Chapter 3 Bethany's breakdown

It's been a few days since Bethany was attacked by her bullies she had heavy bruising on her face and a large bruise on right side with every move she made she cried in pain

The poor teenager locked herself in her bedroom, she wouldn't come out as she was scared so much and she didn't want anyone seeing her in the state she was

Downstairs at the Platts household David was making breakfast for little Lily and Max before he took Max to school

Sarah and Gail were both sitting on the sofa, gail had her arm around her daughter

"David where is Bethany" questioned Max

Sarah overheard Max ask David about Bethany this made Sarah burst in tears

"She's upstairs mate, something bad happened to her the other day" David answered as he had his hands on the work surface thinking about Kylie

Max heard his auntie Sarah crying so he left the table and walked over to Sarah

"Oh Auntie Sarah did I upset you asking about Bethany" Max asked

Sarah wiped away her tears and looked at Max

"Come here Max, Auntie Sarah needs a cuddle and no Max you didn't upset me, I'm upset because what had happened to her and the way she isn't coming out of her room" explained Sarah giving an half smiling

Max gave Sarah a hug

"I will help you look after Bethany, she's my amazing cousin and I love her" Max said

This made Sarah smile

"Thank you Max and she knows that" Sarah said

"Come on Max getting your coat, I'll take you to school" David said

David kissed his daughter on her head

Max picked up his coat and school bag and left with David

"Mum I'm so scared for her, I don't know what to do" Sarah cried

"Darling I know, your doing the best you can" Gail said

"But... But if I didn't have my break down Bethany wouldn't had struggled at school and maybe the bullying wouldn't have got this bad, it's all my fault" Sarah again cried

"No... No Sarah it's not your fault, the girls who are bullying our Bethany are cowards" Gail comforted her daughter

"No mum. I've failed her, I failed as a parent I'm a bad mother" Sarah cried for the third time but this time she cried into her mums arms

"Don't you ever say that Sarah, your a fantastic mother" Gail said

Back upstairs in her room Bethany laid in bed crying her eyes out but she's cried so much the bruise on her face is sore, red and stinging her

"Why am I so fat, ugly and a failure" Bethany cried to herself

"Why, why, why, why" again Bethany cried

The more she cried the more pain she was in, she got up out of bed and worked to her mirror, looked at herself

"I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm worthless, I'm a failure, I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm worthless, I'm a failure look at yourself Bethany, just look at yourself, your a failure" repeated Bethany to herself

Back downstairs little Lily was still finishing off her breakfast, Sarah pulled herself together, wiped away her tears and walked into the kitchen

Sarah looked at Lily and smiled

"Where's all your breakfast gone" asked Sarah

"Inside my tum, tum" Lily said

This made Sarah laugh, she gave Lily a hug but she hid her true feelings from the little girl

"Go and sit with nanny Gail, Lily" Sarah suggested

"Come on Lily come and give your nanny Gail a hug" Gail asked

Lily left the table and walked over to her nanny to give her a hug while Sarah picked up Lily's plate and put it in the sink

Sarah worried about her daughter again so she made some toast for Bethany and put her favourite jam on to see if it might work

"I'm taking some toast up for Bethany see if she wants some breakfast" Sarah suggested

"Ok" Gail added

Sarah walked up the stairs to Bethany's room

She knocked on the door but before she could knock she put her ear to the door

"Why am I so ugly, fat and a failure" Bethany said which Sarah heard through the door

This pained Sarah hearing her daughter talk about herself like this

"Bethany, Bethany please let me in I want to talk and I have some toast and I've put your favourite jam on" Sarah said

Bethany ignored her mum

"Please Bethany, please you need to eat something" pleaded Sarah

Again Bethany ignored her

Sarah tried her hardest to get Bethany to come out of her room but she couldn't so she bent down to the floor and placed the plate of toast on the floor hoping her daughter you eventually come out to have her breakfast

"I'll just leave it outside your door then, but please come out darling" Sarah said

For the third time Bethany ignored her mum

Sarah went back downstairs

"Any luck Sarah" Gail asked

"No" Sarah tried not to cry

Gail took Lily out to the park to give Sarah some space but Gail didn't want to leave her daughter but she know Lily was too young to understand what is actually wrong

It was eventually lunch time and Bethany hasn't eaten since the beginning of the week, Sarah knew this she was so worried but her phone rang it was Liz

"Hello Sarah, it's Liz I'm just wondering if you could come in and work the lunch time shift we're under staff today" Liz said

"Errmm as long as it's only just lunch time because I'm worried about Bethany" Sarah also said

"Yes it's only for the lunch time rush, that's when Michelle and Steve are back" Liz added

"Ok thanks you I will be right over" Sarah said before hanging up the phone

"BETHANY I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO GO TO WORK, I WILL BE BACK SOON" Sarah shouted up to Bethany

She listened for an answer from her daughter but sadly Bethany didn't say anything

Sarah felt so bad but she couldn't let Liz down she left the house, Bethany heard her mum leave the house so she opened her door, saw the toast and picked it up

"I can't, I just can't" Bethany cried she wanted to eat something but she couldn't bring herself around to eat

Bethany walked downstairs with the plate of toast in hand, walked into the kitchen walked to the bin, opened the top and chucked the toast away and walked back upstairs, she got half way up and flitched in pain because of her bruised side

She went back into her room and got back into bed and burst into tears again

In the Rovers Sarah was 10 minutes into her shift, Rio, Sapphire and their mum came in for lunch while Morticia was at school

"I'll get the drinks and lunch mum, both of you go and find a table" Rio suggested

Sapphire and Camilla both found a table and sat down while Rio stood at the bar waiting to be served

Liz was at the bar

"Yes love, was can I get you" Liz asked

Sarah saw the lad who helped her daughter so she asked Liz if she could serve him instead

"Liz do you mind if I serve this man please" asked Sarah

"Oh ok, go ahead" Liz replied a bit confused

"What would you like to order" asked Sarah

"Don't I know you, and a pint of beer, 2 glasses of rose wine plus 3 of your hotpots please" ordered Rio

"Yes you do, I'm Sarah Platt the mother of the girl you helped a couple of days ago" Sarah introduced herself

"Oh yes well it's good to see you again Sarah, I'm Rio Smith, it's good to see you on a good term this time, how is your daughter" asked Rio

"Not so good terms, and her name is Bethany and she's worse than ever" Sarah said

"Oh know why is that if you don't mind me asking" Rio questioned

"Can we talk somewhere please" Sarah also asked

"Oh yes of cause Sarah" Rio agreed as he could see how upset she looked

"Just one minute I will pass your order to Liz" Sarah said as she pulled the pint and poured the wine into the glasses

"That's fine, I'll just take the drinks of then I'll come back to you" Rio said

Rio paid for everything, Sarah gave him to change, then he took the drinks of to the table and walked back to the bar

"Could we speak in private please, I don't want anyone else to hear" Sarah suggested

"Sure, lead the way" Rio agreed

Sarah went out into the smoking area at the back of the pub which Rio followed her as it was quiet

They both sat down, Sarah took a deep breath and she confessed really quickly

"It's Bethany, she's in a bad way, she's locked herself away in her bedroom, she hasn't eaten since monday plus she won't speak to non of her family more so she won't even speak to me and I'm her mother" Sarah confessed in a quick breath

"Slow down a bit sorry Sarah, so she hasn't eaten since when..." Rio misunderstood

"Monday she hasn't eaten since monday and she's locked herself away" Sarah cried

Rio felt bad he didn't know what to do but in the back of his mind that where he hid his dark times so in a small way he knew how Sarah felt

Rio put his arm around her tried to comfort her

"I don't know what your going through but I know your trying your best but if you would like, I could try and help" Rio suggested but in fact he did know what Sarah was going through

"If you would like, I could try and help" Rio suggested

"Would you, oh please I think it might help as you were the person that helped her and brought her home" Sarah cheered up a bit

Sarah gave Rio a hug to say thank you then went back inside the pub

As Rio went to sit down at the table he looked back at Sarah they both smiled at each other now she knew it could help

"Whit whoo bro I think you've pulled" Sapphire laughed

"Leave it out sis" Rio also laughed

Camilla looked at her son and she was so proud of him

All 3 of them tucked into their hotpots

After a while as the new family finished their food, Sarah came over to take the dishes

"Did you enjoy that" asked Sarah

"That was delicious" Camilla announced

"We agree" the non-identical twins agreed

Sarah smiled and carried the 3 dishes away

After the lunch time rush the pub began to empty so Liz told Sarah that she could get back to Bethany

"Sarah, you can go home now see you tomorrow night" Liz suggested

"Thank you Liz" Sarah thanked

As Sarah went to collect her coat and bag Steve and Michelle walked in from their shopping trip they took their shopping bags into the back and then started their shifts at the pub

With he coat on and bag in hand Sarah walked over to Rio

"Errmm Rio could you come to mine now as I've finished my shift" Sarah asked

"Of cause Sarah" Rio said

"Get in there bro" Sapphire laughed

Sarah looked confused, Rio looked embarrassed, Sapphire and Camilla laughed

Rio stood up and followed Sarah back to hers

As they entered the Platts' Sarah told Rio to go through into the living room

"Go on through" Sarah suggested

Rio stood in the living room and Sarah walked upstairs but saw Bethany standing on the landing

"Bethany your out of your room" Sarah smiled

"Yes but who's that with you" Bethany questioned

"It's Rio the lad who helped you the other day" Sarah answered

Bethany started to cry but she went down the stairs

As the teen saw the lad who saved her from the attack getting worse she fell on the bottom step Rio and Sarah rushed to her aid

"I'm sorry to say this but you should have left me" Bethany said to Rio as she looked at him

"BETHANT BRITNEY PLATT DON'T EVER SAY THAT" Sarah shouted

"It's ok Sarah, Bethany I only did what I did because I was a former victim of bullying myself" Rio confessed

"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH" Bethany sat there screaming and bursting into tears because of Rio helping her now she new she was worthy

"What you also" Sarah said in shock at Rio's confession

"Yes I was bullied at your age Bethany even younger" Rio again confessed

"I'm sorry the way I spoke to you" cried Bethany

Bethany felt like a victim of bullying which she is but now she knows there are people she has in her life that supports her like the way Kylie did before she was killed