. "Is this a fucking prank?" Her impatience was increasing. "Fuck you, I'm hanging up."
She walked back to her bed, about to cut the call, when a voice said, "Gia, I'm sor—" She cut the call before the person could finish. Realizing her mistake, she quickly tried to call the number back, but there was no number displayed. Confused, she stood there replaying what had just happened in her mind. This wasn't even the first time something like this was happening. A few days ago, she saw spiderwebs around the house, but when the exterminators came, they didn't see anything. She also caused them to move years back when she intentionally flooded the house because she saw a dying fish. Her moments made her stepmother increase her dosage- but the drugs don't help with the hallucinations; they make it worse.
Brushing off the unsettling feeling, she finished her morning routine and went downstairs. When she reached the dining room, her father and his family were already having breakfast. As soon as Lucy saw her, she sneered, "What a perfect family we are, just like this." She flashed Gia an evil smile.
"True," Gina reflected, looking at her husband, hoping for his approval. He remained silent.
Gia ignored Lucy and joined them at the table. Just as she was about to sit down, her father spoke up. "Where were you all night?"
Gia hesitated, then sighed. "I was at Mack's."
Mr. Randolph scoffed. "And you stayed there all night?"
"No".
"Your mother told me you haven't been coming home since you started dating," he accused.
Gina nodded in agreement.
Gia couldn't believe Gina would lie about her like that. Not that it was out of character, but it still stung. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?" her father demanded.
"What the hell?" Gia thought. "They want to know what I'm doing to myself by dating someone?"
"No," she said aloud. "Tell me how harmful dating a person is."
Gina threw her a dirty look. "Don't you know how to talk to your father?"
"No manners," Lucy murmured.
Gia glanced at Gina and Lucy, feeling increasingly bewildered. "Is this real?" she wondered. It seemed like they were looking for any excuse to criticize her. For weeks, she had been trying to avoid their scolding. She hated it. They made her hate so many things.
"If you're just looking for a reason to remind me of how useless and burdensome I am, I already know that. Think of something new," Gia said to Gina.
In a fit of rage, Mr. Randolph threw his breakfast at her. "Why? Why do you have to get on my nerves all the time?"
Tears welled up in Gia's eyes. "What did I do?" she kept asking herself.
"I bet she hasn't taken her drugs," Lucy murmured, taking a bite of her pancake.
Indeed, her family seemed mad, because the argument made no sense.
Her father stormed out of the room. "Useless child," Gina called her before leaving as well.
Gia sat down, feeling the hot coffee on her face and part of her hands. The burning sensation was almost a welcome distraction from the hurt inside. She grabbed her keys and left the house, heading to her mother's grave. Today was the anniversary of her mother's death. Her father always got physical with her on this day, a twisted form of coping with his grief.
"Why not just hug me?" She would ask... herself, of course.
It was also her birthday. But no one celebrated it or talked about it. Instead, they saw it as a day to pour insults on her.
She sat beside the grave, eating her favorite snack, raisins, and talked to her mother about everything that had been going on. Talking to the grave made her cry, but it was a purging release. She poured out her dreams and her frustrations, her hopes and her fears. She imagined what life would be like if her mother were still alive and if she had a loving family instead of the cruel stepmother and stepsister she was stuck with.
Time slipped away unnoticed. When she finally returned home, the entrance was locked. She managed to sneak past the security guards and tiptoed through the kitchen and up the stairs.
"Why am I tiptoeing?" she wondered. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Where are you coming from?" Lucy asked, standing in front of Gia's room.
Gia didn't reply, attempting to go to her room, but Lucy blocked her way. "I said, where are you coming from?" Lucy repeated, her tone authoritative and annoying.
"Get the fuck out of my way," Gia yelled her patience at the edge.
"Not until you tell me where you're coming from," Lucy demanded, folding her arms.
Without hesitation, Gia dragged Lucy out of her way. She heard Lucy fall but didn't bother to check. She entered her room, shut the door, and sighed deeply, feeling a rush of relief.
She sat on her bed, trying to organize her thoughts, when the door burst open. "Where are you coming from?" her father demanded, reeking of alcohol.
Gia froze.
He was removing his belt as he advanced towards her. "I asked you a question, young lady," he shouted.
Fear paralyzed her. She had never been more scared of life than this, whenever he tries to physically hurt her.
Her instinct was to push him and lock her door, but he was already inside the room- closing in on her.
Tears streamed down her face. She already knew what was coming next. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.
"You hurt your sister?". His tone made it seem like he asked a question even though he didn't.
"You're hurting me right now", she said to herself.
"Someone who cares about you," he lashed out.
Lies.
Everyone knew Lucy has a crush on Mack and assumed Gia had been with him.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Gia whispered.
"You're sorry?" he mocked, moving closer.
Her eyes were still shut, and she felt the first lash of the belt across her waist. It was revealed, due to her dressing. The pain was excruciating, she knew it would leave a mark.
Gia screamed.
The beating continued.
Outside the door, Lucy stood, smiling with satisfaction.