"Numiko, is that you?" Sachi asked, fear emanating from her voice.
She hoped her parents hadn't heard the phone ring that would only make
things worse for her.
"Yeah, it's me," her best friend answered worriedly, then she asked, "Is something wrong over there Sachi?" She knew full well that if Sachi was this freaked her parents had to be fighting again. Numiko hated that Sachi's parents did that to her, but she didn't know what to do. She hoped that her calling wouldn't end up hurting her best friend even more than what was coming to her.
"Yeah," Sachi choked out. "My parents are fighting again, and they always drag me into it, no matter what. Somehow it always ends up being my fault, and then I get punished for something. Usually I don't even know what started the fight, and I'm just a scapegoat for them to take their frustrations out on. I don't want to stay here, I'm so scared Numiko. I don't know what to do, but I can't stay here..."
"Sachi I want you to get over here now!! I'm serious. They could end up hurting you even more if you don't get over here soon!! I'll meet you halfway so you won't have to go the whole way alone. I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you, but please get out of there! You have to get over here!"
"I can't do that! You know they'll come looking for me at your house. It'll be the first place they'll go to, and then when they find me I'll be in even more trouble! Besides, I'm on the second floor, I can't easily escape this place," Sachi said, crying.
Numiko was furious that her parents would do this, but she wasn't surprised. It happened so often, and she often had to stick up for her friend at school because of the constant bruises and cuts that continued to show up on her face and body. She was blessed with kind, loving parents, who knew about Sachi's situation and were eagerly willing to help out whenever possible. Numiko knew that her parents wouldn't mind if Sachi showed up, even if she didn't have a scratch on her. Actually, that would make them happier; to know that she had been rescued before her parents had gotten to her. Then Numiko heard a voice on the other end.
"Sachi!!!" her mother screamed up the stairs. "Get down here now! We need you to help us with this little disagreement!"
Sachi was petrified, and stayed rooted to the spot. If her mom had to come upstairs after her... she didn't want to think about that.
"Sachi," came a calming voice from the other end of the phone, which snapped her out of her reveries. "Please, before they have to come up there..."
"Okay Numiko, but only if you promise to meet me at our halfway point," Sachi whispered into the receiver, waiting for an answer.
She couldn't wait for long though, so as soon as she heard Numiko say, "Deal," she hung up the phone and began to crawl out of the window, praying that her parents wouldn't come up there soon. She heard her mother call to her again, but this didn't stop her, and she finished jumping down from the second story and landing calmly outside in the rain. Only seconds after that she decided to run off before she had a chance of being caught.
Soon she was at the cherry blossom tree that her and Numiko always met at, and she saw her friend walking towards her. A small smile spread across Sachi's features and her entire body seemed to relax from the relief of seeing her friend coming.
Arms suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her into a tight hug. Numiko was always there for her, and this was no exception. The grip was loosened, but Sachi held it in her mind for the most desperate of times. "Shall we?"
Sachi looked up and saw Numiko pointing towards her house, and she nodded. The two friends raced off towards the house, unaware of the pending danger that seemed to follow them.
"Yeah, it's me," her best friend answered worriedly, then she asked, "Is something wrong over there Sachi?" She knew full well that if Sachi was this freaked her parents had to be fighting again. Numiko hated that Sachi's parents did that to her, but she didn't know what to do. She hoped that her calling wouldn't end up hurting her best friend even more than what was coming to her.
"Yeah," Sachi choked out. "My parents are fighting again, and they always drag me into it, no matter what. Somehow it always ends up being my fault, and then I get punished for something. Usually I don't even know what started the fight, and I'm just a scapegoat for them to take their frustrations out on. I don't want to stay here, I'm so scared Numiko. I don't know what to do, but I can't stay here..."
"Sachi I want you to get over here now!! I'm serious. They could end up hurting you even more if you don't get over here soon!! I'll meet you halfway so you won't have to go the whole way alone. I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you, but please get out of there! You have to get over here!"
"I can't do that! You know they'll come looking for me at your house. It'll be the first place they'll go to, and then when they find me I'll be in even more trouble! Besides, I'm on the second floor, I can't easily escape this place," Sachi said, crying.
Numiko was furious that her parents would do this, but she wasn't surprised. It happened so often, and she often had to stick up for her friend at school because of the constant bruises and cuts that continued to show up on her face and body. She was blessed with kind, loving parents, who knew about Sachi's situation and were eagerly willing to help out whenever possible. Numiko knew that her parents wouldn't mind if Sachi showed up, even if she didn't have a scratch on her. Actually, that would make them happier; to know that she had been rescued before her parents had gotten to her. Then Numiko heard a voice on the other end.
"Sachi!!!" her mother screamed up the stairs. "Get down here now! We need you to help us with this little disagreement!"
Sachi was petrified, and stayed rooted to the spot. If her mom had to come upstairs after her... she didn't want to think about that.
"Sachi," came a calming voice from the other end of the phone, which snapped her out of her reveries. "Please, before they have to come up there..."
"Okay Numiko, but only if you promise to meet me at our halfway point," Sachi whispered into the receiver, waiting for an answer.
She couldn't wait for long though, so as soon as she heard Numiko say, "Deal," she hung up the phone and began to crawl out of the window, praying that her parents wouldn't come up there soon. She heard her mother call to her again, but this didn't stop her, and she finished jumping down from the second story and landing calmly outside in the rain. Only seconds after that she decided to run off before she had a chance of being caught.
Soon she was at the cherry blossom tree that her and Numiko always met at, and she saw her friend walking towards her. A small smile spread across Sachi's features and her entire body seemed to relax from the relief of seeing her friend coming.
Arms suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her into a tight hug. Numiko was always there for her, and this was no exception. The grip was loosened, but Sachi held it in her mind for the most desperate of times. "Shall we?"
Sachi looked up and saw Numiko pointing towards her house, and she nodded. The two friends raced off towards the house, unaware of the pending danger that seemed to follow them.