The InBetween

Eight Insults And Counting (Connie's POV)

A vase broke against the wall followed by many beer bottles. The glass formed a puddle on the floor, and all the violet-haired girl could do was just watch from the doorway.

"What am I gonna do?" A buzzcut man cried, sinking onto the ground himself with his head in his lap. Connie made her way over to him as comfort. "Uncle, it'll be okay. We'll be okay."

She repeated the words in her head for re-assurance. 'We'll be okay.' She wasn't sure why she was so certain that was true, but she did.

The man looked up at her "Connie you can't make that kind of promise."

"Well I will and I am. As long as you promise we will always stick together."

The man hesitated and averted his gaze from the girl. She called for him again more sternly "Uncle. Promise we'll stick together." the girl didn't even want to recall all the scary times the lady in a suit visited to tell her she might not see her uncle anymore, only for him to be given one last chance for being 'clean.' Like, he's clean all the time. He may forget to shower every now and again but you can never tell.

He finally met his niece's eyes again. "I promise."

"Good." Connie brought her uncle into her arms. "I have to go to school now. Make sure not to break anything while I'm gone." She spoke to him as if he were a toddler, but it's come to be a legitimate concern when she'd come home to a smashed window.

Her uncle let out a strained chuckle before kissing the girl on the head. "As long as you don't break ANYONE."

"Deal." She grinned before rushing out the door.

Connie had grown familiar of the new place she calls home for the past few weeks now. But today she was officially starting her new school. Her uncle had moved her away from her last town for the same reasons he was having a breakdown earlier: Completely unknown. As she walked through the rundown streets of her neighborhood she reflected on her past life. The friends and neighbors and scenery she'd left behind, it all came washing through her head again. Immediately she pushed the wave of feelings down. She was here for her uncle. That was the only reason she could think of and it was the only reason she could deal with.

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The morning in the classroom was hectic. All the kids were screaming, running around and taking full advantage that the teacher was late. Connie just brought out her sketchpad and touched up on her recent and most favorite drawing: Her and her uncle. She caught a few kids staring at her in a 'you're unfamiliar' kind of way and a few whispering about her unnatural hair color. She couldn't care less, just walking into this class the girl had decided none of these people's opinions mattered to her.

The teacher walked in, locked eyes with Connie and beckoned her to front of the class. The girl hesitated before  glumly walking up to the class as Ms. Uni made the class aware of her 'special announcement.' 

"Class, we have a new student here with us! This is Constance Gate. Constance, would you like to tell the class about yourself? Maybe a bit about your exotic hair color?"

"Um, okay," The girl said, anxiety already welling up "Firstly, just call me Connie. And secondly, about my hair..." Connie was distracted by a trio in front of her, whispering and snapping at each other about who knows what.

"Keep going, Connie." Ms. Uni said

"So I originally lived in Myerstown but my uncle moved us."

"How come?" Ms. Uni pried some more 

"I don't know."

"What about your parents?"

"It's just my uncle and me. My parents are..." Connie drifted again. She had no idea what happened to them. She never knew her father and whenever she brought up her mother to her uncle, he'd just make a face and sit in silence before changing the subject.

"My parents are not around. I kind of wish I knew why sometimes. I've always been left in the dark about that kind of stuff."

A snicker came from the trio up front. Connie turned red with shame and embarrassment over what she'd said. The boys didn't even notice and talked like they were the only ones in the room, whisper-shouting bizarre team names.

"Jacob's angels!"

"Ocean's three!"

"Group C?"

"Miguel, Tyrone and Jacob! Did you hear a word I said?" Ms. Uni snapped at the three boys.

"Yes miss." The trio said in unison.

"Then repeat back what I just said."

 Connie had enough. Red as an apple, she stormed to her seat in the back of the room "Miss, it's fine." She said bitterly.

Connie kept an evil eye on those boys for the rest of the day, even during lunch as she completed her drawing. It was strange, watching the three harass some kid and his entourage. They were even dancing at some point but Connie was too busy shading to care anymore. One thing she learned from her first day. Avoid those three at all opportunities. 

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Connie came home still grumpy about that morning. Taking a chance to be open about herself so she attracts more friends ended in her humiliation. She was totally ready to come upstairs and rant to her uncle of her horrible day when her worst nightmare stopped her midway in the hall. "Constance," A lady in a suit bearing a folder spoke firmly "You remember me, don't you? I'm Kaylee."

"The social worker," Connie sneered "Who let you in?"

"Your uncle. I'm here on account of him."

"Why?"

"You should know why, Constance. I understand all your going through right now but you cannot stay in an environment like this."

"Where's my uncle?"

"The sitting room," Kaylee opened the door for the child and murmured "He really should have told you."

The child went in the main room to be greeted by her uncle on the armchair, and two complete strangers on the couch across from him. Her uncle had a look of guilt, but still had the audacity to say, "Connie, these are Terry and Fiona. They'll be taking care of you from now on."

Connie didn't even look at them, she just sprinted outside, desperate to get away from this nightmare.

The bag on her back was grabbed by her uncle, who spun her around so they were face to face. "Connie please-"

"You said we'd stick together!"

"I know."

"You promised! I even made art so it'd be official." She pulled the drawing of the pair out of her bag.

"Connie that's lovely."

She scrunched the paper into a ball and flung it at the man "It's a LIE."

"Connie this was always going to happen."

"No!"

"I mentioned it before. Kaylee and I arranged this months prior to even moving here. Fiona and Terry are good people, they'll take care of you."

"I don't care!" Connie was pushing and smacking her uncle away "You planned this MONTHS ago? With Kaylee? Behind my back?"

"I knew you'd freak out if I told you-"

"You LIAR!"

"Connie I'm not clean!!" Her uncle blurted out. She froze and stared at him "What are you talking about? Look at your hair, your clothes. This is the cleanest I've ever seen you!"

"No Connie," the man's voice broke "That's not what I mean, I'm still drinking."

Connie gasped "No you're not." she shook her head with vigor while her uncle nodded slowly.

"This morning I ran out. Just seeing that empty cabinet, realizing I no longer had an escape. I just broke down. Then you came and saw me in that state, then made me promise we'll stick together...I knew right then I couldn't keep it. So I called Kaylee and told her the fostering had to happen today."

"You are a liar."

"I know."

"You're a sad alcoholic."

"I am."

"You're a terrible uncle, a terrible friend."

This time he was silent.

"And I never want to see you again."

"Then come inside and meet your new family."

"They are not my family. And neither are you."

With that Connie flung her bag at her uncle's head. He stumbled back, allowing her to escape. The last thing she heard was her uncle calling her name before just blacking out and running like the wind. Her school life was already tarnished, her home life was all she had and now that was changing too. "Filthy, alcoholic, liar." she murmured. After nearly an hour of walking into and around the Withering Woods, Connie stopped and sat by a river. She let the reality of the situation crush her, and tears spilled out followed by sobs and more murmurs of alcoholic liars. 

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot and boys sprinting and panting poked in her ears. She turned in shock to see a boy - a very familiar boy - running at her in full speed. "Excuse me!" he called out before jumping over her, missing her face with his foot by an inch. Before she could even scream at him 'what the hell,' a fat kid tripped right over her, knocking both of them into the river. A final kid joined them, spluttering and shrieking at his friend. Connie stole a glance at what everyone was staring at. A kid with pitch black eyes had a paintball g*n pointed at the boy on the other side of the bank.

"Can't swim, Rocco?"

BANG!

Connie screamed as the smug boy glanced at his g*n wound before flailing into the water. HE HAS A g*n?! WHY DOES HE HAVE A g*n? The fat boy shrieked as well "I can't swim!" Before Rocco checked his g*n and shot another six rounds into the water. 

Two of them hitting Connie.

The heat was unbearable for a few moments until the girl felt her whole body shutting down. She shut her eyes and gave into the pain, the final thing in her view being the blood of her and the others contaminating the waters.

She opened her eyes again, now present in a dark hallway. A man in a black cloak extended a pale, bony hand to her, leading her down the corridor of memories representing her life. Latest events to earliest. Although all of this was strange, as she held the strangers hand, Connie felt a little safer. Like nothing could hurt her anymore. A bright light called for her. She accepted.

...And for seven long seconds

Long painless seconds of nothingness.

It was as if Connie didn't exist.