His Mission Chapter 1 : Do you ever feel yourself float away from your physical body in order to protect yourself ? Do you ever experience pain so fresh , it feels like your entire body is ignited in flames ? Do you ever sit back and question why ? Why me ? A slap , then a punch , followed by a kick . " Next time , you do as I tell you . No questions asked ! " Trevor hisses at me through clenched teeth . His pale face is turning bright red , seething with anger . I nod furiously , pushing my petite frame as far up against the wall as I can . My hands physically shake , trembling from the fear overtaking me . Whatever you do , don't make eye contact with him Emily ... Eye contact is seen as a challenge . I squeeze my eyes shut , wishing I'd remembered to wash the dishes left over from last night . I know it isn't a reason for him to hurt me but in Trevors eyes , it's justified . His hand wraps itself in the strands of my hair and he pulls my head backwards , my scalp throbbing . " Please stop ! You don't have to do this ! " I yell , pleading with him . My screams of agony fall upon deaf ears so I give up and lie there emotionlessly , letting him torture me like his little rag doll . I stare at my reflection in the mirror and sigh , hastily wiping the tears away from my eyes . I refuse to cry ... That's exactly what he wants . He wants me to suffer and I'll never give him the satisfaction of knowing I already am . A big clump of my dark brown hair is missing , the scalp throbbing painfully where he'd ripped it out . My finger trail down my cheek under my eye where the stinging is now turning into a tender blue bruise . I'm grateful for my tanned complexion because the bruises don't show up as easily . I bite my bottom lip and let out a small whimper as I attempt to lift my top to see the damage he inflicted . As expected , the bruises run up my side but thankfully nothing feels broken . How sad is it that I can tell the difference between a bruised and broken bone ? " Why did you leave me like this Dad ? " I whisper , glancing at the frame on my bedside table . A photograph taken of me as a little girl ... large brown eyes shining happily as I sat on my fathers shoulders , holding onto his hair . His own eyes mirror mine , a pearly smile so white and wide . Dad and I were inseparable , I adored the ground my father walked on . Every time he entered the room , I craved his attention . Mum had taken the picture on my sixth birthday party . I remember that day so well , the way my father smiled at me as he sang ' Happy Birthday ' . I remember him clutching the cake in front of him , telling me to make a wish and blow out the candles . He cheered and clapped so loud , it felt like I had my own personal cheerleading squad . 1/4 9:00 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 1 Dad died suddenly the following month leaving his only daughter behind with a shattered heart . Ten years without the man I love and adore . 88 I shuffle towards my bed , sitting down on the edge of it . I lift the picture up to my lips , placing a gentle kiss over the glass . It feels cool against my lips and I close my eyes , taking slow breaths . I allow the oxygen to fill my lungs and calm my thoughts . " Night night , sleep tight my little princess . " Dad would say every single night , tucking me up tightly before leaving the room and closing the door over slightly . He knew I didn't like the dark . " Night night Daddy , " I whisper , clutching the picture frame tightly to my chest . The next day , I walk into college , scanning the crowds for my best friend , Trisha Lockwood . The friendship between Trish and I has always been peculiar to anyone looking in from the outside . I'm relatively quiet whereas Trish is loud and bubbly . My dark hair is the complete opposite to Trish's blonde locks . She wears pink skirts with frilly tops whereas I prefer to wear denim jeans and a cute shirt . The one thing I regret every day is not telling her about my stepfather . The girl has the ability to make me laugh until my sides hurt . Even though she's wild at times , I know she has a good heart . I tame her behaviour and she inserts some craziness into my life . Trish is surrounded by three boys which doesn't surprise me in the slightest . She receives enough male attention for the both of us . I watch as one of the boys lean in , whispering something in her ear . Trish immediately giggles before batting her long eyelashes at him flirtatiously in return . I roll my eyes and walk over to them , ignoring the pain flaring up my side from the simple movement . Images of my step father raising his fists last night cloud my mind , making my hands clench into tight fists . I'm not a violent character ... I'm too scared to fight back . I tried once when I was twelve years old and ended up breaking my thumb . How was I supposed to know I shouldn't tuck my thumb into my fist when punching ? Let's just say my thumb has never been the same after that accident . I chuckle at my own stupidity , shaking my head . " What's funny Emily ? " Trish asks , walking over to me and linking her arm through mine . The boys behind her appeared to be heartbroken at her lack of attention and I mentally roll my eyes again . I shake my head at Trish , giving her a small smile . " Nothing , how was the concert this weekend ? " I ask her eagerly , partly wanting to change the subject . Trish winces from the memories before letting out a small chuckle - ' First of all , I was so drunk , I ended up peeing in a bush . " I laugh , shaking my head . Typical Trish behaviour . " What about the music ? You know , the actual reason you wanted to go . " " The music was awesome but I enjoyed the boys a little more . " Trish giggles , waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner . " Meet any cute ones ? " I respond , giving a brief wave to a group of girls walking past . Trish nods eagerly , her eyes lighting up 2/4 9:00 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 1 88 " The cutest . Let me tell you all about it ! " She giggles , dragging me towards a nearby chair . I take a seat and Trish inhales deeply before diving right into every male she encountered at the concert . Whilst she gushes about a handsome blonde , I quickly scan the room . My eyes land on a hunched over figure at the back of the class . I frown , tilting my head to study him . He's wearing a grey jacket , the hood pulled right over to mask his features . His shoulders are broad and a hint of dark hair sticks out from under the hood . His right hand scrolls through his phone and his other is bandaged tightly . I raise my eyebrow at him . " Hey Trish , who's the new boy ? " I ask , interrupting her and signalling in his direction . I watch as her eyes widen once she notices who I'm referring to . " That's Jake , don't give him any attention . " Trish whispers under her breath , not wanting to be heard . " Jake ? As in Jake Melvin ? " I ask , knowing the name well . All purely through gossip , of course . Trish nods , her eyes quickly scanning over him . " He's beautiful but he gives me the creeps . " " Yeah ... " I agree quietly , my gaze still fixed on Jake Melvin . He isn't surrounded by any friends but the confidence that oozes from him is undeniable . I know he's bad news but that doesn't stop the fact that he's very good looking . Despite the permanent scowl on his face ... Rumours fly around town about how Jake Melvin is involved in a local gang . He lives with his mum but no - one ever mentioned a father . People avoid Jake due to his dangerous reputation , nobody wants to get involved with the wrong side of the law . Jake slowly lifts his head and raises an eyebrow at me , clearly catching me gawking at him . That's when I notice his eyes , a dangerous dark shade of blue . They narrow in my direction , flashing with hostility as he silently dares me to look away . I swallow the nerves , ignoring the way the small hairs on the back of my neck prickles with fear . " I can see why he gives you the creeps . " His icy stare resembles Trevor , my step father . A chill runs up my spine and my fingers brush over the bruises on my side that continue to throb with pain . I close my eyes , images of Trevor beating me up yesterday flashing through my mind , again . " Emily ? " Trish says beside me , nudging me slightly . I snap my eyes open , giving her a small smile . Her voice eventually dulls out until her words start blurring together , making no sense . It's hard to concentrate when all I can feel is the throbbing of my injuries . I feel someone's burning stare from my right and I turn slowly , meeting eyes with Jake Melvin . The intensity in them causes me to suck in a breath and I know no matter how hard I tried , I'll never be able to replicate his intense gaze . He's sat in his seat facing me , his fingers rhythmically tapping away on the desk in front of him . His head is cocked to the right as he studies me , thick dark strands of hair almost falling over into his eyes . I shudder from the effect of his piercing stare , an uneasy feeling settling inside my stomach . Jake doesn't blink once , challenging me to break eye contact . The corners of his lips twitch upwards into a victorious smirk as he notices how uncomfortable I'm becoming . I turn my head away from him , a shiver running down my spine . Mental note to self - Stay out of Jake Melvin's way , at all costs . 3/4 9:00 Tue , Oct 14 His Mission