‹ Prequel: Love Works in Mysterious Ways
Welcome to Anna's World
Chapter 6 - Goodnight Little Princess
Anna's PoV:
After dinner I sat in my room, listening to music from my iPod and watching the sun set. I was thinking about all of this. I really liked this house, because it had lots of corners and places to be on your own or to hide, just in case. I hoped it worked with this new family and I hoped I didn't ruin it, like so many times before. When the song was finished I heard talking from outside my door. I frowned and put my headset down as soon as I heard someone walk away and a soft knock on my door. Shortly after the door opened and Neil appeared in my door frame. He smiled lightly and asked if he could come inside. I nodded and he walked over and sat next to me on the bed after closing the door. He held a box behind him and put it on the other side of him on the bed. He was sitting so closely, it made me nervous and I shifted a bit to the right to put some space in between us. Luckily he got the hint and didn't move up. "How are you?", he asked. I stared at my hands and mumbled a "fine" back. "How is your wrist?", he wanted to know. I still stared at my hands and didn't know what to say. To be honest I didn't expect that. I could feel his eyes on me and quickly moved my wrist with the latest cuts away when he reached his hand out to it. He sighed and I turned my head away from him. "Come on, I just want to take a look and take care of them", he said softly and continued, "I don't want you to get a blood infection from it or something." He was right. I bit my lip and slowly looked at him insecurely. He moved his hands again towards mine and muttered: "It's okay, it's okay. I won't hurt you." He carefully pulled back the sleeve of my left arm. There they were. A reddish pink wound. He placed my wrist on his knee while he turned around to open the box he brought in. Out of it he took all the things he needed to take care of my wounds: a first aid-kit.
When he was finished I pulled my sleeve back over the hurting scars and mumbled "thank you" to him. He gave me a worried smile, sighed again and spoke quietly: "Are there more?" I knew he meant scars. My scars. I nodded and pointed at my arms. He raised his eyebrows a bit and asked: "Can I see them?" . I figured it was best if he saw them now than be surprised later on. I pulled off my pullover under which I was wearing a simple black tee-shirt. He stared at my arms with big eyes. "There are some on the rest of my body as well", I said, my eyes filling with tears and body started to shake. I wiped the tears away quickly and hoped he hasn't seen them. He probably did anyway. "Where?", he asked after a while. I motioned him by putting my hand on my stomach, chest and my legs. After a very long time he spoke up again: "I don't want you to continue do this to you. Whenever you have a problem or the urge to do this come and talk to us about it. Please don't cut anymore." After he said I couldn't hold my tears back. One after another they rolled down my cheek. "Awww, come here", he said and gestured me to come closer to him while putting his arms widely open. I didn't want to go closer to him which he realised after some time so he just put his arms around me as best as he could while keeping the little space between us. I wiped my tears away again when there was another knock on my door. When it opened Neil took his arms away from me and rubbed my back. I didn't know what that was about so I flinched away from him shot him a confused look. Joe walked in cheering: "Bed time!" His happiness made me smile for a second until the thought crept in my mind that he probably just couldn't wait until he didn't have to care for me anymore for the day. I stood up from the bed and took my pyjama out of the closet which I put in there with all my other clothes on the afternoon. I put them on the spot on the bed where I was before. I awkwardly looked at them. They looked back friendly, happy and a bit reassuring even. Exactly that last part freaked me out. I had to change clothes, why wouldn't they leave? I don't want to get undressed in front of them. What are they waiting for. "Uhmmm", I started, "I... I need to .... uhmm, change?" It came out more as a question than I intended to. I changed looks between them. Neil understood finally, and stood up. "Yeah, sure", he said. Joe nodded and before they walked out he added: "Come downstairs when you're finished in the bathroom and all, okay?" I nodded, relieved.
Joe's PoV:
We left her room so she could change. I could see the awkward look on her face before. But there was also a hint of fear in her eyes. "Have you seen the fear in her eyes? I wonder what that was about", Neil asked me. I thought for a moment and let the scenario play again in my head. "She probably thought we were total perverted creeps who want to watch her getting changed", I said after a while. He nodded, laced his fingers with mine and pulled me to the couch where we sat down.
Anna's PoV:
I was glad they left so I could change. After I was wearing my pyjama which consisted of an oversized Metallica tee-shirt I got from a friend and his old batman boxer shorts. I went to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and hair, and washed my face. I went to the toilet, washed my hands and stared at myself in the mirror. I breathed in and out for a couple seconds than made my way downstairs.
I found my new parents sitting on the couch in the living room. Ryan put his head up and a wide smile came across his face. "Metallica, huh?", he said grinning. John's head shot over to me and I could see his face lit up when he saw my shirt. I nodded and smiled back at them. "That's cool", John said and Ryan nodded, "come here real quick." They scooted away from each other so I could sit in between them. They kept a little room in between them and me, which I was glad for. John took my right hand in his and looked at me. "I'm sorry if we scared you a bit before upstairs", he started and I knew he meant the scene where they wouldn't go out of my room for me to change. He continued: "We're new to this whole parenting stuff, so you have to be... a bit patient with us. Maybe help us a little with some things. Okay?" I nodded. "Okay", he said, squeezing my hand.
"Time for bed", Ryan said taking my left hand and pulling me with me. I took my right hand out of John's and walked with Ryan upstairs. I looked behind me and saw John following us. So they both bring me to bed? Wow, I didn't do that in a long time. It feels nice but I wonder if they will still be doing that the next days or just now because it's the first night. Once in my room, I drew the curtains of my windows close. I turned around to see Ryan making my bed for me ready to slid in. I laughed at him making so much effort for me. He shot his head up to me. John was leaning in the door frame. "Did you do everything? Brushed your teeth, went to the toilet?", John asked. I nodded still giggling. Ryan tucked me in my bed. I put my glasses off and onto the little bedside table. Ryan sat on the edge of my bed, took my hand in his again and said: "Goodnight, little princess." That was when I couldn't hold anymore and burst into laughter. He looked at me confused. "Don't call me that. I'm not 5!", I exclaimed. He looked down at me and I thought there was that wide smile again on his face. I couldn't tell for sure because my sight is really bad without my glasses. He rubbed my hand and stood up. John came to sit on the spot where Ryan was. He bit his lip. "Can I, ... uhmmm, can I give you a.. a goodnight kiss?", he asked shyly. I nodded and he shortly pecked my forehead. "Goodnight, sweet dreams", he added. "Night.", I returned to both of them as they were walking out. They turned out the light and closed the door. They didn't close it fully though they left it a gap open. This was nice. I closed my eyes shut when suddenly a realization hit me. I took my watch from the bedside table and looked at it. It was half past 9. They sent me to bed at 9.30. At this moment I didn't really care so much though because the day has been exhausting. I just hoped they wouldn't sent me to bed that early every day.
After dinner I sat in my room, listening to music from my iPod and watching the sun set. I was thinking about all of this. I really liked this house, because it had lots of corners and places to be on your own or to hide, just in case. I hoped it worked with this new family and I hoped I didn't ruin it, like so many times before. When the song was finished I heard talking from outside my door. I frowned and put my headset down as soon as I heard someone walk away and a soft knock on my door. Shortly after the door opened and Neil appeared in my door frame. He smiled lightly and asked if he could come inside. I nodded and he walked over and sat next to me on the bed after closing the door. He held a box behind him and put it on the other side of him on the bed. He was sitting so closely, it made me nervous and I shifted a bit to the right to put some space in between us. Luckily he got the hint and didn't move up. "How are you?", he asked. I stared at my hands and mumbled a "fine" back. "How is your wrist?", he wanted to know. I still stared at my hands and didn't know what to say. To be honest I didn't expect that. I could feel his eyes on me and quickly moved my wrist with the latest cuts away when he reached his hand out to it. He sighed and I turned my head away from him. "Come on, I just want to take a look and take care of them", he said softly and continued, "I don't want you to get a blood infection from it or something." He was right. I bit my lip and slowly looked at him insecurely. He moved his hands again towards mine and muttered: "It's okay, it's okay. I won't hurt you." He carefully pulled back the sleeve of my left arm. There they were. A reddish pink wound. He placed my wrist on his knee while he turned around to open the box he brought in. Out of it he took all the things he needed to take care of my wounds: a first aid-kit.
When he was finished I pulled my sleeve back over the hurting scars and mumbled "thank you" to him. He gave me a worried smile, sighed again and spoke quietly: "Are there more?" I knew he meant scars. My scars. I nodded and pointed at my arms. He raised his eyebrows a bit and asked: "Can I see them?" . I figured it was best if he saw them now than be surprised later on. I pulled off my pullover under which I was wearing a simple black tee-shirt. He stared at my arms with big eyes. "There are some on the rest of my body as well", I said, my eyes filling with tears and body started to shake. I wiped the tears away quickly and hoped he hasn't seen them. He probably did anyway. "Where?", he asked after a while. I motioned him by putting my hand on my stomach, chest and my legs. After a very long time he spoke up again: "I don't want you to continue do this to you. Whenever you have a problem or the urge to do this come and talk to us about it. Please don't cut anymore." After he said I couldn't hold my tears back. One after another they rolled down my cheek. "Awww, come here", he said and gestured me to come closer to him while putting his arms widely open. I didn't want to go closer to him which he realised after some time so he just put his arms around me as best as he could while keeping the little space between us. I wiped my tears away again when there was another knock on my door. When it opened Neil took his arms away from me and rubbed my back. I didn't know what that was about so I flinched away from him shot him a confused look. Joe walked in cheering: "Bed time!" His happiness made me smile for a second until the thought crept in my mind that he probably just couldn't wait until he didn't have to care for me anymore for the day. I stood up from the bed and took my pyjama out of the closet which I put in there with all my other clothes on the afternoon. I put them on the spot on the bed where I was before. I awkwardly looked at them. They looked back friendly, happy and a bit reassuring even. Exactly that last part freaked me out. I had to change clothes, why wouldn't they leave? I don't want to get undressed in front of them. What are they waiting for. "Uhmmm", I started, "I... I need to .... uhmm, change?" It came out more as a question than I intended to. I changed looks between them. Neil understood finally, and stood up. "Yeah, sure", he said. Joe nodded and before they walked out he added: "Come downstairs when you're finished in the bathroom and all, okay?" I nodded, relieved.
Joe's PoV:
We left her room so she could change. I could see the awkward look on her face before. But there was also a hint of fear in her eyes. "Have you seen the fear in her eyes? I wonder what that was about", Neil asked me. I thought for a moment and let the scenario play again in my head. "She probably thought we were total perverted creeps who want to watch her getting changed", I said after a while. He nodded, laced his fingers with mine and pulled me to the couch where we sat down.
Anna's PoV:
I was glad they left so I could change. After I was wearing my pyjama which consisted of an oversized Metallica tee-shirt I got from a friend and his old batman boxer shorts. I went to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and hair, and washed my face. I went to the toilet, washed my hands and stared at myself in the mirror. I breathed in and out for a couple seconds than made my way downstairs.
I found my new parents sitting on the couch in the living room. Ryan put his head up and a wide smile came across his face. "Metallica, huh?", he said grinning. John's head shot over to me and I could see his face lit up when he saw my shirt. I nodded and smiled back at them. "That's cool", John said and Ryan nodded, "come here real quick." They scooted away from each other so I could sit in between them. They kept a little room in between them and me, which I was glad for. John took my right hand in his and looked at me. "I'm sorry if we scared you a bit before upstairs", he started and I knew he meant the scene where they wouldn't go out of my room for me to change. He continued: "We're new to this whole parenting stuff, so you have to be... a bit patient with us. Maybe help us a little with some things. Okay?" I nodded. "Okay", he said, squeezing my hand.
"Time for bed", Ryan said taking my left hand and pulling me with me. I took my right hand out of John's and walked with Ryan upstairs. I looked behind me and saw John following us. So they both bring me to bed? Wow, I didn't do that in a long time. It feels nice but I wonder if they will still be doing that the next days or just now because it's the first night. Once in my room, I drew the curtains of my windows close. I turned around to see Ryan making my bed for me ready to slid in. I laughed at him making so much effort for me. He shot his head up to me. John was leaning in the door frame. "Did you do everything? Brushed your teeth, went to the toilet?", John asked. I nodded still giggling. Ryan tucked me in my bed. I put my glasses off and onto the little bedside table. Ryan sat on the edge of my bed, took my hand in his again and said: "Goodnight, little princess." That was when I couldn't hold anymore and burst into laughter. He looked at me confused. "Don't call me that. I'm not 5!", I exclaimed. He looked down at me and I thought there was that wide smile again on his face. I couldn't tell for sure because my sight is really bad without my glasses. He rubbed my hand and stood up. John came to sit on the spot where Ryan was. He bit his lip. "Can I, ... uhmmm, can I give you a.. a goodnight kiss?", he asked shyly. I nodded and he shortly pecked my forehead. "Goodnight, sweet dreams", he added. "Night.", I returned to both of them as they were walking out. They turned out the light and closed the door. They didn't close it fully though they left it a gap open. This was nice. I closed my eyes shut when suddenly a realization hit me. I took my watch from the bedside table and looked at it. It was half past 9. They sent me to bed at 9.30. At this moment I didn't really care so much though because the day has been exhausting. I just hoped they wouldn't sent me to bed that early every day.