Still Standing

Kya was four years old. She hid in a closet crying with a freshly broken arm, praying she wouldn't be found but then she heard footsteps coming toward the door. Then it swung open.

Twenty-one year old Kya awoke from her nightmare breathing heavily. She put her head in her hands. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. Though it was three in the morning and she had to get up for work in a few hours, she decided to just get up for the day.

-v-

Later, Leon and Val were the only ones at Téa and Victor's so they got to openly make out on the couch until they got caught by Tori.

"What the hell?" Tori yelled.

"Tori, don't overreact." Leon said.

"Overreact? You're making out with Val! Do you realize she's sixteen and you're nineteen? What are you doing? Drew is going to kill you."

"You really think so?" Leon asked. "We know how this looks and we really fought this at first but this is real. We're really in love."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since October." Val informed.

"This has been going on for eight months?"

"Technically it's only been six months because we fought it for the first couple of months." Leon said.

"She's sixteen! She just turned sixteen!"

"I just turned nineteen!" Leon responded.

"Yeah an eighteen year old dating a fifteen year old is so much better. You're smarter than this. Do you guys have any idea about the family feuds you could start?"

"It's not Romeo and Juliet, okay? It's innocent." Leon said.

"Tell that to Drew and Matthew."

"I don't want them to freak out." Val said.

"One of you better tell them. Soon." Tori walked out of the room.

"We were bound to get caught eventually. It'll be fine. My dad and Drew love you and they're reasonable people."

"No one is reasonable when it comes to their daughter or little sister. I'm not even reasonable with my sisters. I scare off every guy that comes near Angel."

"Why do you that?"

"Because boys can't be trusted."

Val shook her head. "I'm actually going to go meet her now so I'll see you later." Val kissed him. "We'll tell them soon."

-v-

Grey was walking through Angel Square when he ran into a group of guys from school. He tried to ignore and walk around them but the leader, Boris wouldn't let that happen.

"Buchanan!" Boris called then went and pushed Grey.

"Leave me alone, Boris." Grey said.

"What are you going to do about it? Make me!" Boris pushed him again.

Grey tried to walk away. Boris pushed him to the ground.

"You're such a loser." Boris said before Corey came over and pushed him to the ground.

"Leave him alone!" Corey commanded then helped Grey up. Then Boris got back up and Angel and Val walked over.

"What's going on?" Val asked.

"Hi Angel." Boris said in a flirty tone.

"Ew. Goodbye." Angel said with an attitude and a frown.

"You're going to love me one day." Boris said.

"As if. In your impossible little dreams." Angel said then Boris and his friends left.

"Start standing up for yourself! What would you have done if I didn't show up?" Corey yelled.

"I don't need you to stand up for me. It's embarrassing." Grey said.

"No. What's embarrassing is you letting that asshole do this to you. If we don't stand up for you, who will if you won't?" Corey asked.

"This has gone on long enough. I'm telling dad. I guarantee you he'll put an end to this and don't say you can handle it. You can't. It's out of control." Val said.

"No! I'll tell him, okay." Grey said.

"If you don't. I will." Val said.

-v-

Kya went to Destiny and James' house after work and found James in the living room.

"Big brother!" Kya exclaimed and had a seat.

"Hey. Desi isn't here." James said.

"Oh I know. I came to see you. I need to talk."

"My ears are always open."

"This might not be easy to talk about. I just feel like you would understand."

"What is it?"

"I've been having these nightmares... Memories actually. I've tried so hard to block them out for so long. I wanted to forget so badly but I guess my mind is telling me it's time to deal with it... I remember my biological father abusing me when I was little. I wondered why he wanted to hurt me, why he didn't love me... One day he never came home and I had never been happier then the next thing I knew, I was with my mom and Shaun and my entire life changed. I wanted to be happy and normal so I just tried really hard not to think about my life before until I just didn't think about it at all but I've never really dealt with it. I know you don't talk about it but I know your dad was abusive to you. I overheard once. I just wonder how you deal with it and go on and be normal."

"... How did I deal? Well... I went through it for eighteen years and one day I just woke up and decided I had enough so I ran away. When he found me I was still afraid of him but you know how Des always says, "Never let anyone take your power. Never let them break you?"

"Yeah."

"That's what I did. I never let what he did stop me from being happy and I didn't follow in his footsteps. As far as the scars that were left, I realized it wasn't my fault, it was his problem. I had to make peace with it. Be honest with myself about everything I felt. Most people don't know I went to therapy for it before Destiny and I got together."

"How do you manage not to do what he did?"

"It's not my nature. I take my frustrations out in other ways. It's probably why I have a hero complex. I always have to save someone... Like no one saved me. I have to put away the bad guys like him and every time I do, the world seems a little bit better."

"Sometimes I'm afraid I could be like him."

"You're not. You're not evil or coldhearted. You're like your mother and your real dad, Shaun." Kya smiled. "And I'm sure your mom would understand. She lived with the man."

"Yeah but so much of her past is painful. I didn't want to bring it up... Sometimes I wonder, am I coo coo for co co puffs?"

James laughed. "Everyone in the world has a little crazy in them, some more than others. You're fine Ky. You just need to be honest about how you feel and stop running from it. You can't run from yourself."

"Thanks Jay." She hugged him.

It was really helpful to talk to James. Pushed, smacked or run over, whatever they refused to be broken. They will continue to come out on top, still standing.