We were in the car on our way to the family picnic.
It was another of dad's stupid ideas.
The only thing I liked about it was if I kept my distance from the family, they usually got the idea that I wanted to be alone.
Oh yeah, I also liked the fact that dad eagerly encouraged family members to bring their friends.
So really, it was more of a family/friends picnic instead of just a family picnic. But that was fine with me, 'cause either way I'd still wanna be alone.

The beautifully coloured lime-green grass was so soft under my bare feet; I could close my eyes and believe I was walking on a cloud.
I had taken my shoes off because they were heals and were really painful after six hours of being worn.
I sat down and leaned against a huge tree.
The bark was hard and rough but where I was leaning there was a dint in the tree which was a perfect shape for my back.
It was reasonably comfortable, as far as trees go anyway.
I closed my eyes and focused on relaxing.
Just as it started to work I heard the faint noise of footsteps.

As the footsteps gradually got louder then stoped, I reluctantly and very unhappily opened my eyes.
The light was bright and the human shaped figures standing in front of me were staring down at me.
I couldn't help but think don't hurt me! As if one of the strangers could read my mind he said "Relax, we come in peace."
I stupidly and uncontrollably laughed.
The brightness dimmed and I saw their faces.
The guy who spoke was in the front and was giving me a sexy-crooked smile.
He looked tall but probably 'cause I was sitting down.
He was very well built with tight, big muscles that looked as though they would tear through his shirt any second.
His skin was a perfect tan colour.
He had summer-sky-blue eyes and sexy, shaggy-blonde hair.
He looked about 17. Wow, my age. Hope he's not gay. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt that shaped his figure well with dark blue jeans and black Nikes.

As all these thoughts rushed through my head a scraping noise burst through my wondering mind.
I looked to my right to see the mysterious stranger sliding down to sit next to me.
He was giving me that same smile I was already getting used to.
It was weird. We'd only just met but I was feeling as though these guys were my friends.
How weird is that? I gave him a nervous smile and he laughed. He leaned a little closer to me and whispered,

"Hey, the names Ricki. What's yours?"

"Nicki, names Nicki"

"Well Nicki, I'm free." I didn't understand. Didn't he just say his name was Ricki? Now he's free? What the hell?

"Free? What 'ya mean free?" He leaned in a little closer.
"I mean I'm single, available. You know, alone."
That already familiar smile appeared again.
I was flattered. He only knew my name and was already hitting on me.
"Am I not allowed to hit on you when you look so hot?"
He did it again! How in the hell was he doing it?
And what did he mean hot? I was not hot. I had layered dead-straight brown hair that was below my shoulders with a side fringe, milk-chocolate brown eyes and naturally tanned skin.
I was wearing my black short-shorts and my navy-blue-spaghetti-strap singlet with nothing covering my feet.
It was pretty hot out here. Maybe he meant hot as in temperature wise?

"I don't mean temperature, I- I mean we- think you're hot. Looks wise."
This guy was unbelievable. I could feel my cheeks getting hotter every time he looked at me.
(This was about every 3 seconds so far) Was he like this with every girl he talked to?

"Nope, just you." He gave me that smile again and I cracked.

"How are you doing that? Do you have this super ability that makes you read minds or something?
It's really annoying!" if he could read my mind… Oh shit! He knows I think he's hot! Shit! Shit! Shit! I could say my cheeks were as hot as lava, but that would be an understatement.

"Actually, I can read minds. How'd you know?" What a stupid question.

"You've been answering the questions that I have been asking in my mind for the past three minutes!
And that smile you keep giving me makes me believe that you like what you're hearing." I was so pissed off.
How could this guy read my mind, find out what I was thinking, answer my thoughts then act all cool and hit on me? I heard laughter.
I took my eyes off mind-reading Ricki and looked at his friends. They were all sitting and starring at us.
There was something weird about them but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
For some reason I felt as though I was the only thing they cared about which was weird 'cause they had only been here for about five minutes and I had spent the whole time talking to Ricki.

"Sorry, we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Hey, I'm Ricki. Close; I'm 18, I'm not gay, I think you're hot too and I was wondering if you'd like to go out some time?" wow, this guy was really laying it on thick.
"Do you have no fear of rejection at all?"

"Nope, why? Should I?" he answered giving me a sly but cheeky grin.

"Ugh, well, I guess." The guy seemed hot, but that didn't necessarily mean he was smart.
"Yeah, wrong foot. Hey the names Nicki, I'm 17, I'm not gay, I think you're hot as you already know and yeah, sure, I'd like to go out some time."
That triggered something inside all of us 'cause we sat there for at least two or three hours talking, laughing and getting to know each other.
Ricki lived with all the guys at a "mansion" with his sister and her best friend Kylie.
I eventually learned the other guy's names.
There was Tom, Zac, Jensen, Taylor, Dougie and Cody. They were all there and having a great time.
Just like me. Cody was about half-way through his supposedly "totally sick makes-you-need-to-pee-'ya-pants" joke when dad walked over.

I could tell he was drunk. He couldn't even walk straight.
I guess he was havin' a really good time at the picnic.
As he drunkenly stumbled over, Cody stopped talking and stared at dad.
Everyone else turned around and caught sight of my drunken father.
Great, he'd come to ruin my fun, as usual.
See, every time I hang out with someone he has to make sure that it's not fun.
I hate it and I hate him. Especially when he's drunk.
If he's drunk and angry he can get abusive and I mean abusive.
And he looked angry now.
Holy shit. I hope he doesn't hit me. I hate it when he hits me. It's like getting a million elephants stomping on your face, one by one, over and over and being able to feel every bone in your face break.
He walked straight up to me and stopped about a foot in front of my feet.
His eyes were bloodshot as hell and he couldn't stand up straight with out putting his hand against the tree.
"Nicki, what the hell are you doing? You know I don't like you talking to guys with out supervision!"
His voice was hard and harsh even though he was hammered. He stepped a little closer and I flinched.
He bent forward and his hands became iron bars of pain around my already bruised wrist from last time he beat me.
I screamed as his grip tightened and I felt like any second I would hear a snap that indicated that he had broken my wrist.
I tried to pull away but his grip only tightened.
Snap! There it was. That one sound that filled my whole arm with an unbelievably agonizing pain.

I screamed again and swung my right hand up and knocked him a good one in the jaw. He let go of my wrist and staggered back, but that didn't do anything.
It just made him angrier.
He ran towards me with his fists in the air and screamed,

"Nicki, you fuckin stupid seventeen year old slut! How dare you hit your father! I'm gonna make you pay!"
as his words ended, the punching of my face began.
He didn't stop until I was crying and screaming for him to stop. His fists retreated and I bolted.
I heard the noise of Ricki calling my name and he sounded close. I didn't stop until I was across the oval and far, far away from the picnic.
I leaned against another tree. My face was one big, round lump of heat and it still had the feeling of dad punching me.
He must have gotten about seven punches in at least and broken my nose. I could feel warm, smooth liquid running from my nose, over my dry lips and down my chin.
My face was swelling up like a balloon already.
I sank down into the grass. I lay down on my stomach, rested my head on my right arm and wept.
I was like that for about a minute before I heard Ricki's voice. It was smooth and gentle, as if he was going to try and comfort me.
Was he? "Nicki, you ok? Looked like he hit you pretty dam hard."He sat down beside my stretched out body and was quiet for a little while.

"How could you just stand there and watch him beat the shit outta me? I mean, it's not like you were behind a glass wall or something!"
I stopped, took a breath to calm down, and then continued.
"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" My voice was filled with tears.
Tears that I was uncontrollably shedding and urgently wiping away.
I probably looked like shit. I stopped crying, got up and sat against the tree.
Then I started crying again.
During that time Ricki had pulled me closer to him and let me put my hands around his waist and squeeze tight.
Right then it didn't matter that I'd only known him two or three hours and that my arm filled up with dam right evil stabbing pains centring from my broken wrist.
What mattered was that some one was there to comfort me after my dad beat me. I'd never had that happen before.
The comfort part. He'd beat me all the time, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He'd always beat me, than leave me alone to cry unattractively.
This was the first time that some one had come after me once I was beaten to make me feel better.
It felt weird, but good. We were like that for about ten minutes, Ricki and me. We just sat there.
Me clinging on to him and crying as he rubbed my back and told me,

"You don't have to live like that any longer."
That got my attention. My head jerked up and hit his chin. I loosened my grip on him so I could look up and see his face.
It was still smooth and gentle but with a hint of both anger and seriousness in his eyes.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" my voice was croaky and dry from crying so much.

"It means that if you want, you could stay with us. We have heaps of rooms, and you'd be welcome to stay.
There'd be no abuse, it'd be the opposite.
You'd be part of a big ol' happy family. What 'ya think?" the offer was tempting.
I already knew pretty much everyone that lived there.
I'd just have to meet his sister, Stevie, I think it was. And her best friend Kylie.
I could go home, pack, meet them some where and they'd take me to my new home.
Wait a minute.
You've only known this guy for two or three hours. He could be a criminal for all you know! Jesus Nicki, what are you thinking?

I ignored the voice in my head. "Sounds better than my home life.
Yeah, sure. I'll go home, pack… where will I meet you guys?"

"No need to meet us anywhere. We have cars you know. Walk back with me. We'll tell everyone you're movin' in and well go to your place. You can pack then we'll go straight to your "new" home. K?"
it was amazing. Ricki had only known me not even 24 hours and he was already trying to solve my major problem. I was so grateful.

"Why are you doing this? I mean, I'm grateful and all, but I don't see why your helping me. We've only know each other, what, two or three hours? And you're already saving me. Why?"
I had to know. You gotta admit, if you were in my position, you'd ask too.

"Let's just say, I know what you're going through. It's tough and if I were you, I'd run away and live somewhere I know there won't be any beatin'. We'll be a family. A good and lovin' family. Sound good to ya'?"
actually, it did. I noticed that while he spoke to me, he was looking over at the other side of the oval and he had spoken through clenched jaws.

"Sounds great. Uh, thanks. I mean, you didn't have to do this and yet you have. How can I make it up to you?"

"Just be your self. I don't want you to think you have to pretend, just to fit in. look at the past couple of hours.
Before your dad showed up, we were all havin' a grand ol' time."
As soon as he finished speaking, I let go of him and practically leapt up off the ground with eagerness.
I couldn't believe it. For once, I wasn't going to be someone's punching bag when they were drunk.
I'd be in a place where everyone would be happy and friendly. Even family like. I'd be in a loving environment.
Friends love, not real love. I hope. Or do I? I mean, it's not like I'd be dating my biological family member.
Yeah, the place would be my home, but it would be the home you come home to when you live with your friends. Right?

Way to go Nicki! Ya finally getting ya ass out of that prison you call a home! I bent down, grabbed Ricki's hand and practically hauled him to his feet.
His shocked expression made me giggle. For some reason he didn't let go of my hand when we were walking, but I didn't mind.
Just then I realised he was tall.
It wasn't just 'cause I'd been sitting down; he could of easily been six ' five and it was comforting to know that this guy was my friend and I didn't know if it was just me, but it seemed as though he made me feel small, but protected.
I didn't know if I liked that or not yet.
It didn't take long to get back to the group. When they realised we were behind them they turned around and looked so relieved to see us. Weird.
Their faces quickly changed from relief to a mix between shock and anger. "What? What you guys all starrin' at?"

"Ya face. It's swollen and bruised. Can you even see properly?"
Jensen's voice was full of both anger and concern. Now that I thought about it, my vision had slimmed down majorley.
I could only see directly in front of me. I didn't want to speak, so I just shook my head.
He must have thought there was something else wrong 'cause he leapt up off his ass, raced over to me with incredible speed and- go figure- hugged me.
He held me in his hard but gentle grip for at least a minute before his grip loosened a little, he leaned back so he could get a good look at me, sighed then let me go.
I couldn't help myself. What the fuck? I looked to my right to see Ricki glowering at Jensen.
Wonder why? "Will you tell 'em or will I?" Ricki's voice broke through the awkward silence that Jensen's hug left, lingering behind.
Once again, I didn't want to speak so I just shook my head.

"Okay, well, guys…we have a new member. I offered for Nicki to stay with us and she accepted.
Guess she was really desperate to get out of…What you call it Nicki? Prison?" I just nodded.
Every one laughed. He must have thought there was something else was wrong as well, 'cause he gave me a concerned look and draped his arm around my shoulders. "Anyway, were gonna go to her place, so she get all her stuff to come live with us-''Waite a secon'.
Where would all my stuff go? Ricki must have read my mind again.

"Don't worry; all our rooms are fully furnished."

"And they're huge. You'll 'ave plenty a room. When all ya stuff's away, you'll feel as though ya rooms empty."
Tom laughed. It wasn't a bitter laugh; it was a laugh of pure happiness. I was glad I made them happy.
They all got to their feet and we started walking. Ricki kept his arm draped over my shoulders as we walked to their cars.
The air was filled with an uncomfortable silence, translation: it was completely awkward, but I didn't know why.
Ricki's arm was warm and heavy on my slumped shoulders and as we walked it seemed as though he was trying to slowly, awkwardly, get closer to me if that was even possible 'cause at that moment my side was touching his.
Every now an then I'd side-glance at him and catch him staring at me. I smiled at him and I swear I saw him blush.
This guy was weird.