Flashback to one month ago…

"You stupid whore! I know you're staying out late, who the fuck are you with all the time?!"

Sara Clement bit her lip and forced herself not to cry. She was out with Emy, a long time friend, drinking a few beers at a bar. She needed to take a break. Her relationship with her husband of seven years had taken a toll for the worst when he was laid off his job four years ago. When she walked through the door, Sara had a clear idea of what she would be arriving to: Her husband, Jack, drunk off his ass on Jack Daniels, abusive words and punches soon to follow. She was right.

"I-I was just out with Emy, dear. I promise it was only her", she muttered. The 29-year old knew how this night would end up, but she couldn't risk any more damage, the last "episode" still clear and prominent on her left rib cage from last week. She leaned against the bookshelf, stacked with her books to the brim, and made no eye contact.

A few rough steps were taken and she was thrown on the ground with a grunt. This was nothing, she told herself, this she could handle. He straddled her torso, his legs trapping her arms in. His dirty clothes rubbed up against her clean, neatly ironed ones. Jack's grip came to her hair tight, slamming her head back on the ground. She yelped, the tears so close to falling down.

"You think I don't think how Emy looks at you? How she feels about US?!", he snarled as he slammed her head on the ground. She gasped at the sudden pain, the tears leaking out. "You're good for nothing, you stupid, filthy whore."

"Ja-Jack please, not tonight, p-please", she begged him. Her hopeful, teary eyes looked up to meet his red, angry ones. He clenched and raised his fist. That was a mistake, she thought.

And that's all she remembered before it all went black.

She realized that she was not home when she woke up. With her eyes still closed, she could hear a rhythmic beeping somewhere, and the place smelled sterilized- like hand sanitizer. Sara could feel something in her mouth, and when she tried to mover her arms to pull whatever it was that was there, she groaned in pain. That's when she heard Emy.

"Sara! You're awake! Can I have a nurse in here? Doctor!", her friend yelled hysterically out the door.

Sara's eyes opened groggily, displeased with the bright fluorescent lights above her.

Jack had gone too far. With a bruised rib cage, cuts on her lips, eyebrows, a few on the bottom for her skull (how the HELL did he even get there?), and neck, bruised thighs and hip bones- Sara woke up at the hospital two days later.

Emy rushed to her side in a blink, holding her hand and brushing the hair out of her eyes. "It's gonna be okay, Sare, just hold on."

~Present day

Sara sighed as she stared out the window of her friend Stacy's LA apartment, the view of the city nearly taking her breath away. She thought of the last month, of how her life turned upside down in just a matter of days.

She managed to somehow leave Montreal and her abusive soon-to-be-ex behind, but was now illegally in the States. Once she arrived to New York with one suitcase, her guitar strapped to her back and all her life savings in her messenger bag, she gave her childhood friend, Stacy, a call. Stacy, blessed be her soul, bought her a one way ticket to LA and invited her to live with her while she settled down.

So here she was, with an expired tourist visa for the glorious United States and all the money she had managed to get from her old bank teller job, rooming with a girl who was too kind for her own good.

"Sara, you will be okay, you know. It may not look like it right now, but you will be." Stacy had appeared back from her room, dressed in grey sweats and a black tank top. The model walked closer to her small friend and laid a comforting hand on her bicep. Sara looked down at her oversized turquoise sweater and black ripped skinny jeans. Much unlike her, she shuffled forward and laid her head on the taller girl's shoulder. Her sigh turned into a whimper, and soon enough, core shaking sobs.

Stacy wrapped her arms around Sara softly, not wanting to cause her discomfort and rubbed her back, waiting for her friend to calm down. Stacy met Sara when they were in junior high, Stacy's dad's job making them move from place to place every four years or so. They were in eighth grade when they met, inseparable ever since.

About ten minutes passed before Sara pulled away, wiping away at the tears falling from her puffy eyes. Her friend held her hand and led them to the couch, sitting both of them down. The smaller of the two rested her head on her friend's shoulder, sighing. "I need a job, Stace. I'm not a citizen but I need a job. Maybe like... A house-keeper or cleaning job. Something to take my mind off things."

"Sare you don't ha-"

"I do", she interrupted. "You were kind and lovely enough to let me stay here. I have some money left but it isn't much. Jack didn't like me working too much, but I have what I have. It will run out soon. Let me do this, Stacy. Please."

Her friend bit her lip and mulled it over. After some hesitation, she agreed. "Okay, Sare. I have a friend, Tegan Quin, and she ne-"

"Tegan Quin as the Tegan Quin? As in world famous rockstar Tegan Quin!?", she interrupted, again.

"Yes, that's the one. Either way, she needs a house-keeper. We were talking two days ago, and she said that she needed someone to help her around the house while she's off tour and writing this year. I can give her a call, if you want."

"Yes, please! But how do you even know her?", Sara inquired.

"I did a photo shoot a few years ago with her, I was an extra. I actually spilled my drink on her top when we were done. So embarrassing, but she's really humble and friendly. Kind, too. But you're sure you want me to give her a call?"

"Wow. That's out of this world. I mean... Wow." Sara had been a fan of Tegan Quin since she released her album, The Con, in 2008. Seven years later and she still loved her music. "And yeah, okay. I would really love it if you could give her a call, Stace. I can't ever thank you enough."

Stacy smiled down at her tiny friend. She ran her hand through her hair. "Of course, Sara. Anything for you. But now for an even greater question… Who's the world's best friend?",s he smirked.

Sara threw her head back and laughed a real laugh. It felt good to laugh, she thought. It's definitely been way too long. She smiled at her friend and nodded towards her. Stacy smiled at her, happy that she could make her laugh like that.

Maybe it will be okay, Sara decided. Just maybe.