Sadly, I didn't know the way to my room as well as I thought I did.

After wandering for a few minutes, I stumbled across a set of stairs leading down to the basement. As tempted as I was to go down there, I decided to respect my family's rules (for now). We all keep secrets; as long as they don't pry into mine, I won't pry into theirs.

I decided to go to the second floor. However, as I was walking, a terrible pain shot up my leg, making me lose my balance. I yelped and fell over, expecting to meet the hardwood of the floor but instead, toppling over into warm arms.

Hastily, I straightened myself and looked up to see Daimen assessing me with an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking down. There would always be a small part of me that's afraid if I'll get a beating.

"It's okay," Daimen said emotionlessly, "where are you going?"

"Um, good question," I admitted to being lost, and Daimen had an amused smirk on his face.

"Follow me."

I did so, and he lead me to a set of 7 doors and told me the rooms ranged from the youngest to the oldest.

"Here's your room," would it kill him to smile just once?

"Thanks," I mumbled and entered it. The room has four black walls and a queen sized bed with white pillows and black covers. There was a wooden desk against one wall and a set of glass double door leading to the balcony. There was a massive bathroom and a walk in wardrobe.

"I take it that you like it?" I whipped around to see Daimen smirking and leaning against the doorframe. I quickly put up my blank mask and nodded mutely, "Dinners in twenty. Get changed and rest for a bit."

I nodded and he left the room. Immediately, I checked the room for hidden cameras and hid my gun under my bed. I decided to take a shower and got dressed in black ripped jeans, a 'death to barbie' shirt, skull pendant and left my hair down.

I breathed deeply when looking into the mirror and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw a broken girl in the reflection. My blue-green eyes looked broken and alone. In a trance, I lifted my shirt up slightly to reveal the ugly looking bruises and words carved into my abdomen.

I heard a knock on my door and I quickly put my shirt down.

"Come in!" I called and Oscar entered. Of course, he's the only one nice enough to knock.

"Hi," he smiled, "came to tell you dinners ready."

"Okay," I replied, grabbing my phone.

"Listen," Oscar began sheepishly, "this is probably pretty new to you and stuff so if you need to talk... don't hesitate to ask me."

I smiled. A proper, genuine one, "Thank you. I will."

Oscar grinned, "Okay. Now, come on, let's go eat!"

X

On the way to the dining room, me and Oscar talked. We chatted and I told him pretty much everything- leaving out the personal parts, of course. In turn, Oscar told me that he plays the guitar and really liked music. He said that he'd teach me sometime.

When we reached the dining room, I gulped.

This is not going to end well.

X

I was right.

We were having spaghetti and the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a blunt knife.

I could tell my family wanted to start a conversation but were unsure how to.

Suddenly, Daimen kicked me in the shins. I ignored him and he did it again, only harder.

Lord, give me patience because if you give me strength, you're gonna need to give me bail money as well, I prayed.

Lisa and David left the room, claiming that they needed to work and I was left alone with my brothers.

"Seriously, what the hell is your problem?!" I snapped at Daimen.

"I'm not doing anything," he smirked and I exhaled deeply, "you know, you act all huffy like you're angry with us and I have no idea why. If anything, we should be upset with you. Mom picked you over us. She tore the family apart. We only took you in because we pity you."

Pity you.

Pity you.

Pity.

You.

I began to laugh. A cold, dead sound that sent shivers down everyone's spine, "God Daimen! You're so thick. If you've been through even half of what I've been through, you wouldn't be complaining. Even though I don't necessarily like you, I wouldn't trade my position for yours for anything in the world.

Because I don't betray my family." And I left the room.

I allowed the tears to flow freely down my face as I made my way to my room. I'm so weak and pathetic. Why did Daimens words affect me so much?

There was only one person who could pull me out of these dark thoughts. Hands shaking, I pulled out my phone and dialled the number. On the third ring, they picked up.

"Iris?"

"Jax," I broke down and began to cry.

"Iris? Iris!" They yelled frantically.

I proceeded to tell him everything. When I was done, Jax began to say some unflattering things about my brothers and began comforting until my tears turned to laughs.

"Hang in there, I'm coming in a few days," he finished.

"Wait, you're coming here?!" I practically squealed. Jax was like my big brother. I told him everything- even the gang and abuse stuff.

"Yep Princess," I could heard the smirk in his voice, "oof I gotta go... difficult prisoner," He was also in a gang.

"M'kay love ya," I smiled and he replied with the same thing.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.