"Mama! Mama, what's wrong? Why won't you respond to me?" I cried, resting my head on her warm chest. Her pale blue eyes looked glazed over and only looked up. She didn't look at me, or talk to me. Only when I touched her did she reach out.

Her long fingers pet my white-blonde curls gingerly, lovingly. A tear rolled down her cheek. It was these rare moments that showed me my mother was still alive. I was thirteen, but right now I felt like I was six. I was so confused and no one was telling me what was going on.

Daddy looked in on us with tired eyes. Daddy could be really scary, and I wished Mama would tell him to stop yelling at me. I was tired of it.

I grabbed a fistful of her white nightgown and let her warmth wash over me. She smelled really good, like her brownies she used to make me. I missed the sweet, fudgy chocolate in my mouth. But I missed Mama more.

"Baylie, it's time to go. Mama needs rest," Daddy said, roughly grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the room.

"NO! NO! I want to be with Mama more!" I screamed, struggling to get back.

"Baylie! Shut up and stop struggling or I will beat you!" I kept twisting and turning, trying to get out of his grasp. His large hand whipped across my cheek, stinging. For a moment everything went black.

I began crying. Daddy never used to be like this. He used to play with me and Mama all the time when I was little. But then she got sick and he turned mean. When he walked he wobbled a lot and he always smelled bad. What happened? Was it my fault everything was like this? Why did he drink?

"I told you to shut up! Now!" Another slap. My crying became a small whimper and I lay on the floor, blood dripping onto my yellow sundress.

I stood up unsteadily and walked towards my room. It was small with light pink walls and a twin bed in one corner, a window on the wall opposite that. Nothing else, really.

I lied gently on the bed, resting my head down on the pillow. Everything hurt, but I kept the tears in now. I didn't want to be hit again. Slowly I let sleep overtake me, and whisk me away into sweet dreams about my once loving family.

When I woke up later, I heard yelling and cursing coming from Mama's room. I got up and cringed at the splitting headache that hit me like a brick. I shook it off and made my way to where the yelling was.

Daddy was leaned over Mama, crying.

"No! Please don't be dead!" he cried out, clutching her limp body to his chest. I gasped and backed up against the wall. When he heard me he went still. Next thing I knew I was thrown over his shoulder, him sprinting towards the kitchen.

He threw me down on the tiled floor and kicked me in the stomach. I cried out in pain and tried to crawl towards the door. Of course, I couldn't get there. I was a thirteen year old girl against a forty year old man. The winner was obvious.

He dragged me back and stepped on my ankle, twisting it painfully to the right. I gasped in pain and bit back the cry rising in my throat. Once he made sure I couldn't escape again he opened the fridge, pulling out a beer bottle.

"She's dead. If she didn't spend all her time worrying about you," he spat, "Then she would still be alive. She went blind and deaf before she died, you know. So it's only fair that you should, too." He took a big swig of the alcohol before taking it in his large hand and aiming it towards me.

He threw it right as I closed my eyes. Longs shards of glass bit through my skin, one right near my eye. I laid there, shaking in fear. His fist came down hard on my right cheekbone, again, barely missing my eye.

"No! Stop!" I screamed, crying at the same time. His foot connected with my lip, tearing it open. I was surprised that one of my teeth didn't chip or fall out. But I did bite my tongue. Hard. Blood filled my mouth and I spat it out.

"Never! Not until you've suffered like she did!" he shouted back. Faintly I heard the front door crash open. Footsteps came pounding down the hallway.

"Baylie!" Miss Clara, our neighbor came running in. I never thought I'd be so happy to see her in my life.

"Help me," I whispered. Her blue eyes went from shock to fury in a second.

"Mr. Fletcher! Stay away from her!" she threatened, walking towards me. She knelt down at me side and hugged me to her.

"Stay outta my family's business, Miss," he growled, but stepping back all the same.

"Not if you are hurting your daughter. I'm taking her with me."

"Thank you." He glared at me before stumbling out of the kitchen and back into the room where Mama lie dead on her bed.

"Come on, now. Let's get you somewhere safe, dear." Miss Clara helped me up, and it was very painful may I add. But everything hurt, including my heart. Mama would never get better. I'd never see her again.

I cried. I cried a lot. As time went on the cuts all near my eyes healed, but left long scars all over my face.

Junior high was cruel. I was made fun of by everyone except for my two friends Jenna and Mason. They tried to protect me, but nothing could keep all the taunts from me. It got so bad that I left school.

Miss Clara had adopted me even though she was only twenty one. She tried her best, but she couldn't help heal my heart, either.

Even after I left school people still made fun of me. Whenever I went outside they would take pictures and post them on the internet. They called me Scar Face. Nothing could stop all of the harassing.

Miss Clara was a dance instructor and asked her boss for a favor. She asked if I could stay in the basement of the studio so I could stay away from it all. She agreed. So I moved into a renovated basement and spent my time doing online school and reading.

Eventually I found a way to watch the students learn how to dance and I did, too. I mimicked their movements and learned how to make my own performances. At night I would go up and dance with the music quietly.

I came to love the masks Jenna brought me, and felt more confident with my face covered. I even smiled again. Dancing became the only thing I looked forward to besides visits from my friends.

That was my life.

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Hey guys, sorry this was sorta slow. I had to explain this so you could understand the rest of the story. Thanks for reading, reviews are great and I apologize if there are any spelling or grammatical errors. Joel enters in the next chapter and so the plot begins haha:)

~JaseCD