S'up guys. What's rolling? I assure you, I shall never do that again. This chapter is mainly focused on Joey and an event that has happened to him in the past five years. Please review, I love your thoughts :) Read, my lovely's, read!
Chapter Two
'Joey'
5 years ago...
Joey strolled casually through the bustling Christmas infused street in a nonchalant manner. He was in a world of his own.
"Aaagh!" he yelped in a husky tone. A surge of pain bolted through his body rooting from his toe. He felt his balance fail as he tripped up the curb and onto the pavement.
A feeble shell of a woman with ashen colourless skin hurried over to him to help him up off the floor. She had soft dark chestnut coloured hair like silk cascading down her back; it was tied back upon her head in a loose ponytail with many little strands of hair flowing from it. She was accompanied by a young child who looked to be about nine years old and trembling with a mixture of the cold winter air that seeped through her skin and worn clothes and fear.
"Are you OK?" she asked while attempting to help Joey off the floor. She was too weak and frail to manage to heave Joey's hefty body up.
"I'm OK thanks. I should be asking you the same question. Why have you got suitcases on the street? You two look like hell warmed up." Joey asked not realising that it was nosy, inconsiderate and rather rude.
"I'm...we're fine. We're just going on a little holiday, aren't we Aimee?" the woman replied trying to reassure herself. Joey wasn't that dumb, he knew something was up. He just had to play it subtly.
"Can I just get you two a hot chocolate or a coffee to thank you for helping me?" Joey asked, trying to pretend like he'd forgotten about what he'd previously mentioned.
"No thank you, we're fine. We'd better be on our way; we're going to miss the train." she replied hastily.
"OK then. Have a safe journey." Joey smiled to them and turned to walk away. He took a few hesitant steps.
"Wait! Hey." the voice demanded. Joey turned his head, she was looking straight into his eyes. "I guess if you really want to repay me for helping you then you can take us for hot chocolate." she smiled coyly. A cheeky smirk spread wide across his face.
It was a little while later. Joey, the woman and her daughter Aimee were all at the coffee shop having a steam hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows piled heavily on top of each mug. They were all relaxed in the booth of the coffee shop sipping the warmth happily.
Joey looked up from his hot chocolate at the innocent woman sitting opposite him. She looked oddly familiar as if he'd met her before many years earlier.
"So," Joey started "Why do you have suitcases on the street? If you don't mind me asking. You don't seem to look like you're going on a holiday."
"I do mind you asking actually!" she snapped.
"Mum! He's not going to hurt us. He's just a lovely man we helped and is now buying us hot chocolate. Just tell him. What harm is it going to do?" Aimee exclaimed in hushed tones.
"Aimee." she whispered "I don't want to."
"Want to what?" Joey piped in, looking confused.
"Well, Mum and I were living at home... if you can call hell that... until this morning. We lived with my Dad. It was all good until his Mother died and he blamed it on us. He's never been the best Dad in the world… but at least he used to try. That was until six years ago. His Mum died in a car accident. My Mum and I were in the car. Together with his Mum on the way to meet him at his shop. He... He..." Aimee trailed off, a tear formed in the corner of her eye.
Joey was listening attentively "You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult." he said.
"No, it's fine. You already know most of it." Lydia started "He started to hurt us. He used to kick me and punch me, and did the same to Aimee. I couldn't get out. He was always there observing our every move. He put cameras up in our house, if we even went near the front door he'd come racing out of the garage to find us a hit us all over again. He'd beat us if we said no or didn't do anything quick enough. I didn't know what to do. He was too strong. He wouldn't let me call anyone. I don't know where to go or what to do." Her strong barrier crashed down and a tsunami of tears flooded down her face in a sea of misery. Joey tried to console her, he patted her on the back not knowing how to do so. She flinched away from him.
"Come live with me?" he declared, unsure.
"What?" she was stunned. "I can't. It would be rude."
"No it wouldn't. I offered." he insisted.
"Really?" she looked up at him with her big innocent chestnut eyes. Seriousness pulsated from him like a general gearing up his troops ready for war.
"Oh my god! You're serious!" she leapt across the table and embraced him in a warm thankful hug. She started to weep ecstatic tears of joy.
"Oh yeah, what's your name? You didn't tell me." Joey inquired.
"Lydia." she smiled still firmly locked in a warm embrace.
