38 Special

"Caroline!"

My day really had to start off with another misfortune. I breathed in deeply and bent down to see the extent of the damage that was done.

My jeans were drenched starting from my knee down to my lower legs, and a little over my heels. The white sneakers I worn had now turned to a pale orange shade as the juice dripped down and down.

A little girl about the age of ten was staring back at me - her strikingly ice blue eyes a beautiful contrast to her white patchy skin. Her curls were a magnificent hoard of spiral puffs.

She was grasping a clear cup in her hand that had a bit of orange juice left at the very bottom.

The little girl stared at me for a very long time that I backed away, a bit crept out as it was. She didn't blink much, and her blonde brows knitted together in an angry scowl.

What is she angry for?

She was the one that crashed into me but why do I feel like I was the one at fault with the way this little lady looked at me?

The sound of heels clicking came in fast taps and when I looked up; I saw the mother's exasperated face. She had worn a red dress that had white polka dots and a large hat. Her sunglasses were a bit skewed and her rouge lips tutted.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" the mother dashed to pick her child up from where the girl sat on the ground. "Caroline, you lump of clumsy shit, stand up now!"

She forcibly dragged the little kid and even spanked her for being 'mischievous'. The girl's eyes began to well up and in a little less than three seconds, big fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks.

"UWAAAAHHH! WAAHH!!" the little girl cried.

Caroline plopped down on the ground yet again and kicked her little feet like she was swimming in dry land. Her hands flailed and slowly I could see her grip on the cup about to slip away.

In her tantrum, I could remember the way a three-year-old Corey had been. But she looked a lot older to be throwing tantrums. Why does this look a bit weird?

I observed closer and noted she had a flat facial profile and she sticks her tongue out a lot. Her almond-shaped eyes slant up and her neck was a bit short. Her ears were a bit smaller than usual too.

The child clearly wasn't normal and the way her mother handled her; it was understandable why she had thrown a fit.

I didn't actually mind at all that the child spilled her drink on me. After all, it was an honest mistake. Adults make mistakes all the time, how much more children.

Caroline hurled the cup at her mother and the tiny hard plastic bounced at the woman's face. A red dot formed at her forehead where the edge of the cup made full contact.

I observed how the middle-aged woman's face turned from a kind and apologetic mother, to a madly enraged one.

The woman was clearly hopping mad by her child's defiance and she pulled at Caroline again.

"You idiot child! You always make me look like the bad mother when all I ever try is to discipline your stupidity!" the woman hissed.

She raised a hand and swiftly, her palmed made contact and spanked at her child non-stop. I felt the need to stop her since it was clearly child abuse in broad daylight, but then a hotel staff beat me to to air his opinion.

"E-excuse me, maam. I don't think what your doing is necessary." A waiter voiced his thought as the woman continued to spank at her child in front of all people to see.

"Don't tell me what to do with my own child, boy!" the woman shouted at him, pointing a thin finger at the staff. "Come on now, Caroline! Enough of your stupid behavior."

I couldn't understand how cruel one could be to a child that didn't know much better. My hand itched and all I could think of was how I hated her for treating a child like that.

I don't know what came into me; all I know was that it wasn't right. My legs closed the short distance with a few long strides and then my hand flew up and landed smack on the mother's face.

SMACK!

The woman was mortified and her eyes shot up towards me.

She let go of Caroline and attempted to lounge at me. I noticed that the cup Caroline threw a while ago was near her foot and I concentrated on it to roll over just in time for her to make a step forward.

Amazingly, just like when I opened and closed the faucet last night under the supervision of Juno, I was able to move the cup and the woman tripped with her face slamming straight to the ground.

She cursed and was about to attempt another attack on me when someone stopped her from behind.

"That would be enough, maam. If you won't treat your kid nicely then you leave us no choice but to call social service workers." The familiar cool voice of Sebastian said.

His eyes were a calm and cold purple and his grip on the woman was firm.

"Let go of me! How dare you get in the way? This woman clearly attacked me first, I should be the one to call for help!" she said as she pointed a sharp manicured red nail at me.

Levi was behind him and the woman squirmed to get away from Bash's grip. He let go only after she had calmed down. Levi went on to sooth the crying child and picked Caroline up.

"I would have thought you were better than this, Marionne." Levi said in a serious tone.

The woman suddenly froze and her head slowly turned to see Levi's disapproving look.

"L-levi, my son." She stuttered.

Hold on a minute, this woman was Levi's mother?

+++

A/N: reminders to my readers... this is a slowburn book with our main girl lizzie's character development slowly unfolding.. please make sure not to skim if you only want certain parts of the story since you will miss out on the important hints in every scene i planned and laid out.. lizzie's story is more than just revenge :)