The Broken Angel

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Angelica's POV

"Stop it, Angelica!" Melanie screamed at me. I looked at the woman in front of me and watched tears come to her eyes, as if she was ready to cry. "Please! Stop it right now!"

"Why should I?" I screamed back at her. "You don't care about me. Not really." I watched her push out her bottom lip and give me her best "sad" face impression. It was so bad that even a mime wouldn't use it.

"You don't actually think that about me, do you dear?" she asked quietly. A single tear rolled down her cheek and disappeared under her chin.

Pure and uncontrollable fury hit me in waves as I saw this. I stepped closer to her and got right in her face.

"No, Melanie, I don't think that." I growled. "I know it for a fact. You don't care about me or my little brother, so you can save you little innocent act for my piece of s**t and gullible father." Her crying, "sad" face morphed into one of rage.

"You stupid little b***h!" she screamed in my face, her innocent mask completely shattering. She stomped her foot on the ground like a child in the middle of mall, upset at their parent or guardian because they aren't getting their way.

I turned around and started to walk away, but she grabbed me by the hair and ripped me backwards, and body slammed me into a wall. Then, she pulled and shoved me on to the ground. I felt the back of my head bounce against the wooden floor.

She then proceeded to kick me in the stomach and ribs, repeatedly. I gasped and tried to block the incoming kicks, but my arms were still bruised from the last beating because I did "something bad". Pain was hitting me like a ton of bricks were being thrown at my body while I was tied to a post, unable to block them.

This went on for another minute before she sighed content with the amount of damage she has cause to my body and internal organs. She stepped back from me and clutched at her chest like she was tired. I rolled onto my side and coughed a little bit of blood onto the shag carpet.

"What's going on?" a loud voice boomed behind me. My blood went cold as the voice registered in my ears. I looked behind me and saw my father standing in the doorway. He glared down at my body that was resting near the stairs, which goes to show how many times Melanie kicked me to get me from the front door all the way to the stairs.

Melanie saw the perfect opportunity for more revenge and rushed over to my father, gripping his expensive suit and acting like she was scared for her life.

"Oh, Donald!" she cried. I looked at her face and the fake tears were going again. "Thank God you made it back here now! She's crazy! She went mad and tried to kill me! I had to fight back! I just barely fought her off before you got here!"

Melanie shoved her face into his suit and continued to cry into to, my father rubbing her back. I wanted to tell her to quit screaming like a banshee and actually try talking like a normal person, but I knew that would only make this situation a lot worse than it already it.

I stayed laying on the ground, gasping for air quietly and glaring up at them, mostly at her. My father returned my glare and sneered down at me. "You did what?"

I clenched my teeth as I struggled to stand up. First onto my knees and them using the railing to help pull myself up. There was no way in hell that I was going to take that lying down. I was going to at least try and do something.

"I ... Didn't do ..... Anything!" I sputtered out. My father raised his fist and punched me in the jaw, sending me sprawling back on the ground. He towered over me, glaring down at my bruised and battered body.

"Don't you dare lie to me." he snapped. "Mel wouldn't tell me you did this if you didn't do anything. She's not like you or your lying mother."

"I didn't." I growled up at him, glaring. He kicked me in the ribs, hard, and I gasped as all the wind left me.

"Leave. Now." he said through clenched teeth. This was one order that I would rather follow than argue.

I started to slowly climb up the stairs on my hands and knees, pulling myself up one step at a time. The entire time I was grunting and growling as I forced my body to do something it didn't want to do, and my "parents" watched, laughing.

I was finally able to pull my body into my bedroom and I collapsed on my mattress when I finally made it. My whole body begged me not to move after that, but I knew I had to leave soon.

I sighed and took a few deep breaths before I forced my body to stand up. It took a few minutes, but I was able to do it. I glanced at my clock and saw it was time to leave for work. I slowly walked out of my room and straight into the room across from mine. I pushed the door open and found my little brother sitting in the corner, balled into himself.

I slowly walked over to him and sat down next to him. I reached up and set my hand on his head, running my fingers through his short blond hair. His body tensed before he realized it was me and not them.

He instantly relaxed under my touched and leaned into me. He glanced over at me and I watched his face change into one of worry.

"Angel, are you okay?" he asked me. He reached up to touch my cheek, but I flinched and he froze. My face was definitely bruised from my father punch and Melanie had probably broken, or at least cracked, a few more of my ribs, but it's not like I'll ever tell anyone that.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, Wes." I said, smiling. I grabbed his hand and stood up, pulling him up with me. "I'm completely fine." I wanted to cry out in pain, scream, lay down and never get up, but I bit my lip and held everything in, like normal. "I have to go to work now. Let's go before we're late."

We slowly walked down the stairs and I saw them in the living room, blasting the television as loud as it could go. We walked to the front door, watching out for the creaky board and slid out the front door without them noticing us.

We walked for a little while and came to a diner that was called "Mama's". I had worked there for a few years now and I know the place and people pretty well. The owner, Rosa, is a little old lady who is into everyone's business and treats all of her employees like her own children. Well, actually better than them since she don't see them, ever.

We walked through the door and I was instantly attacked in a bear hug. I gasped as my knees gave out from under me. Thankfully, Jack was able to hold up my body weight until I was able to gather up my strength to take the pain.

"Sorry 'bout that." Jack drawled out in his thick Southern accent. Some of customers even come here just so they can hear him talk.

Jack originally moved up here about a year ago, mostly to get away from his very overprotective parents. He always wears blue jeans, a tight white shirt and cowboy boots. Sometimes, he even wears his cowboy hat, but he has to take it off before he can work, Rosa's orders. It was his permanent uniform and since Rosa lets us wear almost anything we want, it's alright.

"S'alright." I spit out at him as I walked towards the locker room. Behind me, both boys followed close behind, their worried looks burning my back. Wes sat down at the table and Jack stayed in the doorway, leaning against the door jam.

I pulled my locker open and grabbed my small white apron. I tied it over my black, ripped skinny jeans and I pulled my long black and white hair up into a high ponytail. I adjusted my black shirt over my apron and straightened everything out.

"So what did you apparently do this time?" Jack asked. Wes was munching on the cookies that Rosa always left in the locker room, in the center of the table. I think she did this because of Wes. I think this because when I first began working here, there weren't any cookies and when I started bringing Wes, they suddenly appeared.

Even some of the other staff were curious about them, but Wes was always happy and ate some of them everyday I worked.

I snorted at Jack's question. "Today, I tried to 'kill' her." I said. I looked over at Wes and I saw him looking back at me, worried again. I gave him a small smile and rubbed his hair with my right hand. I reached over and grabbed a cookie for myself. This action had contented him. For the moment.

"Wow, really?" Jack asked. "And he actually bought that?" I nodded.

"Of course he did." I said, grabbing my make-up bag. "He had even watched the hag beat me up." I started my normal routine of applying the foundation and other make-up products to hide all the bruises as best as I possibly can.

"He walked into the house towards the end of it and then punched me in the face because I was 'lying' to him." I said. Jack shook his head as we walked out of the locker room. We walked to the counter, Jack behind it, and Wes sat down on one of the bar stools. "Well, I'm going to take orders now."

I walked around and started to take the orders for the day. Hopefully, it goes uneventfully, but I have a bad feeling about today.