The angel he lost

Best Friend

Sophia pov

"I vividly remember the first day when I got into the new school. The same day, my older brother Liam left home after the major fight he had with our father.

I was so upset, scared, and timid. As I expected, all the kids stayed away from me, looking at me as a was a monster of a sort. After the fire, when I almost died half of my face has a major burn, even after all this time it is still very hard for me to look at myself, in the mirror. At my old school, children started making fun of me, they would scream every time I would say something, pretending they were terrified of me. They called me the most awful names and treated me less than a person. 

One day, when I was coming back from school, Liam saw the neighbor son's making fun of me and throwing small stones at my backpack and my legs. I tried to ignore them, but they just couldn't stop. Liam got so angry, he beat them up so badly, they had to send them to the hospital. But he didn't stop only with that. My brother was so angry, he burned down their home. Luckily, there was no one inside, but regardless Liam was sent to prison. After what happened, all the kids at school were terrified of me, this time for real.

After a while, my father finally managed to find a new job in the mine, and we moved out to another small town, however, I had very little hope that things may change. And I was right, even at the new school, my new classmates gave me dirty looks and some started immediately making fun of me.

But that day was also one of the best days of my life, I meet Ana Maria.

When all the children were gathered during the grand reset at the schoolyard, I remember myself standing in a corner, pretending to be invisible.  Some of the boys and girls started picking up at me, I could feel bitter tears swelling in my eyes, as anger and humiliation started burning me from the inside. Then came Ana Maria, I didn't know who she was, I had never met her before. At first, I thought she would also pick up on me, after all, she was the most beautiful girl in all school, in fact, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I dread her presence, the comments of the beautiful girl that everybody looks up to are the most humiliating, as they compare you to her, while you are at the opposite spectrum.

I remember how she came close to me, suddenly the laughs and the mean comments stop. I looked up, rays of the sun were falling from behind her head, she looked like she was wearing a crown of light, over her beautiful long blonde hair. She looked like an angel. Ana Maria leaned down her hand

"Hello, my name is Ana Maria. Would you like to be my friend?" - she said to me, even her voice was so sweet, it felt like music to me. I would never forget that moment, she was like a heaven send to me.

"Ye..yeas..." - I said after a long pause, shaking my hand with her

"Oh, you made me so happy" - she replied and gave me a hug, that warmed my heart "What's your name?" - she asked me

"So.. Sophie. My name is Sophie" - I replied mumbling, still in awe from her presence and sweetness.

"Nice to meet you, Sophie. I am sure we will be best friends" - she said smiling brightly at me, making me feel so confused. Why would a girl like her befriend a hideous creature like me?

..............................

third pov (years later)

"Good morning, Sophia. Oh, is that a new dress? It looks lovely in you" - Ana Maria said with a genuine smile, as she joined her friend on their way to school.

"Thank you" - she replied "My brother sent me this too. His business is doing great, and I think he is a very rich man now."

"I am happy for him and you all. Hopefully, your father will retire from his job"

"I hope so, but my father is just as hardheaded as my brother, Liam. He does not accept his money, he prefers to work to death to the mine better" - Sophia sighed  "He is old now, and the conditions he works are so difficult... I just don't understand why does he not accept his help"

"Every family it's complicated, I guess" - Ana Maria's eyes got sad, as she lowered her look to the ground.

"What is that?" Sophia stopped, grabbed her hand, and raised her shirt, looking at the dark marks on her forearms" Oh...he beat you again, didn't he?" - she said angry and disgusted

"Ana Maria's eyes swelled up in bitter tears, but she tried to compose herself.

"It's nothing, really..." - she lowered her shirt in a quick move "My father... he was drunk, and he ... He becomes violent when he consumes alcohol, but he isn't always like this."

"Why does he becomes violent only with you? He never beats you sister"

"I don't want him to beat my sister"

"I don't want him to beat you, you don't deserve any of the bullshit, you put up at that family" - Sophia said with anger

"They are the only family I've got" - she smiled with sadness "You don't turn your back on your family, right? After all, my sister needs me. All the fights, and money problems... I don't want my sister to feel abounded or stuck.."

"Oh please, Ana Maria ... your sister is a brat. You may think like this, but I can assure you that she doesn't feel this way. She feels entitled to all of your things and.."

"Sophia, please! Please!" - Ana Maria stopped and took her hand over hers "From all the people, you should understand. They are my family... there is not a day I don't pray for them. I have nowhere else to go, no one I can turn to for help. Please, don't tell about this anyone"

"You know I would never do that, I would never betray your trust" - Sophia forced a sad smile to her friend.

"Thank you " - she smiled back as they continued walking

"They don't deserve. You are an angel " - Sophia whispered underneath her breath, looking with pity and sadness at her friend. She once thought that being as beautiful as Ana Maria was equaled happiness, but after becoming such a close friend, she realized that even not always is like that.

"I think we are a little bit early today. We should get a breakfast sandwich. I haven't eaten anything " - Sophia lied and walked towards the small pastry shop that was nearby their school. She knew that her stepmother would often let her starve, not allowing her any food, making up all kinds of ridiculous claims and accusations. The simple truth of Bianca's vicious treatment was jealousy, she could not stand Ana Maria's out-of-this-world beauty, compared to her daughter, or anyone else.

"Please make us two breakfast sandwiches. And ...would you like some orange juice?" - Sophia asked her

"I... I have no money" - Ana Maria mumbled "But, I am not hungry, you take what you want"

"Don't worry about money. My father does not accept Liam's money, but I do" - she replied with a cheeky smile.