Trigger warning: Anyone who is sensitive to abuse and yelling may want to be careful when reading this.
Jessica's POV.
It's been two weeks since I came home from the ninja's place and its been even worse for me than usual. I suffered the consequences of coming home a day later than my parents wanted me and more. Oh much more.
"I CANT BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THAT YOU PIECE OF *!" came the loud harsh curse from my father. I winced visibly and held back the tears that stung my eyes. I was used to hiding all my pain. I did it every day anyway. This is the reason I'm so tough, the reason I'm hard as a rock. The only person I opened upon much emotion to was Cole. In fact, Cole is the reason I am standing here being yelled at by both parents, and the reason I have a stinging swollen mark on my cheek.
I didn't dare look away from my parents, for fear of being slapped again. I held my sore cheek with my hand and just stared back at my parents with a sharp gaze.
"You went out with someone, without our permission...!" yelled my mother. I winced again. I honestly didn't think that they would care, considering they don't care about me at all.
When I was in school and when I'm around friends I hide all the pain I go through every time I'm not around them. They know that my parents are very negligent about me, but what they don't know is that they absolutely hate me. My parents weren't married when they had me and got married. They shouldn't have been as stupid as to have me if they weren't going to love me like real parents. My friends all think I've for the strength, the wits, and even the boys. Everyone sees me as the sporty kind of semi-outgoing type who gets along with everybody and who's not afraid of anything but there are things I'm afraid of. Two main things. Yelling, and hitting. That's why whenever I've seen bullies in school, I stand up for the kids because I know what it feels like.
"Look, you never cared what I do! All you guys do is work and other stuff you probably don't want me to know about!" I yelled back. I wasn't gonna let them win but I never win even if I try. My father just looked at me angrily and pointed to my room.
"Go to your room! And don't come out until this time tomorrow!" I looked at the time. Looks like I'm gonna miss dinner. Great... My favorite time of day and the only thing I like about being home... I stopped my foot on the ground angrily and turned around and ran to my room, slamming the door behind me.
I went over to my bed and balled my fists and began punching the mattress as hard as I could. I growled angrily and continued punching until I was coughing and wheezing because I was so out of breath and my knuckles were red and burning.
I kicked over and chair in my room and screamed. I was so angry. I was so done! I'm sick and tired of this treatment and I'm not gonna go through another day of it. I'm nineteen, I'm old enough to be on my own now!
I grabbed a bag from my closet and started stuffing as many clothes on it as I could. I set the bag under my bed and waited until I knew my parents were asleep and then I grabbed the bag and my coat from the closet and then climbed out my window, closing it on my way.
I ram as fast as I could not looking back. I headed to where I had last seen the ninja and went on from there. Loral had told me where I might find them if I ever wanted to visit so I tried remembering the way. It was a while before I remember where it was and then I headed that way. It was high up on a mountain so that it would be hidden. It took a while but I was finally at the top and I spotted the Bounty.
I ran to the Bounty and climbed up the latter and then ran to the door and knocked frantically. I waited and then knocked again. I waited again until the door opened and Loral was standing there in a light teal bathrobe.
"What..?" Loral said groggily. "Jessica..? What ate you doing here?" she asked. I hugged her then. I needed some sort of feeling of comfort at the moment.
"I'm running away, Loral."
Loral's POV.
"I'm running away, Loral." My eyes widened and my eyebrows raised slightly when Jessica told me this. I looked around for a second then gestured for her to come inside. She followed me in and she sat in the recliner and I sat down on the loveseat.
"What happened?" I asked her. She took a deep breath, seeming to calm her nerves slightly.
"You know how I've always told you that my parents don't really care about me that much and how they're kinda of mean to me sometimes?" she asked. I nodded my head quickly, wanting to hear the rest. "Well, that wasn't the whole truth. They yell at me all the time every day and they hit me a lot of the time too. I was getting so tired of the awful treatment. They were so angry with me when they found out I was dating Cole and hadn't asked or told them about it. They were angry that I'd even think of it. They kept yelling and cursing at me and my father hit me multiple times. They locked me in my room saying I would have to stay there for the rest of the night and day until that time tomorrow. I waited until they were asleep and then took some stuff and climbed out the window. I don't wanna ever go back Loral. Not ever," she finished. She was crying like and her voice was broken up. I then noticed the large bruise on the right side of her cheek.
"That's awful Jess," I said. I sat next to her and hugged her. "I'll make sure Sensei Wu knows that you'll be staying with us from now on," I told her. I felt like I was holding a child who had just been bullied at school. She practically was... It was just awful what her parents were doing to her and I would make sure nothing ever happened to her again. "Is that why you always stand up for the kids at school who get bullied?" I asked her. She nodded her head.
"I hate seeing people going through physical and verbal abuse. It's terrible. My worst fears are seeing someone be tortured because I practically am every day," she said sitting up straight and wiping the tears off of her eyes. She looked over at me. "Do you think Sensei Wu will be okay with me staying here? I mean, there's only so much room on the Bounty and Nya still hasn't finished the construction on the new monastery yet," Jessica said. I nodded. It's true, after I came we only had like one more bed left. And I don't even know which room it's in or how big the bed is. It may just be one of those couch beds.
"I'm sure he'll let you stay here," I told her with a smile. "For tonight, we can both sleep out here. Kinda like a sleepover, like old times," I said with a smile. Jessica and I have known each other since I was five years old. That's a really long time if you ask me. Jessica nodded her head in agreement with my suggestion.
"Alright, I can't do that," she replied with a smile. I nodded and I headed to my room to grab a few blankets and gave Jessica a pillow and then put the blanket over her and then one over myself. We said our goodnights and then soon fell asleep, both of us very tired.
Little did I know I'd be having two more very needed visitors the next day, and these three would help me and the Ninja save all of Ninjago...
