The Times We Had
Serena slammed her raw hand against the cold windowpane. Almost instantly the window flew open and she was lifted through it into the safe arms of her best friend, Darien. Her eye throbbed with pain and her face was smeared with fresh blood and tears. "Sere, I'll go get the cot to sleep on. Do you think I should bring tissues or cloths for your face?" Darien whispered.
"Cloths. And ice." Serena sobbed as she touched another new bruise.
When her ebony haired friend returned with the said items, Serena quickly cleaned up the blood with the cloth, and pressed the ice to her multi coloured eye. "What was it this time?" Darien asked bitterly as soon as the disheveled girl collected herself.
Serena hesitated. "I was late home from school today because I got detention. When he got home, I…"
Darien looked up at her when she paused. "You?"
"He beat me." The tears began to well up again and a lump caught in her throat, "I didn't get my chores done… and he got mad."
Darien pulled Serena close to him and he could feel her body trembling with fear. "It's okay Sere." He kissed the top of her head gently, "But why don't we call…"
Serena pulled away violently and cut him off, "No. No, no! I won't call the police! Mom did that last time, but Dad just beat on her too when they left."
"But Sere you have to do something about this. One of these days someone's going to get killed!" Darien was starting up an old argument that had gone on for years.
The girl looked up at him, her face was numbed from the soothing coolness of the ice. She suddenly turned away, her face pained with a burden. Darien caught her chin in his fingers, "What is it?" He said softly.
She looked at him knowingly. "You have to promise you won't tell…"
"Okay…"
"You know that murder that happened a few months ago, behind the…"
Darien's heart started to slam against his rib cage. He was living next door to a murderer. His best friend's father was a murderer. "Dare?"
"Sere, you can't just keep quiet about this."
"I have to!" Serena screamed.
A banging on the front door caused them both to freeze in complete terror. Serena clutched Darien's hand hard and she started to whimper softly. "You know what to do." He said simply as he went for the door.
She tiptoed quickly across the blue shag carpet floor, and into Darien's walk in closet. In the ceiling of the closet there were pull down stairs that went into the attic. Serena grabbed the string with her pale hands and climbed the stairs silently. She pulled the stairs up behind her, and brought the string up as well, so that only she could open it.
After what seemed like decades, she heard footsteps that came into the room. "Sere, it's okay. He's gone."
Serena dropped the stairs slightly to make sure it was Darien and then came down. "What did he…"
"He thought you might be here. He said that you had ran away because Sammy hit you in the face." Darien snorted on the last sentence.
"How dare he blame it on Sammy!"
"Sere, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up in the morning when I hear your Dad's truck leave for work."
Serena nodded, then curled up into Darien's warm bed while he slept on the cot. She closed the window, locked it, and shut the curtains so that no one could see her here. She fell asleep feeling safe. Darien always made her feel safe. His pillow had his scent laced through it, and she fell asleep peacefully.
For it was the morning she dreaded, but she knew tomorrow for sure she would wake up alive. Other times she had never been so sure.
AU: Hello everyone! What do you think? What will happen to Serena and her torn family? I need 5 reviews to post the next chapter!
Serena slammed her raw hand against the cold windowpane. Almost instantly the window flew open and she was lifted through it into the safe arms of her best friend, Darien. Her eye throbbed with pain and her face was smeared with fresh blood and tears. "Sere, I'll go get the cot to sleep on. Do you think I should bring tissues or cloths for your face?" Darien whispered.
"Cloths. And ice." Serena sobbed as she touched another new bruise.
When her ebony haired friend returned with the said items, Serena quickly cleaned up the blood with the cloth, and pressed the ice to her multi coloured eye. "What was it this time?" Darien asked bitterly as soon as the disheveled girl collected herself.
Serena hesitated. "I was late home from school today because I got detention. When he got home, I…"
Darien looked up at her when she paused. "You?"
"He beat me." The tears began to well up again and a lump caught in her throat, "I didn't get my chores done… and he got mad."
Darien pulled Serena close to him and he could feel her body trembling with fear. "It's okay Sere." He kissed the top of her head gently, "But why don't we call…"
Serena pulled away violently and cut him off, "No. No, no! I won't call the police! Mom did that last time, but Dad just beat on her too when they left."
"But Sere you have to do something about this. One of these days someone's going to get killed!" Darien was starting up an old argument that had gone on for years.
The girl looked up at him, her face was numbed from the soothing coolness of the ice. She suddenly turned away, her face pained with a burden. Darien caught her chin in his fingers, "What is it?" He said softly.
She looked at him knowingly. "You have to promise you won't tell…"
"Okay…"
"You know that murder that happened a few months ago, behind the…"
Darien's heart started to slam against his rib cage. He was living next door to a murderer. His best friend's father was a murderer. "Dare?"
"Sere, you can't just keep quiet about this."
"I have to!" Serena screamed.
A banging on the front door caused them both to freeze in complete terror. Serena clutched Darien's hand hard and she started to whimper softly. "You know what to do." He said simply as he went for the door.
She tiptoed quickly across the blue shag carpet floor, and into Darien's walk in closet. In the ceiling of the closet there were pull down stairs that went into the attic. Serena grabbed the string with her pale hands and climbed the stairs silently. She pulled the stairs up behind her, and brought the string up as well, so that only she could open it.
After what seemed like decades, she heard footsteps that came into the room. "Sere, it's okay. He's gone."
Serena dropped the stairs slightly to make sure it was Darien and then came down. "What did he…"
"He thought you might be here. He said that you had ran away because Sammy hit you in the face." Darien snorted on the last sentence.
"How dare he blame it on Sammy!"
"Sere, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up in the morning when I hear your Dad's truck leave for work."
Serena nodded, then curled up into Darien's warm bed while he slept on the cot. She closed the window, locked it, and shut the curtains so that no one could see her here. She fell asleep feeling safe. Darien always made her feel safe. His pillow had his scent laced through it, and she fell asleep peacefully.
For it was the morning she dreaded, but she knew tomorrow for sure she would wake up alive. Other times she had never been so sure.
AU: Hello everyone! What do you think? What will happen to Serena and her torn family? I need 5 reviews to post the next chapter!