Number 7

"Arnold is pretty good looking, but he's also pretty arrogant. If it weren't for that arrogance, then maybe I would go for a guy like him."

"Ehh? I think it's hot. Hey, do you think I could get with him by the end of the year?"

"The year? It would only take me a month."

"Haha... you guys aim too low."

A group of four girls stood in the hallway, all dressed in excessively revealing outfits.

These girls were plastered with all forms of makeup, and their outfits were clearly flashy fashion statements.

However as they spoke, a blonde girl with short cut hair butt into the conversation, smirking with her cherry red lips.

Pushing down her sunglasses, the girl looked up to the others with mascara covered eyes, confidently speaking.

"I'm planning on making the history teacher my dog by next week."

"Eh?"

"That one, eh? He's really hot. But don't you think you're aiming a bit high, Stella?"

“He is a teacher, after all.”

Turning around, the girl walked off with the flutter of her uniform.

"Hah... as if I could aim too high."

----

'Alright... now I've gone and said it. Now the only thing left is to do it.'

Stella was a bitch.

No, more particularly, she was a student among the popular clique of girls in her class.

She spent countless hours tailoring to her appearance each day, all in order that she could take the top spot in the voracious food chain of high school.

However, that wasn't enough.

'I... have to prove myself.'

'I have to show everyone...'

Holding her right arm with her left hand, the girl gripped herself with a worried expression, lowering her head as worry entered her mind.

'I have to show her... that I'm better.'

----

[2 years ago]

In middle school, Stella was a quiet girl.

She did her schoolwork diligently, and worked hard to make her parents proud.

"Mom, look! I got a B on the math test! Dad, look! I studied really hard-"

"Is that all you can do even when you study?"

With a drink in his hand, barely mumbling and not so much as turning to the girl, the man spoke harsh words.

"Do you think this matters?"

Grabbing the report card from the hands of the girl, Stella's mother walked over with a grimace.

Crumbling it up, she placed it in the trash as she walked off into the kitchen.

"If you want to make us happy, then why don't you stop using so much hot water and save us a little money?"

As a young Stella was faced with these words, her mother passed her by with a large tray in her hands.

"But... I... I worked..."

"Do you think that just because you work for something that it means you've achieved anything?"

"I..."

"HEY!! Where the hell is my food, woman!? How many times do I have to tell you to hurry the fuck up!! And I need a damn refill!!"

Slamming his fist to the table, the man began to shout out in a half drunken manner, slurring his words as he turned to see the woman placing food before him.

"Here you go.", the woman said as she gently placed the meal beside him.

Smack!

Hitting the woman after she placed the meal so that she fell backwards, the man stood up.

"How long was I waiting for that? I'm sick of both of you. Stella. Go to your room. I don't care about what you've done, because you haven't done enough."

Thinning his eyes, the man looked down on the girl with an expression of disdain.

"And you'll never do enough."

Looking down with fear, the girl lightly nodded as she walked off.

'I suppose... I won't be having dinner tonight.'

'Again.'

----

The muffled sounds of beating and the screams of Stella's mother filled her ears as she sat in her room on that night.

It was a regular occurance - one which Stella had accepted as normal.

Gurgle.

The sound of Stella's stomach too filled her ears, forcing her to remember her own hunger.

Holding her stomach, the girl grimaced as she looked to the door that led outside her room.

'I'm trapped.'

'I'm trapped... in this house.'

'And if I leave it... then I won't be able to survive.'

Gurgle.

Stella stood up, heading over to her desk with a pained smile.

'I guess... the only thing I can do now is study... right?'

Picking up a book, the girl begun to flip through it's pages as she found her place.

'That's right... I should study. After all, if I ever want to escape this poverty, then I'll need to study hard and do well... right?'

'Right?'

Stella forced herself to memorize every term in that book on that day, not sleeping until she had finished.

Hours passed.

And eventually, the sounds of beating and the screaming stopped.

Then, bursting into her room, Stella's mother entered without restraint.

Turning around, Stella shut the book as if she had been doing something wrong and was caught in the act.

"M-mom..."

Her mother approached her with a frown, covered in bruises.

"Get over here you little rat."

Grabbing Stella by the hair, the woman grabbed the book from her desk and threw it to the side as she dragged Stella over to the bed.

"Your father was displeased with the cheap meals that I made for him. And the reason for that is because you cost so much."

"M-mom? I... what-"

"Get out."

"Ow ow ow!!"

Dragging the girl by her hair, Stella's mother brought her to the front door of the shack which they called a home.

Then throwing her outside, the woman dusted off her hands with a look of disdain.

"I've had enough of paying for your expenses too. It was too much money to have a child after all. Go sell your body or something if you want to live."

Then, slamming the door, the woman left the sight of Stella.

'Eh?'

'Mom... Dad... what... are you doing?'

'You... you must be joking, right?'

Standing up, Stella found tears welling up as she approached the door.

Then, turning the handle, she realized.

'It's been locked.'

Stella begun to furiously shake on the door, trying to get in.

"Mom!! What are you doing!? Why are you-"

Then, the door opened.

Her father stood before her, a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

He looked down on the girl barely sober, yet even in his drunkenness Stella could make out his expression of complete and utter rejection.

"I thought we kicked you out... maybe you don't understand."

Raising his arm, the man held the bottle above the head of the girl.

"Going on someone's property without permission... is known as trespassing."

Smash!

The bottle broke into pieces as the girl was thrown to the side on the impact, her brain rattled as she was hit.

'Why?'

Blood rushed down the side of her face, and the girl looked up to see the man turning around as he stumbled back into his home.

"And I don't remember giving you permission to be born."

----

Kicked out from a young age, Stella found herself on the streets.

She was alone.

Helpless.

Homeless.

Unloved.

And not wanted by anyone.

She was only 12 years old at the time, and at such a young age even something such as selling her body wasn't an option.

'Even if I found someone like that... surely, they won't be right in the head.'

She was scared and out of options.

Therefore, she gave up.

'I'll... do nothing.'

Stella found herself living in the streets, barely even scraping by to survive.

Scavenging from dumpsters, begging from passerbys, even stealing when she wouldn't get caught.

Such things became common for Stella.

'Ah... I won't ever be able to get into a good college.'

'I won't ever be able to work hard and find a job at this rate.'

'I'll merely... sink further and further.'

'Until I reach the very bottom of society.'

'Ah... but am I not already there?'

However on that day, Sylvia met someone.

'I guess I'll take his wallet.'

Sneaking up to a man who seemed to be very well off, the girl smirked as she stealthily moved behind him, not making a sound.

'I guess I've gotten used to something like this.'

Sliding her hand into his pocket, she grabbed his wallet right from the man's person, sliding it out without disturbing the fabric.

'Got it.'

However as she pulled it out, without even looking at her, the man grabbed the hand of the girl.

"What ever could you think you're doing?"

Turning around, the man, who wore a pristine white suit looked down on the girl with arrogance as he raised his eyebrow, sliding his hand over to take back his wallet and place it back in his own pocket.

"A thief... eh? I haven't seen one of those in a long time. How truly... intriguing."

"Eh?"

The girl should have felt the need to run away, but the actions of the man put her into a state of confusion.

Walking around the girl, the man sized her up, looking down on her as he studied the child.

"Yes... and for a thief to be so young.... ah, that must certainly be the case. You were ABANDONED, were you not?"

"How..."

"How did I know? You must be quite the foolish little girl. Ah, but that only makes even further sense. Simple, simple, simple. So excessively simple, that even having to explain such a thing is laughable. Your clothes. Your rotten state. The way you carry yourself. Everything about you screams UNWANTED."

It was as the man said such harsh words that Stella lost the capability to even move.

For the words hit her right where it hurt.

"You... how..."

Tears formed at the eyes of the girl, flowing down her face as they formed miniature rivers down her cheeks.

"How could you say such a thing right to my face!?"

"The real question is, how are you still alive after living in such a pathetic manner?"

"Shut... shut up!!"

The girl turned to run off, however it was then that she felt a hand grip the top of her head with enough strength to stop her from continuing.

"However... you have done well to survive in such a situation. Therefore, if you would like... I will offer you an opportunity."

The veins of the girl went cold as the man spoke, however she turned around to face him as she wiped her tears, wondering what he could possibly be speaking of.

"An... opportunity?"

"Indeed. An opportunity. Become my child. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a daughter. Not that a street rat like you would make a good child... but I don't believe I would ever be able to find a woman who suits my criteria anyways. Well? What do you say, girl?"

It was a deal beyond suspicious.

Such a strange man in such a strange place - it screamed of ill intent.

However at that moment, Stella was desperate.

She was desperate for love and attention.

After years of living with a drunkard father who cared about nothing but himself, abusing Stella's mother beyond reason, and after having that pent up anger which was ingrained into her mother taken out on Stella herself, she had only ever experienced hardship.

Never once had she experienced love.

Therefore, even if his intentions were ill, the man before her who was offering her a home to stay in was giving her more than her real parents had ever given her.

"I.... accept."

With a shy expression, her head lowered to the ground, Stella quietly voiced this response.

"I see. Excellent. It would seem that I will be able to experience something new in this life. Come then."

Walking forward, the coat of the man fluttered in the wind as he proceeded through that alleyway - not even bothering to wait for Stella to keep up with him.

"There is plenty of work to be done."

----

Stella found herself taken from a life of poverty to a life of riches in an instant.

The change was almost enough to make her hurl, like a rollercoaster that flung one up and down as quickly as one could perceive it.

'Is this... real?'

She found a desk for herself to study, a room filled with all sorts of luxurious trinkets, and an enormous bed all to herself.

'Can such a thing... is this too good to be true? It... has to be.'

As she came to see such riches, Stella became fearful.

'This man... he likely wants something from me.'

'There is nobody in this world who would be so generous without asking for such a heavy price.'

'I... should get out of here.'

"Do you not like it?"

The man asked from behind Stella as she looked around her new room, to which she turned to face the man.

"What do you want from me?", she asked with thinned eyes.

"I said before, did I not? I wish to experience what it would be like to have a daughter. Makeup, clothing, everything you could possibly want should be there. Do as you please. Now then, I have work to do, so I will be off. Ah, I have registered you for school - so prepare for that soon enough."

"School?"

Stella looked to the man with confusion.

"Well of course. School. As in, the place where a fool like you would go to LEARN. I know such a thing is likely a foreign concept to a beggar like yourself, but it is critical to success in any field. Therefore, you must dedicate yourself to your studies. And even if you fail, such a thing will not phase me. After all, you are my ONLY daughter. Therefore... I suppose even if it is a temporary affair, I should treasure my time with you. No?"

"Why would you send me to school? Aren't you going to... I don't know... use me for my body or something?"

"Excuse me?"

The man raised his eyebrow as Stella asked the question, to which his expression became one of complete confusion.

"That would be more than disturbing for someone taking the role of father. Regardless of whatever customs you are accustomed to, that much is beyond disgusting in my opinion. I will have absolutely no part in such activities."

"I..."

Stella found herself trembling as she held her hand to her forehead.

Wiping her tears with her elbow, they refused to stop even as she did so.

"I... don't believe this is real."

"Believe as you will. However you will wake up the next morning, and you will find yourself still stuck in this reality. And then the next morning will come, and you will find that you have still not awoken. And at some point, even if you do not believe it to be real - you will treat this life as real. For that is what it means to live in reality. After all, it is impossible to know whether everything we have experienced is nothing more than a work of our imaginations. No?"

Turning around with a smirk, the man slowly closed the door to the room as he headed off.

"Goodnight... Stella."

With these words, he shut the door, leaving the girl alone in that room.

That night, Stella found herself sticking her face into the most expensive pillow she had ever owned, screaming into it.

"MMMMMMM"

She didn't know what to think.

What to say.

What to do.

Therefore, she screamed.

Yet she screamed in a muffled manner, covering her mouth with that pillow so that not a soul would hear.

Looking up into the sky, the girl rolled around in her bed to realize that the sky was no longer above her.

But rather, there was now a ceiling.

"Who... should I trust?"

With this question, the girl closed her eyes.

Without a doubt, the man was suspicious.

He could have been leading her into a trap.

And if that was the case, then she was already ensnared in it.

'But even if this is a trap...'

Closing her eyes, the girl smiled to herself.

'I suppose I'll let myself enjoy the bait for now.'