Prologue:Unlovable One

***Jessie POV***

“Aw… She looks like you, when you were a baby, honey. Don’t you think the same, honey?” Mommy said, smiling happily at father.

He silently nodded and forced a smile, while sitting on the couch across from her. A sad smile crossed over his face.

‘Why is Daddy sad?’ Young Jes thought to herself, ‘Maybe I can make him smile, like when Mommy smiles at me.’ She thought silently, nodding her head with a grin on her face.

Mommy looked at her strangely for a second before putting her hands on Young Jes’ shoulder softly, “What’s wrong, baby? You’re grinning like a chipmunk.” She said, smiling widely at her daughter.

Jes shook her head and looked up at Mommy with a big smile on her adorable face while pushing brown curls away. “Jes’ just smiling because I’m so happy, Mommy. I love you.” She says, getting a pat on the head from Mommy.

“Mommy loves Jes too,” she responded, kissing her little forehead.

Jes felt eyes staring at her and looked up at daddy, noticing that he looks sadder than he did before.

‘Jes should make Daddy smile, too,’ she thought as she jumped out of Mommy’s arms.

Mommy gasped, startled at the movement, “What are you doing, baby?” she asks softly.

Jes looked at Mommy, a soft smile on her face, “I’m going to go smile at Daddy, too,” she said with a cute pout, not noticing the look of hesitation that crossed over Mommy’s face.

Jes ran towards Daddy before Mommy could stop her; stopping in front of his legs, staring up at him.

“Jes!” Mommy softly yelled in irritation, forcing a smile.

Jes shook it off, ‘Maybe Mommy’s sad like Daddy, too,’ she thought to herself as she continued her mission, like a tiny hero.

‘Why does Daddy look so pained?’ she thought, internally shaking her head, ‘maybe he has a stomachache,’ she thought as she got closer.

Little Jessi walked up to Daddy and sat on the couch, concern filling her hazel eyes as she stared sweetly at his distorted face. She attempted to reach out to him, to put her hands on him comfortingly as she spoke softly, “Daddy, let Jes rub your belly as Mommy does to Jes. I promise it’ll help make you feel good. It always helps me when I’m in pain, Daddy,” a bright smile on her face.

He looked at Jessie, who was now sitting next to him and grunted, a look of irritation crossing his face before turning into dissatisfaction the more he looked at hers. He roughly pushed her hand off his stomach, causing Jes to hit her end on the end table; moans of pain escaping her lips.

She turned her head to her Daddy with tears pouring out of her eyes. She looked at him while holding her head, blood staining her hands. He stares at her in anger, curses flying out underneath his breath as he turns to glare at Mommy, the same look on her face.

Jes, feeling suffocated, struggles to reach out to her parents, “Why do Mommy & Daddy look at me like this? What did Jes do wrong? I just wanted to see you smile at me,” she spoke softly, staring at her parents with never ending tears.

Jes wi-wi-will do better Mommy; Daddy. Please don’t be mad at me; Jes loves you, don’t you love Jes, too? Mommy smiles at Jes; I’m your baby. I won’t rub Daddy’s belly anymore. Jes is so-so-sorry she’s a bad girl,” she sobbed, with tears clouding her vision so much she couldn’t see Mommy running towards her, hand outstretched.

Jes didn’t realize what happened until after a loud *smack* hit her ears, making her head bounce on the floor, and causing her to see black. She tried to look up, disregarding the pool of blood forming beneath her now. She held her little bloodied face and curls, silent sobs escaping her lips as she held herself back from reaching out for help. ‘Why didn’t Mommy help me?’ she thought.

Mommy stood over her with a blank expression, “Shut up! All you do is whine! It’s so tiring to hear you cry. Get up and wipe your face off!” Mommy yelled angrily.

‘Mommy always smiled at me, was that a lie? Am I that tiring?’ Jes thought to herself.

“Hurry up!” Daddy urged, causing her to bolt up the stairs, despite the excruciating pain.

The pain did not compare to her parents’ angry face staring at her as she wobbled into the bathroom; falling unconscious in the tub from blood loss. Barely conscious, she heard voices talking near her as bright lights glared back.

“See, look at her! She can’t do anything right; I should’ve listened to your mother and gotten rid of her!”

‘Wait, that sounds like Mommy. No, it can’t be; she loves me so much, always smiling at me. Why am I not enough? That can’t be right, right?’ Jes thought.

At the same time, Daddy’s voice boomed across the house, “Yeah, you should’ve. Always pretending to smile at her, knowing our little boy died and leaving us with her. She makes me sick.” Daddy spat harshly, her hazel eyes beginning to lose their brightness.

“I know, I know. But it’s too late for that, we’ve got to take care of her, regardless of how much of a burden she is,” Mommy whispered softly.

“Of course; if only to keep everyone else from looking down on me, as if I wasn’t a man if we did otherwise,” Daddy agreed.

“That’s good, but what are we going to do about her bruises? We could get in serious trouble if anyone at her school finds out,” Mother interjected.

“Just clean and wrap her wounds, blame them on some accident to the teacher. Put a sad face on and cry a bit, you’re good at that.”

“Honey, stop; you know I was a theater kid when I was younger, though I’ll do it. You’re so smart, it’s no wonder I fell for you.”

“Who else would you love, woman?” Father’s voice laughed out joyously.

‘So it’s only me who causes them sadness? Why did my brother die instead of me? My heart hurts; am I dying? Maybe it’s for the best. They’ll be happy if I do,’ Jes thought sadly.

“Ugh, you’re too sweet, honey. Let me fix that girl up before she does die; what a scandal that’d be.” Mother said, laughing as she stepped closer to the bathroom door, the floor creaking beneath her.

Jes shut her eyes as tightly as she could and balled her fists until they turned white.

“Honey, don’t forget to not spoil her too much; affection should be only for sons and fathers.” Daddy reminded her.

“I understand, honey,” Mother lovingly whispers before picking up Jessie’s little body, cleaning and wrapping the wounds, before putting a hoodie on her to hide all but the ones on her heart.

Mommy carried Jes up to the bedroom and placed her on the bed unceremoniously before tossing a blanket over her. She slammed the door as Jessie’s eyes opened and stared at the door dully, a blank expression on her face as tears spilled out until there were no more.

***Following Day At School***

In the classroom, children were smiling brightly and laughing, all but Jessie who sat alone in the back of the room, still wearing the hoodie as she silently drew a black hole, nothing but darkness.

Looking over at her quietly, her teacher got up and walked over before squatting beside her. Jessie stopped her drawing and looked up, curls in her face and a small, sad smile on it.

‘Mommy said to smile like I always do, or they’ll get rid of me early,’ she thought to herself.

“Jes, how are you feeling? Your mother told me you got in an accident; I hope you feel better! Would you like a cookie? I’m so used to your bright smile,” she said, genuinely smiling at the young girl.

Jessie nodded and opened her hands, receiving a soft chocolate chip cookie. She ate it softly, despite the pain.

“Thank you, Mrs. Peach,” she whispered softly.

“Don’t thank me, I just love seeing my students smiling brightly, it certainly brightens my day,” she said, patting Jes’ head softly.

‘Is this what love feels like? Why don’t Mommy & Daddy love my smile? No, don’t think of them, they hurt you.’ She thought to herself.

‘I know, I won’t smile brightly at them anymore! Only those special to me,’ she thought afterwards.

She balled up her old drawing and started on another, this one consisting of rainbows rather than darkness. That day, Jes’ life changed, more than she’d ever know.