Front and Center
It was hard but we got it done. Taylor and I finished dinner mere seconds before dad got home and we were now sitting at the table, like a normal American family. We weren't normal. The life we were living was not normal and we knew that. There was nothing we could do about it though. Taylor and I had talked once about going to the police, but if we did, we would go into the foster care system and be separated from our sisters. It just wasn't something we needed to go through right now.
"Natasha how was your day?" Dad asked.
"Boring."
"Boring? You go to school just to sit around bored. Well that sounds like a waste of time." He chuckled. "And how about you Melody? Are you bored at school too?"
She didn't respond. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that he had asked her a question. She just continued looking down at her spaghetti, twirling the noodles around like she was playing a game. I saw the anger build up in my dad's eyes and I knew what was coming.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" He pounded his fist on the table making glass clank and all of us to jump. Melody looked up with fear written on her face but couldn't say anything. The way she acted was almost like she couldn't say anything even if she wanted to. "GOD YOU'RE SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH! I give you food, a roof over your head, and I ask you one question, AND YOU CAN'T RESPOND!" The vain in his neck was sticking out from his yelling and I was prepared to step in. "Everyone in the living room now!"
Taylor and I looked at each other and sighed walking to the couch. Natalie, scared, grabbed my hand and walked close to me, secretly hoping she wouldn't get it. We sat on the couch waiting. Dad walked in the living room holding a belt in his hand. Oh no.
"Melody, front and center. Now!" Dad commanded.
"Dad wait!" I yelled. He scowled at me but allowed me to continue, "I'm asking if I can go in place of Melody. Please, I'm begging."
"I have more fun with you anyways. Why not. Front and center."
I let go of Natalie's hand and walked past Melody shutting my eyes tightly.
"Get on your knees." I did as I was told and looked at Taylor's eyes. She looked back with sympathy, and then turned away. We could never bare to watch each other go through this. It was too much. She held Natalie close to her and covered her eyes, and Mel shut her eyes tightly also turning and resting her head on Taylor's shoulder.
WHACK! I winced as the first strike of the belt made contact with my back. WHACK! I began to cry silently. WHACK! By now I could fill a river with my tears. WHACK! I hear Natalie screaming crying.
"TAYLOR IF YOU DON'T SHUT THAT CHILD UP I'LL DO IT FOR YOU!" Dad growled.
"Natalie look at me," I said, "look at me bubbles." She looked at me still crying hard. "I'm okay. I just have a bruise. It doesn't hurt that bad I promise I'm okay." She nodded a little and turned into Taylor's chest.
"If it doesn't hurt that bad, then let me make it worse." He grabbed me by my ponytail slamming me to the ground. He slapped me hard, punched my eye, and walked away. "Clean up this house and go to bed. I'm going out."
The girls stayed on the couch and I stayed on the ground until we heard the lock click. Taylor ran to me, holding me in her lap. I cried into her chest, but I didn't hold in my cries. You could hear me, muffled, but audible. She rubbed my back softly, but it still caused me to cry harder, the pain too much to handle.
This was the life we lived, and I will never forgive myself if I leave this house, in a year, for Melody and
Natalie to go through alone.
*A few days later*
It's Thursday. I've done a pretty good job of covering my bruises. No one's noticed them at all, but Logan put his hand on my back and I winced. He thought he hurt me but I assured him I slept weird and my back was sore. I've been spending a lot of time with Justin. The last 3 days, we've studied every day after school in the library. He's made some other friends, Chaz Somers and Ryan Butler. I never really talked to Chaz but he seems like a funny guy and I have a couple classes with Ryan. He's super sweet and a cool guy. Tay said she heard dad on the phone and there's a chance he will be going out of town this weekend. That's the best news we could ever wish for.
"So Lane, what're your plans for this weekend?" Justin asked. I hate that he calls me by my last name but I guess I have to deal with it.
"Well, that depends. If my dad's home, nothing. If he goes out of town, something."
"You should throw a party!" He exclaimed.
"NO!" I yelled, forgetting we were in a library. Everyone looked at me and majority of the library shushed me. "I'm not throwing a party at all. Wipe that thought from your brain and seriously don't bring it up again. I'm not kidding," I scolded. He looked at me suspiciously but decided not to push it.
"Okay. Well how about I take Natalie on her real date." He offered.
I thought about it. Was this a good idea? Even if dad is home, I'm sure it'd be fine. It gets Nat out of the house and she doesn't have to deal with watching me get it. "That could be okay. But a few rules. She needs to be home by 8, please watch her head, she has head trauma issues, and no funny business Bieber. I mean it." He laughed at my last rule but revisited the second.
"What do you mean head trauma?"
"She has SBS. Shaken Baby Syndrome. Her head is very sensitive so please be careful I'm begging."
"Don't sweat it. I always treat my women like princesses." He claimed.
"Oh really. And how many women have you had to treat like princesses?" I joked smirking.
"Why? Jealous?" Justin retorted.
"Nope. Just not sure if I want my baby sister to go on a date with a player."
"Ouch. That hurts. I'm not a player. I've just dated a lot of girls who've broken my heart. I don't believe in love so as soon as those words were said, I was out."
I looked at him sympathetically knowing there was more to this not believing in love scenario. There always is.
"What's the real story behind it?"
He sighed. "There was this girl. Her name was Alyssa. I had known her since I was 7 but we started dating when we were 13. She was my everything. I loved her. Like really loved her." He stopped, trying to hold in his tears. "Well, on my 15th birthday, her and her brother were driving to my house. There was something in the middle of the road, no one could quite make out what it was. Her brother lost control of the car, and crashed into a tree." He got choked up and I was covering my mouth not liking where this was going. "The car was destroyed, her brother died on impact and she was left paralyzed from the neck down. I went to visit her and when I was leaving, she was crying and she said, "Justin, don't ever come back. This is all your fault." She moved to Washington to live with her grandma and I never heard from her again. I thought love could conquer all but she obviously didn't love me very much if she had the nerve to dump all that on me. I started falling into depression and when I finally found myself, I decided I needed to start over. So I asked my mom if we could move here and here I am." He was bawling his eyes out by now and I was crying quietly, feeling the utmost hurt for him. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and tried to calm him down.
He finally relaxed and said, "Okay, well I have to go home now but I will pick up Natalie at 5 tomorrow."
"Okay. See you then."
He packed all his stuff but before he walked away, he gave me a big hug, "Thank you," he whispered and walked away leaving me with a huge smile on my face.