I sat in my room, on my small, lumpy mattress, waiting for my step-father to come in. Me and his son, Billy, had just gotten in trouble. We were fighting, again. We were always fighting. Ever since his Dad and my Mom got together, it's been this way. I hated it.
Billy was two years older than me, making him nineteen. He wants to run away, he wants to live his life, but his Dad won't let him. All that is between them, I don't know much about it, but Billy always takes his anger out on me. Not physically, he just yells at me and calls me names. Billy would never touch a woman like that, not to hurt them, no matter how much they made him mad. The worst he's ever done to me, is pull my hair, and he's actually apologized for it afterwards, which is rare. Billy's rarely nice to me.
Me and Billy sat side by side, our arms touching, as we stayed silent, the only sound was the heavy wind outside making the leaves of the potted plants rustle.
"Shut up woman, let me handle this!" Billy's father yelled from the top of the stairs, and Billy tensed up. His father's been angry before, but I've never heard him yell at my Mom like that. Of course, it was ten o'clock that night and Billy's Dad always went out at around eight. He must of come home early tonight.
"I didn't expect him to come home this early," Billy said quietly, more to himself than to me.
I looked over at him briefly before turning my head back to the door when I heard heavy booted footsteps stomping their way towards my bedroom. I swallowed thickly, not knowing what to expect.
"What's going to happen, Billy?" I asked.
I expected him to tell me to shut up, but he just stared at the door nervously and shrugged. He knew what would happen, but it's like he was afraid to tell me.
Then, my bedroom door burst open and there stood Billy's Dad, Patrick. Me and Billy both flinched and stared at that Patrick nervously. Billy swallowed thickly, nervously as his Dad stepped forward a little bit.
"Billy, explain to me what happened," He spoke, "It better be good. I didn't leave the bar early for anything stupid did I?"
"Uh… N-no sir," Billy stuttered nervously.
"Then spill it, boy!" He yelled at his son angrily, making me and Billy both flinch.
"Well, you see, Dad, I—"
"Don't call me that! What have I told you about calling me that?!" Patrick screamed. What the hell was his problem?
"Sorry sir, the reason you're home early is because, when I was trying to help Dawn with dinner, Leah here tried telling me what to do, and what I was doing was wrong, and—"
"And did you ever stop to think what you were doing WAS wrong?" Patrick asked, seemingly calmer as he crossed his arms, his eyes just barely staying open as he slurred over his words. He was deadbeat drunk.
"Well, no sir, I—"
"Enough of that, boy! Come here!" Patrick cried, letting his arms fall down by his sides.
Billy flinched and clenched his fists in his lap, nervously looking up at his father. But he didn't move.
"Billy… What did I say?" Patrick snapped, his teeth clenched together as he tried to suppress anger, but Billy just sat there, looking down at the floor in between Patrick's feet, as if he was mentally cutting the floor below him with a saw, "God damn it, when I give you an order, you obey it!"
Patrick marched over to Billy and grabbed his ear hard and pulled him up to his feet, making me gasp at the force he used to grab Billy. It must of hurt, because Billy cried out and winced in pain, his shoulders scrunching as his father pulled him along towards the door, but Billy mustered up a little bit of courage and pushed his father by the stomach away from him.
He stepped back and held his ear as he glared at his father nervously, yet angrily, "You didn't let me finish! We just got into a little bit of an argument, that's all!"
"Oh, so it's both of your doing?" Patrick asked, looking over at me.
"Well… No, but—"
"Yes! It's my fault, too," I suddenly cut in, not wanting to see Billy take the blame for all of this. We may hate each other, but nobody deserved this kind of treatment, I could at least help a little.
"Really?" Patrick said, stepping towards me, a sly, devious smile played across his lips.
"Y-yes sir," I stuttered, scooting back on my bed a little bit as he stepped closer.
"Then I guess you deserve a punishment, too," He said, chuckling a little. That sick bastard.
"Y-you're not going to hurt me, a-are you?" I asked, swallowing thickly.
"No, of course not," He smiled, "Come here."
He reached for me, but I shrunk back a little bit.
"Come here, Leah, you know I'd never hurt a lady, come here," He said calmly, trying to convince me.
He grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me towards him. I fought back a little, but in the end, he was stronger. He pulled me to my feet and looked down at my face weirdly. This felt weird. He then reached his hand up to my face and stroked my cheek. I tried pushing him away, but he gripped my wrist tighter and pulled me closer. He then, disgustingly, pushed his foul tasting mouth against mine. I groaned and pushed at his chest, but he was stronger. He ran his free hand up my side and to my breast. That was the last straw.
"Get off of her, you son of a bitch!" Billy suddenly screamed, tackling his father off of me.
I gasped for air and felt tears sting my eyes. Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened. That was the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my short life. I covered my mouth to try and suppress a sob. I was then knocked out of my thoughts when I heard a loud, choking sound. I looked down and saw Patrick was on top of Billy, strangling him.
I gasped and looked around for anything to stop this, that's when I spotted a glass bottle on the table next to my bedroom door. Patrick must of brought it in when he came inside. I dashed over to it and grabbed it before running over to Patrick and, without a second thought, smashed it over his head.
Patrick cried out in pain and released Billy before rolling off of him and gripping the back of his head.
"Billy, are you alright?" I cried, tears streaming down my pale cheeks.
He choked and coughed for a few more moments before he fought up the strength to stand. He looked at me and rested a hand on my arm, causing me to flinch, afraid he was going to hurt me like his father did, but he didn't.
"Leah, get out of here. Now," He ordered.
"But—"
"No buts, just go! Out the window and down the escape hatch!" He kept barking orders.
"Where will I go?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter, just get as far away from here as possible!" He commanded.
"What about you?" I asked, actually worried for his wellbeing. This was a new feeling.
"I'll be fine, I've dealt with this before. Just go!" He pushed me towards the window.
I opened it and pulled my legs through it before looking back at Billy, "Will you try to come find me?"
"I'll try, just go! He's getting up!" He yelled, turning back to me.
I nodded and climbed the rest of the way through the window. When I turned back, Billy had closed and locked the window and was already ready to fight off his Dad.
I mustered up the strength to look away before I started climbing down the escape hatch. What was I going to do on the streets of New York?
