ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴏᴠ

𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 & 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤

♛♛♛

The harsh, cool wind blew against her small frame, her blotchy, tear-stained cheeks becoming dry.

Hazel's night had taken an overly massive turn. She shivered and shuddered from the cold breeze but also from the unforgivable doings her parents had bared her not too long ago.

Hazel tapped her fingers against her clothed thigh, tapping to the beat of the music flowing through her ears.

The music blocked out the clattering and shattering that came from downstairs, the music being silent hope that it would end soon.

Her bedroom door slammed open with such force it made her jump in her seat. She looked up, earphones still intact, and stared at her stumbling mother.

She seemed to be talking to Hazel, her mouth moving, feet swaying towards her, and her eyes bloodshot red.

When she got close enough to Hazel, her pale white hands snatched the earphones from Hazel's ears, Post Malone's voice now vanished.

Hazel's heart thumped and thumped. Her pulse sped up like crazy and she mentally thought she'd die from a heart attack at the rate.

"Fucking get out." Her mother slurred in a frightening tone. Hazel jumped at the harshness, you'd think she'd be used to it by now.

"Leave, Hazel, right now." Her mother repeated, but this time she grabbed her hand and yanked her from the bed, her mother tumbling backwards from her own actions.

"W-What?" Hazel stuttered in pure shock and tried releasing her grip from her mothers hold.

"But... where would I go?"

Her mother scoffed and pointed a wobbly finger towards her face. "I don't care. We just want you out."

Hazel stared at her in disbelief.

After recovering from her shock, she nodded towards her mother and turned around to her closet.

She'll just come back in the morning when they're both sober, she thought.

Hazel pulled on a hoodie, shoved her earphones and phone into the pockets, and then slipped on her comfortable white bunny slippers.

Her mother was now on her floor, vodka in one hand and her head in the other. Hazel was going to consider not leaving, but she knew her mother or father would notice if she weren't gone.

Besides, her house was small. They only had three rooms other than the bathroom. And one of the rooms being her parents' they would know if she went to hide somewhere else.

Hazel sighed sadly and moved through her door and stepped down their short set of stairs. She looked over to where her father was, his head on the kitchen counter with a bottle of gin next to him.

She walked right past the intoxicated man and made her way outside and into the night.

Tears welted down her cheeks uncontrollably. She hadn't wanted to cry, not again. She felt useless by crying, weak even.

She preferred to cry alone and silently. Usually, she held everything in until the end of the day and would just cry at night.

But right now, she cried into the darkness. She didn't sob, she simply let the tears fall silently down her red cheeks and wither her way into a deep void of sadness.

Hazel's parents were alcoholics. They weren't always, not up until a year ago.

Her mother and father would act normally during the day, they would act as if nothing happened during the night, as if they hadn't mentally damaged her, drilling words into her mind that weren't there in the first place.

When they both got home from work at the end of the day, that was when everything would crumble down for Hazel.

The alcohol bottles would be opened and by the time it had gotten dark, they would be slurring around the house, music blasting while they drowned themselves in pity and anguish, both taking it out on their last living child.

Hazel didn't think of herself the way they did, a murderer, a thief or a mistake. She never did think she was any of those things, but recently, she had been thinking about it.

Wondering why she was a murderer when the death of her older sister wasn't her fault. Or why her parents called her a thief for taking her sister's life when she hadn't even been in the room at the time of her death.

And lastly, she wondered why she was a mistake. Yes, she might be a different girl of her age. She wasn't into partying, alcohol, or messing around with boys.

She enjoyed reading, all novels appealed to her, even horror.

Music was another. She had an odd taste, her two favourite artists, Lana Del Rey and Post Malone, both completely different genres.

And lastly, movies. Like with novels, she enjoyed every movie to exist, even horror.

But she never thought she was a mistake just because she did things differently.

But to them, she was a mistake. They regretted keeping her, her mother reminded her every night. And tonight was an example of how much she truly resented her youngest and last child.

Hazel's crying had stopped by the time she reached the town square. It was around ten o'clock at night and the centre of town was bustling with people.

She numbly walked along the sidewalk, her small, overly worn-out body, rummaging through the people. Some bumped into her without noticing her presence at all.

Hazel made it finally to the chocolate factory she wanted to go to. The bell sounded above her as she walked through the door and into the warm, brightly lit shop.

The short old man that sat behind the counter desk looked up at the broken girl and smiled warmly.

"Welcome back, Hazel." He greeted in his happy, gruff voice.

She smiled warmly at the old man, her small bunny slippers flopping against the wooded floorboard.

"Hello Derik, how are you doing?" Her soft voice asked while running her short fingers along the chocolate bars, internally deliberating which to choose.

"I'm well, love. The Mrs has been asking for you,"

Hazel smiled at the thought of Derik's wife. A beautiful old African woman who took great pride in her husbands chocolate store. The old couple often had Hazel over for dinner, thinking of her as their own grandchild.

Hazel admired them dearly, the only parent like figures she's had in fairly a long time.

"Well, tell Scarlet that I miss her very much," Hazel said smiling as she found the right chocolate bar, "I'll come around to visit you guys soon, college is starting again so I'll be here every so often,"

The man perched his glasses on his nose as she skipped happily towards the counter, he chuckled at her reply and took the bar from her.

"I know you will be. This chocolate bar and yourself seem to have separation anxiety, hm?" The man said scanning the barcode on the foil and then giving it back to the girl.

She giggled quietly and hugged the chocolate to her chest with one hand. "You know I love these, they're my absolute favourite,"

The man chuckled again, shaking his head at the girl while she rummaged through her pockets for the few dollars she brought with her.

She handed the money to the man and he smiled, taking it from her.

Derik handed the young girl her change and she happily took it from him, shoving it back into her pockets.

"Thank you, Derik," She smiled at the man, her glossy eyes gleaming with delight.

"You're very welcome dear, enjoy your night,"

Hazel only smiled, knowing very well that her night was going to be anything but enjoyable.

"You too!" She replied to the kind man and turned on her heels, walking straight back out into the cold.

Hazel's smile faded as she walked along the sidewalk, internally grateful she chose to wear a hoodie amongst the chilly night.

Her covered feet padded along with the concrete while her eyes searched for a place to sit. She looked around the centre of the square, searching for an empty bench.

She spotted a man from afar leaving the now vacant bench and she immediately rushed over towards it.

Her legs trudged along the path, and once finally making it, she sat down on the wooden seat and sighed.

Her hands went into her pockets and took out the bunched up earphones that tangled with her phone.

She sighed exasperated, placing her unopened chocolate bar next to her and untangled the looped cords.

When she had finally untangled the earphones she grinned in accomplishment and stuck the buds into her ears.

Pressing shuffle on her playlist, the music poured through her ears at a loud temp, just how she liked it.

Her hands reached for the chocolate bar and she started unwrapping the foil, letting it glide down a centimetre, just enough to reach the first row.

She broke the first piece off and instantly bit into it. The milky goodness absorbed onto her tongue, melting in her mouth and relishing the sweet taste.

Hazel smiled as her eyes closed, chocolate and music were purely the only things to make this girl happy.

This process continued for a while. Eating, feet thumping against the pavement in rhythm to the music, while her head fogged with those only two things.

Her eyes scanned around the lightly illuminated area around her. She hadn't realised where she had exactly sat near, and now that she did, she almost nearly regretted it.

Hazel was right outside a club. The club was bustling with people, music thumping, although she couldn't hear it, she could though, feel it, underneath her feet.

Women and men lined up outside the area, two bulky security guards stood in front of the only entrance, allowing people in and only dismissing certain ones.

Although the club wasn't what Hazel was worried about, it was more as though who was inside.

This club was known as a hotline for the most dangerous and crucial men and women in her town.

Criminals of all sorts. Drug dealers, gang and mob gatherings, and most accurately powerful Mafia's.

Hazel wasn't entirely popular with the topics, only briefly knowing that most of it had to do with illegal activity. And, she surely didn't want to get involved with any of that.

She continued to eat her chocolate, she was on a higher alert now knowing where she was exactly. She had just hoped she wouldn't come across anything sinful.

The music continued to blast while little Hazel continued to draw her eyes around the area.

She noticed the medical centre she worked at not too far from here. Accurately, a couple of stores down from where she sat.

Movement coming from in front of her had brought her gaze back to her current position.

Three large figures emerged from the exiting doors of the club, the three men wore black suits and appeared to be easily powerful.

While the doors were being held by guards, the men walked out and came closer towards Hazel.

When she was going to instinctively take her eyes away they seemed to have gotten stuck as the guard holding the doors open, hadn't let go.

When Hazel thought the three men from before were large and scary, she was terribly mistaken. A new type of scary or dangerous, formed.

The bodyguards around the area kept their gazes away from the man that had emerged from the exit.

Fear was radiating off the those who recognised him, the man in the tightening black shirt that had rippling biceps from underneath the fabric. The sleeves that rolled up to his elbows with his two hands slid into the pockets of the black slacks.

His form exceeded power, domination and intimidation. Due to the darkness, she couldn't see his face, making him all the less mysterious.

Hazel watched him with curious eyes, the music in her ears fading as she retorted her whole undivided attention to the mysterious man.

He walked up to the three men prior, who now all had cigarettes hanging from their mouths.

Hazel cringed slightly. She hated the way they smelt and even looked.

They stood dangerously close to her, precisely five feet away. They stood to the side, smoking and talking, it seemed.

Out of curiosity, Hazel turned her music down enough so she could hear them.

The sound of one chuckling caught her attention, she removed her eyes from the pavement below her and back towards the men.

Somehow Hazel could tell which one the mysterious man was. He was far much taller and much larger.

He seemed to be at a height of 6'5 whereas the others were around 6'3. He certainly did tower over everyone and he also seemed to be the only one not conversing.

While the other three men talked in deep, hushed tones, he stood behind them leant against the wall, lighting up his own cigarette.

Hazel watched his silhouette move a fraction with his arm raising towards his lips.

A cigarette hung from his mouth as one hand worked with the lighter. The orange flame that appeared had brightened his features and Hazel nearly gasped at what she saw.

Now, it was only for a few seconds, and those few seconds were enough to erupt a desire to see more.

The short glimpse was of his hooded eyes, she couldn't see the colour because they were directed onto the cigarette he was lighting.

But she saw his golden tanned complexion and the perfect shape of plump, full red lips.

With just that small look she was taken aback by the short beauty.

She observed how he calmly inhaled and exhaled the smoke, the fog visible under the dim street light beside him.

"Julius," One of the other men called.

Regrettably, Hazel still hadn't looked away, she was captivated.

But, when the other man called him, he looked up from the ground, and instantly met her eyes.

♛♛♛

Hiiii!

I know the first chapter is short but hope you all still liked it! I just wanted to give you all a quick heads up about what's going to happen with uploads.

I will be uploading 10 chapters after writing and editing them. Uploading dates aren't confirmed so I'm not sure how long it'll take to post, but I do plan on making this book about 30-40 chapters long.

Of course, if this changes, I'll let you know :)

The chapters in this book are also a hell of a lot longer than my regular 2,500-word bank, chapters will be just over 4,000 words.

Thank you for your patience with me, I know it's been a long while but I really didn't want to rush this book or upload once a day, it really fucked my head up. But we're here now and I couldn't be happier to show you the love story of Julius and Hazel.

I love you always,

lei <3