Chapter 25: I Hate Him (Flash Back)

I HATE HIM!

I HATE HIM!

I HATE HIM!

I HATE HIM!

"What's wrong with you princess?" Daddy chimes between my thoughts.

"N-nothing?" I tell.

"Then why are you gripping Marisa's neck?" He points the thing in my hands.

"Oh no!" I loosen my grip on her neck.

A while ago I was feeding her and the other chickens but I don't know when I gripped her neck... Damn it! mama's going to kill me if she comes to know what I just did.

"You know you're calling upon your death right?" daddy looks at me with an amused face and I just look down in embarrassment. I almost choked Marisa to death right now. "It's about the boy right?" Daddy moves close to me and puts his hand on my other shoulder and I just look into his eyes with an unspoken agreement. "You're just eleven princess to think so much on your own, you can always share it with your daddy." He smiles at me reassuringly.

How can I tell daddy that he's running away from me and making new friends? And even nicknamed a friend who he recently met. He never gave me one except for the rude ones.

FATTY.

UGLY.

Gah! I HATE HIM!

"Daddy thank-you for being with us. I can't stand the thought of losing you. I don't know how he is bearing this all but I probably can't do that" Tears trickle down my face and daddy immediately cuddles me in his warmth.

"Oh princess I'm never going to leave you and the others I promise. I'm never going to give up on my family." He kisses my hair. "And about the boy, we probably should hang around that family more often so they wouldn't feel left alone. Winter is near we should plan a trip soon with them." And I nod with excitement in his arms.

"Daddy! Enough cuddling this witch!" Marisa appears out of nowhere and yells, pointing a finger at me and daddy laughs at her jealous-red face.

"Come here you too, pretty." Daddy extends a hand at her while his other hand lies at my back. Maria runs to his extended arm and slams against his chest, cuddling eagerly.

"Daddy loves me more." She hisses at me.

"No, he loves me more." I glare at her.

"No, he-"

"Okay enough of this girls, I love you both the same." Daddy smiles at us lovingly and we both snuggle deeper into his arms.

"Oh daddy I forgot to tell you, mama's angry with you." She says, nuzzling against daddy's strong chest.

"What!?" Daddy jolts up. "Oh no!" He holds his head in his hands.

"Yes, she said you would drop the eggs by the city on your way to deliver the woods but you left the carton in the backyard and now she's going crazy." She said in one breath.

"I'm doomed, she was telling me to do that for four days already." Daddy walks into the house hesitantly from the backyard, afraid of mama's reaction.

She can be worst sometimes, I sympathize with dad. Sigh.

"So... Any progress with your brat?" Maria eyes me.

"He's not my brat! He's just uhh... umm... a brat!" I say between thoughts.

Well, he's no one's brat, right? But only a brat to me!

What am I even saying?

"Okay... "Maria says, awkwardly.

Well... Maybe I can ask Maria to help me.

"Maria... Umm."

"I know you got something, say it already!" She rolls her eyes at me.

"Umm... it's like... I don't know but he is slowly getting away from me, he doesn't talk to me like usual and we don't hang out much, you know that already. Well, I don't know why he's doing this. He's making things hard for himself by isolating himself." I say, looking around not anywhere in particular.

"When I first saw him in my class, I was shocked too but now looking at him, his response in the class, he's quite a sharp student, he catches things rapidly. I guess I agree that he was right in making the decision to jump a grade. He was quiet in the beginning but now he is slowly interacting with people and that's progress right? He'll be back to himself just give him some time."

"No... I know he's interacting with new people but why is he treating me like this? He shouldn't do that when I'm trying to help him and he's ignoring me. Besides he talks to everyone excluding me, I'm the only one keeping this 'talk thing' between us. He even made some margarita friend and the worst part is that he even NICKNAMED her!" I emphasize the word nickname. Maria looks at me with amazed eyes "He can talk to some random girls but not his childhood friend? That's no progress!" I spit out the last words, harshly. Maria chuckles at my utter distress.

"Let me guess the nickname, is it MAGGIE?" She smirks at me and I nod, confusedly. She laughs harder after getting my response. She waves her hand in the air, dismissively and after a while purses her lips to prevent laughter. "Maybe I should let you guys be this way for a while. I'm tired of you both playing pranks over people together." She turns back and before she could walk away, I grip her hand with mine and turn her around to face me again.

"You're hiding something! You have to tell me! AND..." My voice a notch higher. "It's not like he's the only one interacting with new people I... I also made new friends." I say, looking away from her.

"Oh, and who is it?" She asks, crossing her hands against her chest.

"They are no one that special to tell." I scoff.

"Well then it's not helping, see you." before she could even turn back, I held her hand again.

"Ok sorry, it's Jamel" I blush slightly. "But it's not like what you think... I just proved him today that he wasn't the only one making new friends here." She pinches my cheeks.

"Awww... You both are so cute, getting jealous that's probably progress."

"We are not!" I exclaim.

"Anyway's I'm still not helping you." She snorts at me.

"Wait, why?!" I ask holding both her shoulders.

"Hello? I still didn't forget the prank you guys played on me when I was in 4th grade!" She says, putting her hands on her hips.

"C'mon you're still keeping that grudge?" I roll my eyes at her. "You even kicked and punched us in the stomach for that though." I try to reason to her stupid grudging.

"It doesn't change the fact that the kids around me made fun of my purple hair!" She pouts.

"Awww... Ok, I'm sorry again. Now would you be nice and CUT THAT OUT!?" I spit out the last words, glaring at her.

"Jeez... Okay, okay." She puts her hands in surrender.

Maria comes closer to me and leans to whisper in my ear "I've got a genius plan, let's put it into action."

When she shares her plan with me, all of a sudden the air inside my body plunges out.