Chapter Five

                                    

                                          


                          
"Ready to go, my dears?" Mitch's stepmother asked her daughters.
                          
"Yes, Mother!" Kirstin answered excitedly. "Oh, I'm so excited!"
                          
"Why? You're never going to be the Prince's wife. Once he lays eyes on me, why would he want you?" Candice spat.

                          
Kirstin scoffed. "I don't know why he'd want to marry someone like you, though. You might be pretty, but your beauty's only skin deep."
                          
Candice made sure to irritate her stepsister by not acknowledging her comment. "I'm ready as well, Mother," Candice sneered.
                          
The stepmother smirked. "Very well. Off to the ball. The carriage is waiting."

"Wait!" Came a shout from the stairs. Mitch's stepmother clenched her teeth as she saw her stepson trotting down the steps. "I'm ready as well, Madame."
                          
Mitch smiled when he saw that his stepmother was fuming. She didn't actually believe that Mitch would be able to find something to wear. She had no intentions at all of letting Mitch attend the ball, but here he was, dressed and ready, as if he was going as well.
                          
"Candice," Mitch's stepmother said. "Isn't that your shirt, sweetheart?"
                          
Candice looked up at Mitch. "Oh my God, it is!" She shrieked. "You stole my shirt, you fag!" Candice stomped over to Mitch and shoved him.
                          
Mitch gasped as he stumbled backward, too frightened to do anything else.
                          
"Stupid, stupid, stupid little pansy!" Candice screamed, shoving him again.
                          
Mitch had never once seen Candice this angry. He felt tears prick the corner of his eyes as Candice began to hit him. She hit him over and over again, probably bruising his arms as she continued to punch him.
                          
Candice shoved him onto the ground and began to repeatedly kick him. "You stupid fag!" She screamed between kicks. "You're such a disgrace to this family!"
                          
Mitch looked at Kirstin with pleading, watery eyes, but Kirstin did nothing. She just stood there, looking petrified.
                          
"Stupid!" Candice shrieked again. She began to pull at Mitch's -- or rather, Candice's -- shirt. She ripped it apart with her manicured fingernails, shredding it and ripping all of the seams. Her nails also scratched Mitch's back, which Mitch assumed was no accident. He hissed at the pain.

                          
"Please stop!" Mitch squeaked, tears rolling down his cheeks. His makeup was running now.
                          
"And you're wearing makeup?" Candice boomed. "I can't believe you! Stupid gay! Stop pretending you're a girl! You're going to die in hell!"
                          
Mitch whimpered, looking at Kirstin again for help. But Kirstin was still stood frozen, too terrified to move.
                          
Candice finally stopped hitting and kicking Mitch long enough for him to stand up again. When he finally got upright, Candice kicked him one last time in the stomach. Mitch doubled over, sobbing at the throbbing pain in his stomach, on his arms, and on his back.
                          
He risked a glance at his stepmother. She was smiling. Sure, she'd forced Mitch to do the chores over and over, but he never thought that she'd allow her daughter to do something so cruel to him. She was even happy about it.
                          
"Let's go then, girls," his stepmother said, her voice even and calm.
                          
Candice regained herself with an inhale, and then waltzed right out of the door, unapologetic of the pain she had caused her stepbrother.
                          
"Mitch..." Kirstin began. But Mitch couldn't stand to hear her voice right now. All he wanted was to be away from this family that never even pretended to love him.