"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK TO HIM,"
"I'mI'm sorry Braden,"
A stinging pain shot through me before I found myself on the ground at the mercy of my enraged boyfriend. Braden stood over me cracking his knuckles, preparing to give me a well-deserved punishment. I clamped my eyes shut bracing myself for a blow that never came. Curiously I opened my eyes to find my boyfriend being held by the neck by another boy. I was scared and confused.
"Tell me," the stranger growled, "do you like hurting her?"
"Lay off," my boyfriend wheezed as he struggled to breathe.
"I think" the stranger grinned deviously "that you should go,"
He released Braden who scurried away. My eyes were wide as frying pans as the stranger turned to face me. His hard features softened but I still tried to scramble away when he neared me. I hurt though so I stopped. The stranger picked me up as if I were a rag doll.
"Let's get you somewhere safe," he whispered soothingly
"Who are you?"
"I-I'm a friend,"
"I think I'd remember you,"
"Yes, I think you would,"
"Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere where that jerk won't hurt you,"
I was too sore to argue and in light of that I passed out.
…..
When I came to I was in the hospital. I heard the steady beeping of the monitors, the voices of doctors and nurses in the hall. I turned my head and saw my older brother was there, his head bent over a book. He wasn't actually reading the book his blue eyes were clouded with worry, the mop of black hair hung in his face.
"Aiden?"
"Eloise what did Braden do?" my brother cried.
"He didn't do anything to me,"
"Eloise please don't lie to me anymore, what did Braden do?"
"Nothing, can we not talk about this?"
"Fine but you are going to tell me eventually oh, and Braden is on his way to prison and we've got a restraining order against him,"
"Aiden!" I cried taken aback.
"It's for your own good Eloise,"
"Whatever,"
….
When I came home from the hospital I was sent to my room while Aiden went to work. Ms. Hale from next door was going to check on me From time to time. I could honestly care less. I sat on my faded rug twirling a loose thread between my fingers. Braden was my first ever boyfriend I thought what he did to me was normal. I mean, I was normal. I wore tee shirts on occasion when there weren't bruises on my arms like there were now. Now, I wore a tunic top with sleeves to my wrists, baggy sweats, and fluffy house slippers. Everything I was wearing had been purposely selected to hide the blue, purple and yellow bruises all over my body. Wasn't 'that normal?
This was all very confusing. The only thing I knew for certain was that I was going to stay curled up on this rug for quite some time.