Beth

Chapter 2

First POV

The worst person to ruin my reading session was playing with my book and mocking me for being a foot shorter than her, as she merely stretched her hand while I was still struggling to reach her shoulder, even if I was on the tip of my toes.

"Beth, give me my book."

"Is that the way to talk to your elder sister?"

Beth was obviously enjoying this with that stupid grin on her face and the stupid look in her eyes. I forgot about the one thing that could ruin my weekend rather than homework and projects and that would be my elder sister, who was merely one foot taller than me and loved to make a big deal out of it.

'I should use her weak spot.'

When I say weak spot, it means that I would aim for her shins and I did without any remorse showing on my face nor from my body language. The sudden act made her drop my book and held her leg in pain as she glared at me.

'Serves her right.'

She was still grumbling about the attack and I used this to dash out of the class before she gave me a head start and would win before I even started running. I was already at my locker before I felt an ominous feeling from behind my back, grabbing the rest of my notes, got into my backpack and locking my locker in a flash before she could get on me.

"Hugh!!"

I was out of breath, but I was far away from the monster. I was forced to call my sister, but I felt a hand on my shoulder as I rotated my head and witnessed her bone-chilling stare for the fifth time in my life and I panicked, which resulted in another kick in the shin for her. Something wasn't right as I felt nothing in my right hand and stared back at the girl who was miraculously laughing and staring at me at the same time.

'She took my book without me noticing the empty feeling in my right hand.' I had come to the conclusion of what she had done, and she was certainly proud and ready to add it to her list of achievements that centered around me. She clearly had more than enough determination and willpower to stand on both legs and taunt me with my book being moved around by her hand.

"Emma, I have your book and I will return it if-"

"No."

"Why not?" She asked me surprised, as I would normally agree to it before she could finish her sentence.

"I don't trust you enough to do that."

"But we used to do this a lot."

"Well, times change, and people do too."

Beth gave me at me with disdain and disappointment as she shook her head around, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Stop referencing books and movies, you are making them lose their originality with your blandness and depressed tone." Beth declared to my face like it was a bad thing.

"You watched with me."

"I didn't influence your personality and yet you are worse than me with your unique character."

"I am so sorry for offending you." I walked up closer to her as I pretended to feel bad and apologized to her and helped her stand up to grab my book and start running as I had called her, something that infuriated her the most.

"Sorry, Mom."

That was all it took for the monster in her to awake and chase me out of the school block, past the park and the supermarket, which was five meters away from school, and finally arrive at the orphanage, which was guarded by our mother, who already knew what had happened and decided to ground me as I had stayed last my curfew.

"But Mom, it's only four in the afternoon." She didn't look too convinced as she took out her clock watch and hovered it over my face, as it read five minutes to six, and I gulped with pure nervousness as only Beth could return to the orphanage before six thirty, and I was still treated like the rest of the orphans, meaning I had to return before four 0'clock on the dot.

"I think I know the perfect punishment for you this time around." Mom was scaring me with the glint from her eyes and the fear coursing through my veins, made it clearer to me.

"You don't mean it."

"I do."

I was expected to wash and clean the dishes, sweep the entire building by myself, or I would always follow all the toddlers to school for a month, looking forward. The next words that came out of her mouth made me sink into depression very easily.

"No more reading 'In My Dreams' for a week." The moment the words were spoken, I felt my whole life crushing down and my eyes losing their lively color as I crashed down to my room and didn't go.