Chapter two! I just wanted to show people how Lily and Sara became friends, and show how much shit she really has gone through. Nothing too bad. Please Read&Review!
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"Sara! Come here!" Freddy's voice came from his room. Shaking, I followed the voice. Freddy was sitting on the bed with Lily, my friend. She was staring at Freddy with a scared look on her dark skinned face. He grinned at me then gestured to his other side. I immediately obeyed him, knowing that if I didn't he would beat me up again. The foster parents weren't anywhere to be seen and neither were any of the other children. He stood up as I sat down and used a key to lock the door then put it away in his pocket. Lily and I gulped; no escape now. He gazed at us with a sick look on his face, like we were prey to the fourteen year old boy. Our eleven year old hands held each others, trembling. He made his way towards us then began to kiss Lily and feel her tiny body. He pulled her skirt off, and she tried to move her hands over her. He slapped them away.
"No Freddy! Please not again." Lily cried. He suddenly stopped and turned towards me.
"Sara come here." He ordered his tone sharp. I shook my head and threw a look at Lily that clearly said "Run!"
"No." I said to Freddy, taking his attention away from Lily as she tried to make her way to the open window. Freddy always kept his window open so he could sneak out.
"What did you say?" Freddy asked, livid.
"No Freddy, no more." I squeaked. Lily backed away then struggle to push open the window silently.
"You don't say no to me!" Freddy roared. I felt something sharp across my face then my cheek stinging. Lily was forcing the window open when it suddenly flung open, making a scraping noise. Freddy turned swiftly on his heel, seeing Lily trying to escape through the window and rushed at her. He yanked her back in then threw her across the room. Anger and hatred flowed through my veins at the sound of Lily crying as Freddy punched her. I frantically searched the room for a weapon and saw a knife on the ground. I picked it up, not thinking about what to do with it. Lily's cries were echoing through the room. I did the same thing that my last foster mother had done to me; I plunged the knife deep into his shoulder then pulled it out. He shouted out in pain, dropping to the ground. I helped Lily up, grabbing her skirt. She put it on hastily.
"Fuck! Help me!" Freddy shouted. A banging noise came from the door. "Son! Son! Open up! Where are the two girls?" the foster dad yelled. Grabbing the knife from where I had dropped it, Lily and I hurriedly climbed out of the window, and as soon as our feet hit the pavement we were running, something that we would probably be doing for the rest of our lives.
I woke with a start, jostling Jacob in my arms. He snored lightly, like the baby he was. I glanced over to the half-broken alarm clock, 4am. I sighed, moving Jacob's small form slightly. I gazed down at him warmly, pulling the blankets over his shoulders. I stroked his soft, brown bundle of hair. Needing to pee, I gently moved my arm so that his head wasn't resting on it. I crept into the hall, listening to the loud snores coming from Nate and Lyan's room then the loud snore of the foster dad. I felt like grabbing my knife and stabbing each one of them while they were sleeping but knew I would probably get caught and chucked into Juvi and I really didn't want to leave Jacob alone with them. I quickly went to the toilet then to the kitchen to check if I could steal any food for Jacob in the morning. I saw Teresa sitting at the table under the dim light, a mug in her hands. She noticed that I had walked in and smiled at me. The kitchen smelt the same as usual; of cigarettes and alcohol.
"Hey Sara. Can't sleep?" she asked softly. Out of all of the shitty foster homes I had been in the mothers were just as nasty to me as the fathers but Teresa was genuinely nice to me. She too was beaten up by her "husband" Mark and even her own kids. She cared for me and my brother, and probably loved us more than she loves Nate and Lyan.
"Yeah, nightmares again." I grimaced at the clear memory as I sat down next to her.
"Maybe you should-" she started.
"No. I'm not going back there; they just treat me like I'm fucking retarded and ask me stupid questions about my past." I said, knowing what she was getting at.
"Okay then. It's up to you, Sara." She said tenderly. I saw a bruise under her left eye and frowned.
"I see Mark hasn't been kind to you. But then again, what's new?" I snorted. Teresa hesitated before answering, "I know. I should leave him but I'm afraid that if I do he will come after me."
"I swear, if he hurts you in front of Jacob I'm going to fuckin' kill him." I said angrily.
"And when that time comes, I probably won't stand in your way." She replied with a sigh. I laughed. A long silence followed as I thought about things. How did my life get so fucked up? Here I am, talking with my foster mom about killing her husband.
"Hey, Teresa?" I asked all of a sudden. She seemed to be in a reverie that my voice had broken.
"Yes Sara?" she responded vaguely.
"I need you to promise, that if something ever happens to me, because you know something might, that you'll take care of Jacob. Love him as if he were your own, care for him and give him a life that I never had. And steer him in the right direction? He's the only thing that holds me to our mother." I asked softly, biting my lip. I knew it was alot to ask, but I trusted Teresa and knew that if I had to leave Jakey with anyone it would be her.
"Of course Sara. But you ain't going nowhere, okay? Well except to the doctors to check out those ribs of yours" she said worriedly. She lifted my shirt, and gasped at the number of bruises covering my ribcage. She touched one of them softly, and I wheezed in pain, tugging my shirt back down.
"It's fine. I've had worse you know." I managed a small smile despite the sharp sting.
"Maybe you and Jacob should stay over Lily's house for the rest of the week." She suggested. I shook my head, "No, I can't drag them into this. If things start to go wrong I'll just call Abby."
"Yeah, that's definitely what's best for Jacob. Abigail will make sure you get put into a nice home." Teresa smiled.
"I'm worried about you Teresa. You're the closest thing I've had to a mother." I muttered truthfully. She was like the mother I never had. My biological mother had left me in the hospital a few hours after my birth, and since then I have been in foster home after foster home, each more horrible than the first. About sixteen months ago, I found my mother, and turned out she was having another baby. As much as I wanted to confront her and tell her that no, I wouldn't give her my help because she abandoned me, I couldn't knowing that my baby brother would be alone in the world. So I cared for my mother for a while and was there to hold her hand while she was in labour. My brother was born twelve hours later, healthy and alive while my mother, wasn't so lucky. She died soon after Jacob's birth, so I took it upon me to care for him like I was his mother. So far it had worked out, my cop slash friend Danny was never too harsh when I was caught for burglary or grand theft auto because he knew that I was just trying to make some money to feed my brother.
"And you're the closest thing I've had to a daughter Sara." She replied, her soothing voice thick with tears. I impulsively wrapped my arms around her, feeling her shake with her tears. She stroked my black hair maternally, and I felt at that moment, like she really was my mother.
"Okay, you'd better go back to sleep so you can get up early for school. Oh and I bought some more food for Jake; they're in the cupboard" Teresa said, smiling at me kindly. I nodded and quickly gave her another squeeze before I set off for bed.
As I entered the bedroom and shut the door quietly. I had never really liked the dark; it scared me. Not of the dark itself but because awful things have happened to me in the dark.....
Fortunately, I comforted myself with the sound of Jacob's soft breathing and gentle snoring. I quickly lapsed into a deep, dreamless (and nightmare less) sleep.
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I woke early to the feel of Jacob crawling over me and softly poking my face. I pretended to be asleep then I unexpectedly swept him into my arms and smothered him in kisses. He cooed and giggled, squirming around in my arms, his cute, chubby face lighting up like a candle. I then set him on the floor so he could crawl around while I made my bed and quickly pulled on a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt with a red skull covering the front. Jacob was playing with a few toys that I had managed to buy with some money I had using my last pay check. I peeked outside, seeing the snow covering the ground outside and slipped on my favourite black zip-up hoodie. Carefully watching Jacob I slid the gothic necklace around my neck and ran a comb through my flat hair. I scooped Jacob up and planted him on the bed.
"You stay." I said pointing to the bed. I found some clothes for Jake, changing his nappy and undressing him, blowing him a few raspberries in the process. I wiped his face with a warm towel, cleaning off the dry dribble. Then with him on my hip I went into the kitchen and pulled out a can of baby food, opening it up then pouring the contents into a bowel to heat up in the microwave. This was normally my morning routine, where I would change him, clean him and feed him. Then he would go to Lily's foster parent's house or with Teresa. As long as he is not around those fuck heads, Nate, Mark and Lyan, I'm fine. Nate and Lyan went to school, but not the same one as me, and Mark would go to work.
I fed him in my room, then I hastily snatched up my bag and cell phone before any of the others woke up. I made sure Jacob was warm before I stepped into the cold, brisk morning. Jacob giggled a little at the white snow, causing me to smile affectionately.
I walked down the street with Jake on my hip, laughing when he would point at the snow and go "Shnoow".
"Hey! Sara!" I stopped and glanced up to see a boy standing outside his house and waving at me. I loosely remembered him as Jack; I think Lily had told me. He was very cute, tall and muscled, with wild brown-blonde hair and haunted hazel eyes. He came across as a wannabe rockstar slash goth with his leather jacket and tattoos adorning his arms. In any other company he would've been intimidating but to me he was just another guy. He approached me, and I instinctively held my brother away from him.
"Uh, hi" I said, wondering how he knew my name.
"Oh sorry, we haven't actually been formally introduced; I'm Jack, Jack Mercer." He held out his hand politely but seeing me wince back, let it drop. I raised an eyebrow at the last name and he blushed. Mercers were known around here for giving no mercy, being above the law and that, especially Bobby Mercer. Nicknamed The Michigan Mauler, people around here feared him.
"I'm Sara Preston." I replied equally polite. Jack beamed brightly, AH! My eyes!
"Mama! Mama!" Jake screeched happily, jumping about. He reached for Jack, and Jack smiled at Jake, tickling under his chin. Jacob squealed with delight, making me chuckle.
"Is this your brother?" Jack asked curiously.
"Yeah, this is Jacob." I responded, looking up when an elderly woman came out of the house. She smiled at us, no anger in her wrinkled features.
"Jackie, who is this lovely young woman?" she asked kindly gesturing to me. Out of my peripheral vision I saw Jack glance at me nervously.
"This is Sara and her brother Jacob." He half-yelled back.
"Oh! Would you like to come inside dear? It is abit cold out here." She offered, wrapping her shawl around her for emphasis. I gave a quick look at Jacob whose teeth were chattering slightly.
"Um.. Ah, sure." I accepted, noticing how Jack's face broke into a huge grin. We walked up the path towards the house, Jack almost skipping with joy. I inwardly smirked.
"Hello darling! My name is Evelyn Mercer; Jack's adoptive mother." she greeted me tenderly, "Oh and who is this young fella?" she clucked over Jake, and Jake loving the attention giggled one of those adorable giggles that literally captured the hearts and souls of everyone around him.
"Jacob, Ma." Jack mumbled. Jacob seemed to like Evelyn and reached out for her. Evelyn gave me a look as if she were asking permission to hold Jake. I nodded wearily and she immediately had him in her arms before I could blink.
"Oh come in of course, we will freeze our butts off in the cold." She grinned, still cooing over my brother. We stepped into the temperate arms of the house. Jack offered to take my coat, making me think about how much of a gentleman this guy is. With most guys it was usually "Hey sweetie pie you wanna go back to my place?" or "Hey baby, I really wanna fuck you so badly. So how bout I pay you later?" then they'll receive a punch in the face, which would be their answer.
I slipped it off and Jack hung it on a coat rack by the door. I smiled at him, a nervous smile in return.
I followed the boy into the pleasant kitchen, overwhelmed by the smell of pancakes. A man stood by the counter, I froze slightly. Jack turned to see me half-frozen in the doorway; a worried look appeared on his face.
"Don't worry it's just Bobby." He comforted me, putting a warm hand on my forearm. It felt friendly, calming no sign of violence so I let him keep it there. I nodded and tried to let go of my edgy posture. The man turned to look at us, raising an eyebrow at my tense expression and Jack's hand on my arm. He had a certain ruggedness to him, and his black hair was slicked back neatly. He seemed about five or six years older than me, his face faintly wrinkled around his blue eyes. He gave me the impression that he didn't take shit from no one, and he was protective over his family.
"Who's this Ma?" Bobby asked in a tone deeper than Jack's still eyeing me.
"This is Sara and this is her brother Jacob. Would you like some pancakes Jake?" she asked Jacob in a baby voice, tickling his stomach.
"Oh, really? So you're the girl Fairy has been talking about." Bobby said laughing quietly at Jack's reddened face. Jack mumbled something that I didn't quite catch.
"That depends. What did he say?" I asked, my fists curiously wondering what Jack would say about me.
"He told us that you beat up this guy who tried hitting on you and groped you. Then he said that you told the guy that if he ever touched you again you would sneak into his room at night and castrate him. Scared the shit out of him, Jack said" Bobby said with a chuckle.
"Language Bobby." Evelyn said sternly while feeding some pancakes to Jacob.
"Yep, that sounds like me." I laughed, relaxing at the welcoming environment. Jack loosened up too, probably afraid that he his mouth might have gotten him into trouble. I liked the feeling that this place gave me, a feeling of protection and happiness. I would've loved to have been brought up in such a nice place.
"Fairy forgot to mention that you're so beautiful. You know he's gay right?" Bobby said when Evelyn had left the room. I blushed at his compliment but turned to look at Jack with an enquiring expression. He was blushing furiously and glaring at Bobby at the same time.
"Shut up Bobby. Don't listen to anything he says; he was just put on this Earth to make my life a living hell." Jack clarified smiling down at me. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I don't know why, but I liked Jack, he was sorta everything that I could want in a guy really. That's what you thought with the rest, look what it's done to you. A voice in my head reminded me icily. Jack seems different, don't worry; I won't rush into things like before I thought back to myself.
"Hey, ain't that what big brothers are for?" Bobby grinned then he reached out to ruffle Jack's hair, but his hand was slapped away by Jack, in which ensued a brother to brother play fight. I laughed when Jack was underneath Bobby, while Bobby was hanging a loogie over Jack's thrashing face. He slurped it back up, jumping up and offering a hand to a bashful Jack. He took it, grinning.
"Don't try to impress Sara, bro. You'll always be last in command." Bobby smirked smugly.
"Hey! Ma!" a booming voice came from the hall. In walked a tall, buff African American man, stopping when he saw me.
"Hey Angel. Sara this is our brother, Angel. Angel, Sara." Jack introduced us.
"Hi." I said sheepishly.
"Hi. Hey, Bobby you're back! You owe me twenty fuckhead. You too Jacky." Angel said while giving Bobby a manly, one armed hug then Jack.
"Aw, I thought you might've forgotten 'bout that." Jack slumped, still beaming.