CHAPTER THREE

pov- Haruki Ishikawa

Finally, the whole house is sound asleep. Mom, dad, and even baby Kiki. Complete privacy, not a single stir. I slip into the bathroom and pull out the makeup kit my grandmother gave me. I spend hours perfecting my appearance. I bend over and pray do her shrine.

"Grandmama, can you hear me? Can you see me? I'm colorful just like you... are you proud?" I slump over her picture and start to cry. the tears slide down my cheeks and my mascara starts running. All that hard work gone to waste, but I don't care anymore.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you!" I cup face in my hands and sob til I can barely breath. I'm all alone now. I know that's what I wanted, but I don't like it anymore. I don't wanna hide it, I wanna be colorful. I want to not be ashamed every night after dark putting on this mask. I urgently whip around as i hear a click coming from the door behind me.

"Haru, what's going on in here?" my dad turned the doorknob.

"Shit!" I muttered under my breath and rapidly tried to rub all the makeup off onto my white shirt.

"What is that? Makeup?" he bends over grabbing my wrist peering at my face.

"Why are you wearing that?"

I've been hiding this for so long and now theres no way out.

"Grandmama gave it to me before she died... I- like it, dad. its pretty." I thought he would understand, but he didn't. He reacted just like how everyone treated me at school. He squeezed my wrist tighter and it started to hurt.

"You are my son. Not my daughter. That doesn't belong to you." I wince as his grip gets tighter and he violently pulls me up off the ground. he picks up the photo of grandma from her shrine.

"This woman? Gave that to you? And you didn't even bother to tell us? This is why I never liked that fucking peice of trash!" he threw her photo across the room and the glass shattered across the floor. the loud bang made me jump, just before he dragged me into the bathroom. He grabbed a wet washcloth and started to harshly scrub my face until it burned.

"Please stop, I'll get it off on my own!"

"Shut up!" he slapped me across the face and I heard the loud smack. He grabbed all the makeup she gave me and threw it against the wall into the trash. He stomped out of the front door and slammed it loudly. I saw myself in the mirror... it was all gone... everything left of her. I grabbed my things out of the garbage and hid them somewhere safe along with grandma's photo. After that I ran outside to find dad. I saw his car driving away and I ran after it. I chased it so far until I lost it. My wrist was aching and my feet were tired. a few feet away was a convenience store. I was cold and fatigued from everything that just happened so I went inside. the bell clammed when I flung the door open. I walked around the store, hoping that maybe my dad stopped inside when I lost track of him. I went up to the cashier and showed him a picture.

"I don't suppose you've seen him?"

he shook his head and gave me an apologetic look. I looked around the store and saw a little girl, but she looked a bit confused.

"Hey, how old are you? Where are your parents?"

"I'm ten, why?" she raises an eyebrow at me.

"You just seem young, I thought you might be lost."

"So what if I am?" she glances at me a bit annoyed.

"Do you need help?"

"Not from you." she walks away. that's odd. She looks distressed, but I won't push it any further. I walk up to the freezer section and look for something I could use to ice my wrist.

"Fag! What's your retarded ass doing here?" my school bully Akari Akihara walks up behind me. Just my luck.

"None of your business, Akari."

"Where's all your makeup and heels, tranny?!" she laughs.

"At home, why? Do you miss seeing my sexy thighs in that mini skirt?" I tease to get a rise out of her.

"That's disgusting, why don't you just go kill yourself-" she shouts just before the room fills with a blinding white light. I feel prickly grass underneath my skin and peek open my eyes slowly. Where am i? it looks like some type of wooded area. A lot of trees. I do have some experience in wilderness survival, luckily, though I'm not sure how I got here. I can't remember a thing. I try to prop myself up, but i forgot about my wrist.

"ah!" a sharp pain runs through my hand. What happened?