Eyes ablaze with a raging fire, he stares at the woman he thought he once knew.

Authors Avatar by katheriner13gmailcom (student)

2014

Eyes ablaze with a raging fire, he stares at the woman he thought he once knew. Engulfed by his own anger that has been fostering inside him for the past three hours, he feels struck with the inability to speak. Not that he needs to state the accusation; she knows the exact reason for his emotions.

Hands quivering with fear, like the legs of a deer noticed by their predator, she attempts to gently lay them on his strong hands, to ease the fury displayed in his clenched fists. He snatches them back. As if the mere touch of her skin would poison anyone who dares to go near.

“This relationship is a lie, Helen. Or should I call you, Sofia,” he finally says, with an air of pure disgust, malice dripping from the use of her real name. “Even your bloody name was a lie!” His face contorts into a snarl as he speaks. After lingering his gaze upon her a moment longer, as though searching for some sign, he steps away, staring out of the window, eyes continuously alert.

I’ve done this to him, she thinks, while he chews repetitively on his short nails that had finally begun to grow back. She sniggers to herself as she considers how it had been her to help him stop that old stress habit, only to be the cause of problems far worse. How did I let myself believe the illusion that I could honestly care for someone without eventually wounding them? How did I believe I could hide my retched past forever? How did I believe that I, the evil little girl who murdered her step-dad, deserved love?

Join now!

2004

“See y'tomorrow!” Abi shouts, as she pulls herself over the wall and jumps down, taking the forbidden shortcut. Giggling, Sofia enthusiastically waves to her, feeling overwhelmed by the joy of finally having one true friend in her small world.

Neither of them are popular. In fact, they are the most frequently bullied girls in their school. But besides this common ground, they are both quite different; Sofia tries to hide and distance herself from anyone who can hurt her, while Abi boldly stands her ground, indifferent to the chiding words of the children around her every day.

...

This is a preview of the whole essay