Chapter 4 Framed
Uriel’s POV
“You’re late.”
By an hour.
“Hi Mother. I texted -“
The rest of the sentence died down my throat as her palm collided with my cheek. Hard.
My eyes stung with tears immediately. I turned back to catch two girls staring at me with pity eyes from across the road.
“At least let me enter inside.” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes already blur with my tears.
“You didn’t think about that when you went out, whoring around with those stupid boys in your school.” She continued to shout.
Embarrassed, I yelled. “It’s just an hour late. This is past 4 and school closes by 3!”
“Did you just raise your voice at me?” Her eyes snapped open, her hands raised in the air.
I flinched back, eyeing her. “What do you expect me to do when you’re not listening to me.”
“I already heard everything. Emma told me and I believe her.” She frowned, bringing her hand down. “Get inside before I see myself on social media for bullying a minor.”
My blood boiled as I made my way inside. “Emma told you? What about listening to my own part of the story. What about checking your message box for my message!”
“Your words will never sound like the truth to me.” She yelled back. “Emma is only the one who tells me the truth.” She pointed to the stairs at Emma who had this innocent look.
“What did you tell her?” Eyeing her up and down, I walked up to her.
“She already told you.”
“That I was whoring around? You know I wasn’t!”
Suddenly, I was being yanked back. My mother stood in front of Emma. “You will not yell at your senior.”
By 3 months? Oh please.
She was literally my twin.
I just delayed.
Maybe I shouldn’t have even come out at all.
Tears began to stream down my cheek as I bit my quivering lips.
Nothing I was going to say would make sense to my mother.
“What’s going on here?” My father came in, using his eyes to scan the atmosphere. “Why are you crying, Riel?”
The minute he used that nickname, my heart broke into million pieces. I ran to him, kneeling at his feet, my head on his thigh.
“Because I hit her. I hit her for coming back late.” My mother yelled.
“This is not late.” My father defended. “Her curfew is 7pm and you know it.”
“So? Emma -“
My father turned to Emma, his hand smoothing my hair back, soothingly. “Emma what did you tell your mother about your sister?”
Emma stammered, “I… I.. I told her that …that I saw Emma going into a class with one…one boy. He’s not a good guy, papa.”
“A lonely class that nobody entered! What does that sound like to you, Alfred?” My mother frowned at my father. My sobs increased, my shoulder shaking. “It sounds like teenage pregnancy and an unwanted one.” She looked at me as she said the last two words.
“Faith.” My father’s tone was warning.
“Affliction shall not rise the second time, Alfred. I wouldn’t let her do whatever she feels like because I won’t take any more responsibility for her!” She yelled, eyeing me.
I covered my eyes with my palm, bawling them out. “She texted me about tutoring a guy. Why didn’t you come to ask me first!” My father kept on arguing.
I did text him and my mother.
“Because you always side her.”
And you don’t always side Emma?
“Oh please. You’re one to talk.” My father shot back, anger laced in his voice.
That wasn’t what i wanted.
Raising my head up, I cupped his hand, “Father please don’t.”
“No! Let him shout at me. Allow him to insult me. That’s what you do best. You make him yell at me.” My mother continued to wail like a mad woman.
“You know it’s not her fault.” His voice was calm now.
“So whose fault is it? Mine?”
“Go upstairs and rest, Riel. Daddy got this.” He whispered to me, smiling sadly at me. “Sorry about this.”
I shook my head, the tears piling down. “It’s not your fault, Father.”
“Go upstairs before I lose my shit with you.” My mother screamed, making me jump up and scurrying upstairs. “Ungrateful child!”
I locked my room door once I had entered, throwing myself on my bed as I cried my eyes out.
“Uriel! Uriel, are you okay?” Emma asked with her fake-concern voice. She always acted like she cared when we were home, getting mum to be on her side always.
“Go away!” I yelled.
“I thought you -“
Hurrying to the door, I pulled it open, frowning at her.
“When will you stop?” My voice was hoarse. I almost didn’t recognize it.
She looked downstairs before smiling cockily at me. “Stay away from Ryder and you won’t experience what you just did. If you don’t, it’ll be way worse.”
“I don’t even want him!”
“Then make that clear to him. Tell him you don’t want him. Tell him to leave you the fuck alone.” She whisper-yelled. “Or you can set me up with him, sister dearest.”
“Over my living body. If you want him so bad, get him. I can’t keep doing everything for you.” Slamming the door in her face, I went back to my bed to lay down.
I just wanted to disappear into thin air or better still, teleport into another world.
I heard Emma scream and when she was asked why she was screaming, she said she bumped her foot on her door.
And they called me the liar.
My phone chimed with a text message from the LUCK group. A group made up of my friends. We used our initials to name it.
Kathie: what do I wear tomorrow? I’m clueless and my mum isn’t helping here.
Chloe: my mum ordered dresses for us after I told her about our new year resolution as finalist. They would be here during the weekend.
Sighing, i turned off my phone screen. They were all living a healthy teenage life and hell, I was jealous of their relationships with their mum.
My stomach grumbled, making me go downstairs. I paused when I heard my mother’s voice - still harsh and angry.
“You know I didn’t want her and I’m this close from sending her packing.”
My heart broke as I heard those words but I hoped it wasn’t for me.
“Uriel is our child.”
“She’s n - She better find herself something doing other than throwing herself on boys. Warn her.”
“She wouldn’t do that.” My father’s voice raised an octave.
“And I have a penis.”
Suddenly, I had lost my appetite hearing how low she really thought of me.
Her eyes met mine, freezing in her spot. She looked me up and down before rolling her eyes.
“There’s food in the fridge for you. Your father gave up his.” She brushed her shoulder past me.
“Uriel? Come down here.” My father called, his voice soft.
Reluctantly, I dragged my feet to where he was.
“Your mother -“
“Hates me.” I completed, looking into his eyes, challenging him to say otherwise.
He sighed, rolling his wheelchair to the fridge. “I’ll save up for a surgery and I’ll get back on my feet and you wouldn’t need to bother yourself.”
“How are you going to save when you don’t work anymore.” I cried, looking down at my thigh.
“Small stipends are sent to me for upkeep.”
“You give me some and give Mother some too.” I said softly.
“And I keep some.” He shrugged, holding out a plate of food for me. “Hungry?”
“I lost my appetite.” I told him dryly, ignoring the rumbling in my stomach.
He sighed weakly, stocking it back in the fridge. “She’ll come around okay?”
Scoffing, I took a step back. “When I’m in my grave.” Turning away, I ran up the stairs, ignoring his calls.
I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I had heard a lot too.
Nothing he was going to say was going to change shit.
But I knew what I had to do. I had to be selfish and that would start once I got offered the job of a library assistant.
Because at the end of the day, I only had myself.
My phone rang out loud, interrupting my quiet sob. An unknown number glared at me.
Thinking it was the school, I picked it up fast. Then I heard the voice - deep and hoarse.
“Hey Kinky. You -“
I hung up before he could say whatever.
He already caused me a lot.
It was all because of him that my mother hit me. It was because of him Emma was set out to ruin my life.
Ryder Connell.
A monster I just couldn’t escape.
After the fifth ring, I picked up my phone, letting my emotion speak for me.
“Are you not tired of bringing me troubles? Leave me the hell alone! I don’t want you, suck it up already.” I yelled. “Don’t ever call me and don’t talk to me when you see me.”
Then I hung up again, my heart beating a tattoo.
I just yelled at my bully.
It didn’t feel too good, like I thought he would.
Maybe cos I didn’t let him talk?
No. That was for the best.
Before I could drop my phone, it chimed again and this time… it wasn’t Ryder.
It was a picture of a boy and a girl in a position that if their lips touched, they’d look like they were kissing.
A position I remember…
Because that was Ryder and I.
“Guess who? The winner gets a free Golden pack lunch and the clear picture for the gram.”
Well, shit.