My hand flew to the stinging red mark on my face. My father had been out drinking.
"You – you disgust me!" He spat, drunkly. I winced at his hurtful comment. Tears stung at the back of my eyes but I would never cry in front of my father – I learnt that when I was seven. He fell out of my room and slammed the door behind him. Tears came streaming from my eyes as I sunk down onto my bed.
"Cat?" Beck whispered. I gasped remembering that I had been talking to Beck on my webcam. I couldn't face him but I knew he had seen everything. I looked up to see a huge eyed Beck.
"Please-" I started but he interrupted me.
"I'm coming round." I gasped and shook my head.
"No! Beck, no! Please don't," I croaked.
"He hit you," Beck spat. He couldn't believe it. Neither could I. I nodded weakly.
"Cat, I'm coming round. Wait for me at the end of your street," Beck smiled and logged off chat. I shut down my computer and crossed my room to my mirror. The whole left side of my face had turned a raging pink. I whimpered at the sight of what my father had done to me. I couldn't believe that it was my reflection staring back at me in the mirror. My own father had hit me for no reason. I touched my left cheek and jumped at how sore it was. I grimaced at the thought of him hitting me again. I stumbled away from the mirror and grabbed my bag and slid my feet into my sneakers. I knew I wouldn't be able to go downstairs so I decided going out the window was the safest option. My bedroom is on the second floor. I knew that it was too risky to climb out without a harness so I tied four of my leather belts together and tied one around my waist. It wouldn't get me to the ground but it would get me to the gutter. I looped the end of my harness around my curtain pole and then edged my way along to the gutter. It was quite scary and I knew that if the belts came undone then I would be in serious trouble. When I reached the gutter I yanked at my harness but it wouldn't budge. I yanked at it again making my curtain pole wobble but it still wouldn't come undone. After three or four tugs I gave up and unbuckled my harness. I gripped the gutter really tightly and I knew how easily they could detach from the wall so I only lowered myself a little bit at a time. When my foot reached the window sill I jumped down onto the grass below. I looked in the window and I could see my father shouting at my mum and my brother. The sight was horrible and I had to look away.
"Why can't I have a normal father?" I whispered to myself. I walked across the garden and along the street and when I reached the end, floppy haired Beck was sitting on the wall playing with a daisy chain. He smiled when he saw me but then his face turned serious.
"Cat,"he croaked. It was quite a shock to see me with a stinging red face. He ran towards me and pulled me into a big hug. Beck's hugs always made me feel better.
"I can't believe he did this to you," Beck whispered in my ear. His breath smelled of mints and fizzy drinks. I shook my head.
"Not here," I whispered. It would be too embarrassing if anyone heard. Beck nodded and we started walking to the smoothie bar along the road.
"Why?" Beck sighed. I know that he was shocked. Who wouldn't be? Beck had known my father for a long time but he had never known my secret.
"He's drunk," I grimaced. Beck shook his head.
"How long has this been going on, Cat? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. This question shocked me. I didn't think Beck would have wanted to know but I always knew he would care.
"Since I was five. Ever since my grandpa died. My father took it really badly and ever since he has been an alcoholic. He was really close to my Grandpa and my Grandpa showed the best side in my dad but when he died. . ." I smiled, remembering my Grandpa. He was a great man who was always smiling and he has the whitest hair I had ever seen. He made my father happy.
"When did he first hit you?" Beck winced, clearly not wanting to hear the answer.
"It was my fifth birthday," I choked out. The words stung my mouth. Beck froze and just stared at me. It isn't as bad as it sounds. At first it was just slight hits on the arm but after a year or two he starting hitting my face. Things got worse as I grew older – my father became more of a drunk and his hits got harder and harder. He would come in every night stinking of beer and he would shout at my mother for hours. On my sixteenth birthday he punched my mother and he hit me the hardest he had ever hit me before.
"You were five?" Beck hissed. I nodded slowly – I knew that my secret was out and I would have to tell Beck all.
"How come you haven't told anyone and you've kept all this since you were five?" I smiled at this question. I have managed to keep a massive secret for eleven years and I was pretty proud of that.
"I don't know," was all I managed to say. It stung to even think of it.
Then Beck gave me that look that reminded me why I loved him. He raises his eyebrow and his eyes go all big and weary. But after the look he always smiles.
"I won't tell because it's not my secret to tell but I want to help you," Beck smiled as the waiter showed us to our table. The man smiled and showed us the menu.
"You don't have to do this," I smiled. It was nice of Beck to take me out for dinner. Nobody in my house had been able to go out to dinner for eleven years because we were all to embarrassed.
"Yes, I do." Beck smiled back. His smile would make any girl fall in love with him. The only thing that was standing in the way of Beck and I was Jade.
"Cat Valentine!" My father screamed. He was standing in the doorway of the restaurant stammering with drink in his hand. Beck shot straight up from his seat and grabbed my hand. I stood up slowly. Everybody was staring at the drunk man shaking in the doorway and I was embarrassed. Beck was looking straight into my eyes – he knew what was going on.
"Cat-" he started to say.
"I – I'm sorry. I h-have to go now," I whimpered.
"No! You can't go with him," Beck hissed. Tears were welling up in my eyes and I was blinking rapidly to keep them in.
"Where else can I go?" I choked.
"My house," Beck whispered. His answer made me smile but I knew that if I didn't go home then everyone would know my secret. I shook my head and the look on Beck's face made my heart break.
"Everyone will find out," I whispered as I pushed past him. Just as I was past him I felt a warm, soft hand on my arm.
"Please, we could take him home," Beck pleaded.
"Okay," I smiled. Beck always found a way to convince me to do anything. We both walked over to the hobo-like man and led him out of the restaurant.
"You're lucky I didn't slap you in there! You deserved it, sneaking out on us like that," he spat.
"Ass," Beck whispered under his breath.
"What did you say? Who are you anyway," My father smirked. I froze – scared that my father would hit someone else other than his own family.
"I'm Beck Oliver, a friend of Cat's," Beck smiled. To my surprise my father didn't spit out a disgusting comment. To my disgust he called me his friend.
When we got my father safely into the house (with minimum slaps) we started to walk to Beck's house.
"Your father isn't too bad," Beck half smiled. I knew what he meant and I agreed but I knew my father wasn't good.
"Well there has been worse," I joked – even though I wasn't. But you know what they say – if you laugh everything seems okay.
"I guessed," Beck sighed. Then I remembered what Beck had said earlier to my father.
"Do you see me as just your friend?" I smiled. Beck looked at me with a confused expression.
"What as in – no I see you as a best friend or I am going to dump Jade to be with you," Beck smiled sarcastically. His comment stung and I guess it showed because his smile turned into a frown.
"Oh Cat I'm sorry," he hit his forehead with his hand.
"I – erm – it's okay. Look, maybe I should just go home. Jade wouldn't like me staying over at your's." I tried a smile.
"Cat, I'm sorry. I don't really care what Jade thinks 'coz here's the thing – I broke up with her yesterday," Beck squirmed. I wasn't sure what to say. I thought that I had been the one with the problem but Beck was going through some pain.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know-" I started to say but Beck put his finger on my lips. I seriously thought that he was going to kiss me but he smiled and took my hand instead. I decided to settle for that.
"Welcome to Paradise!" Beck smiled as he opened the door to his RV. I had been in Beck's RV loads of times but every time I stepped foot in it the smell of after shave and mints hit me. I loved every part of Beck's RV.
"It's a mess! Consuela hasn't been for ages but I could clean up if you want me to," Beck said unwillingly. I smiled at his messy RV and the way he doesn't want to clean it.
"No it's fine!" I giggled. It was nice to have someone care for you enough to invite you round to their house or and RV in this case.
"Where should I put my stuff?" I asked. Beck pointed to the corner beside his bed. I nodded and put my things down.
"Where will you sleep?" I asked worried. I didn't really fancy sleeping in a lonely RV in somebody else's driveway.
"On the couch here," Beck smiled at the relieved expression on my face. Can you blame me though?
"Okay," I smiled and sat down on my bed for the night. It was weird being in Beck's RV without everyone else. Usually Tori, Jade, Robbie, Andre and Rex are here. Beck was thinking the same thing. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to text someone.
"Tori and Andre are coming round," he grinned.
"Okay," I smiled. It was nice to be Cat again after all the drama from the past hour. I suppose some girls would be jealous if the girl that obviously fancied Beck was coming round but I wasn't. Tori and Beck have always had something special but I knew that if I really loved Beck I would be able to be okay with that. Tori told me a while ago that she had a crush on Beck and that she would be kinda happy if Jade broke up with him. I was dating Danny at that time so it didn't really bother me.
"What are you thinking?" Beck smiled. I loved how Beck always asked me what I was thinking – and the fact was he always cared.
"Just about you," I smiled bravely. Beck beamed.
"I hope it's all good thoughts," He winked. I nodded – of course it was all good thoughts. I loved him!
"Of course!" I smiled. There was a knock on the door and Tori Vega jumped in.
"Hi!" She beamed. I loved how she could always light up a room and she was always genuinely happy.
"Hey Tori!" I giggled. Andre came in after Tori smiling with his arms outstretched.
"Lil red!" He beamed. He pulled me into a big hug and he high-fived Beck. Tori hugged Beck and came to sit next to me on the bed.
"Andre and me have been working on a little something and we thought that you guys should be the first to hear it!" She announced proudly. Andre clapped his hands and took out his keyboard.
"Clap your hands together for Tori Vega!" Andre shouted in a silly presenters voice.