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Chapter 2 - School

A few weeks later, it was early morning, and Emma was up before everyone else, trying to be very quiet so she wouldn't wake Martin. Today was her first day of kindergarten, and she couldn't wait. Her mom had told her she would make friends there and have lots of fun.

She had laid out her new clothes the night before and quietly put on her pink skirt with a white shirt. Emma didn't put on her shoes because Martin didn't allow anyone to walk in the house with shoes on. She wasn't going to leave her room; the slightest noise would alert them that she was up.

She sat on her bed and waited for her mommy to wake up and start cooking breakfast. Paula was always the first one up so she could prepare everything for everyone else. Emma watched as the sun got brighter in the sky, and when she was ready to burst from excitement, she heard the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen.

She grabbed her backpack and her shoes before heading out of her room. Emma was preparing to surprise her mom but stopped outside the kitchen door. Her mom was in there, standing over the stove, crying. She didn't like it when her mom cried, knowing it was that monster's fault.

Emma hesitated for a few more minutes and then decided to go in. Maybe she could cheer up her mom by talking about school. She quietly walked in and sat on one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

When Paula turned around, she almost screamed. She hadn't expected anyone else to be up this early. She quickly put her hand over her mouth to avoid waking her husband. Paula had paid too many times for getting him up too early.

"What are you doing up so early sweet girl?" Paula noticed Emma had her school clothes on and her backpack.

"I'm ready for school, mommy. You don't have to do anything except my hair." Emma noticed the new bruises on her mother's face and around her wrists. Every time her bruises started to go away, Martin made sure to give her fresh ones.

"I see that. Well, aren't you already a big grown-up girl? How about you sit here and keep me company while I cook breakfast." Paula kissed her daughter's silky golden hair and returned to the stove.

She was glad Emma was going to school so she could get out of the house for a few hours a day. Paula knew being only around her and Martin wasn't good for her. She wanted Emma to see that there are nice people out in the world.

Emma sat quietly the entire time her mom cooked. She wanted to talk about school, but if Martin heard her, Paula would be the one to get hit. Emma had learned early on that Martin loved to use them to hurt each other. If Emma did something wrong, he would take it out on Paula. When Paula did something, he would take it out on Emma.

Leo came walking in just as breakfast was being put on plates. Emma helped him into a chair and gave him his food. She loved her little brother but knew that her mom would get hurt if he made a mistake. So Emma always tried to make sure he wasn't able to make a mess or any noise.

Martin walked into the kitchen in his suit and sat at the table. No one said a word as Paula put a plate of food in front of him. Emma saw her mom hold her breath while Martin took a bite. He quickly scarfed down his food and stood up to leave.

He didn't bother kissing Paula or saying anything to the kids; he just grabbed what he needed and left. Everyone seemed to take a sigh of relief once he was gone. Paula turned to her daughter and smiled.

"Okay, Emma, are you ready to go to school?" Emma jumped up and clapped her hands. Now that Martin was gone, she could make noise and show her excitement.

"Yes, mommy. Can you put my hair in a braid, please?" Emma turned around, and her mom quickly braided her long blonde hair. They then got Leo ready and left to walk down the street to the school.

Emma was practically skipping on the way there while Paula was looking around at the other parents. Martin made sure that they all had nice clothes to wear, but she still felt out of place with the bruises that she couldn't hide.

She saw some women look at her in pity, but she held her head high. Paula wasn't going to let anyone ruin her daughter's first day of school. When they got to the front door, Emma looked up at her mom.

"I can go in by myself, mommy. I remember where the classroom is." Paula smiled down at her little independent girl. She loved her so much it made her heart ache.

"Alright, sweet girl. Have fun. Leo and I will be here to pick you up after school." Paula kissed Emma's cheek and watched as she walked into the school. She then took Leo's hand and walked back to the house.

Emma walked into the school and went straight to the classroom. She remembered which one because they had come to the open house a few nights ago. Her classroom had a big ladybug on the door. When she walked in, she was greeted by the teacher Mrs. Elrod.

"Hello, Emma, it's nice to see you again. Where's your mom?" Mrs. Elrod had seen Paula outside and the bruises on her face. She had wanted to talk to her to see if she could offer help.

"I told my mommy that I could walk in by myself. She took my brother home." Mrs. Elrod could see in the little girl's eyes that she was wise beyond her years.

"Alright, I wanted to talk to her, but I'll see if I can when she picks you up. Do you remember where your seat is?" Mrs. Elrod put her hand on Emma's shoulder and saw her jump like she had hit her. She had seen enough abused children to recognize the signs. Mrs. Elrod believed that someone was hurting both Emma and her mother.

"Yes, I remember because I put the elephant on it." Emma walked over to her desk and sat down. She looked at the girl sitting next to her and smiled.

"My name is Emma." The other girl, who had tanned skin, long black hair, and dark brown eyes, smiled at Emma.

"My name is Melora."

"You're my first friend Melora." Emma said as she put her backpack under her desk. She and Melora began talking about school and everything they wanted to do.

Mrs. Elrod watched the interaction between Emma and Melora. She wanted to speak to Paula alone and was hoping she would get the chance. If Emma's mother didn't listen to her, she would think about calling the police herself. One thing she hated more than anything was seeing someone being abused.


Paula and Leo walked back to the school a few hours later to pick up Emma. As they stood waiting for the bell to ring to release the students, she noticed Emma's teacher Mrs. Elrod walking toward her.

"Hello, Mrs. Edwards, can you come with me, please? I would like to talk to you in private." Paula felt a moment of fear that something had happened to Emma.

"Please call me Paula. What's wrong, Mrs. Elrod?" Paula asked as the teacher led her to an office.

"Paula, I have a sensitive topic to discuss with you. I noticed your bruises and how Emma acts when someone touches her. Are you being abused?" Mrs. Elrod watched Paula's expression as she looked down, not meeting her eyes.

"I'm begging you to please stay out of it. You will only make it worse for both of us." Paula felt tears as she pleaded with her daughter's teacher. If Martin knew about this conversation, both she and Emma would be hurt badly.

"Paula, please let me help you. I know someone we can call to get you both out of there and somewhere safe." The teacher hoped Paula would accept her help.

"No, I can't take care of Emma on my own. I need him. Please don't mention this again." Paula opened the office door and walked out as the bell rang. When Emma got to her, she gave her a big hug. They walked home while Emma told Paula and Leo about her first day of school.

Mrs. Elrod watched them walk away, shaking her head. She understood Paula's fear, but not how she could allow someone to hurt her and her daughter. She vowed if she saw any marks on Emma, she would call the police. Maybe that would wake Paula up so she would leave her abuser.

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