I want everyone to know the ages of everyone, and the grade they are in.
Max, Fang : 16 - Junior (11)
Iggy: 15 - Sophomore (10)
Nudge: 14 - Freshman (9)
Gazzy: 7 - First Grade
Angel: 6 - First Grade
Note: Mrs. Griffith = Mrs. G, Emma
Mr. Griffith = Mr. G, Will, William
Publish date: Wednesday July 26, 2017
I'm trying to post every Friday from now on. I might post before
every Friday, but I will try to make sure that I have at least one
posted every Friday. Tell me what you think about the release dates.
Read and Review
-CY
Chapter 11. Counting
Previously:
"Hay, Fang?"
"Yes."
"Do you really think she will take us in?" She asks, tilting her head to the side.
"Absolutely," I say, giving her a grin.
Now:
It's been a month and a half since me and the girls first took refuge here. Lately we've been going to the court a lot, for what happened to Nudge, and to get adopted by Mrs and Mr Griffiths. We got justice for what Jeb did to all of us; we mainly did it for Nudge. We are getting money from Jeb; The court said if anything happens to us, like for medical, food, ya know the necessities we will get money from Jeb, they said it was like child support but different given the situation. The court rejected our request to become a Griffith, but we are going home as the Ride's. They pardoned me for being 16, and now I'm the girls's legal guardian; I am now responsible for the two that I love the most. They let us pick our new last names, so we all agreed on Ride, it was our mom's middle name; the court also said that it would be okay if we stayed with the Griffith family. If we stayed with the griffith family we would have to sell the old house, it was fine by me. We have support, we have a family, and we have plenty of love. So far things are going pretty well In my book.
Once we get out of the car Angel was static trying to get into the house, and show everyone her new birth certificate, with Ride as the last name, not Batcheldor. Mrs.G passes the girls, when we walk in, everything is dark. Mrs. G turns the lights on, and all of the boy's yell out surprise. Then I see "WELCOME HOME RIDE FAMILY!" written with paint on a blue banner.
"Wow! Max, did you know about this?!"
"No, no I didn't Angel."
"Wow, boy's why did you do this?" Mrs. G asked.
"We wanted the Ride family to feel like this is their home. Because it is," Fang replied.
"Thank you," I say smiling to him.
"Gazzy Look! My last name isn't Batcheldor!"
"Wow Angel that's cool!" Everyone laughed at that.
After our little party I helped Mrs. G with the dishes. Nudge and Angel were talking upstairs in the room that they share. Fang was putting the food away. Iggy was eling Gazzy he should go get ready for bed. I should go tell Angel the same thing soon.
"Hay Max."
"Hay Fang."
"I was wondering if we could talk, uh, in private, please?"
"Ya, I have to go-"
"MMAAXX!"
"Angel?!" Fang and I yell, then we run upstairs. Fang finds her frist, next to a pale looking Nudge, on the bathroom floor.
"Max, she was talking to me like normal than she just ran to the bathroom in the middle of her sentence, covering her mouth. Then she started to throw up. What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know baby, but we'll figure it out. Um Angel. It's really late you should go get ready for bed."
"I don't want to leave Nudge until she is better!"
"Angel please, it's been a long day. Please go change into your pj's. After you have your jammies on then go have some snacks, down stairs."
"But-"
"Ugh, No but's! Go! Please," I said softer, so she didn't think I was mad at her.
"Okay, Max," Fang left with Angel.
"Thank you, I love you!"
"Love you too," she says softly. Now back to Nudge.
"Nudge, ha-" I get cut off by the sound of Nudge vomiting. I come into the bathroom and close the door. Once she is done, I rub her back, and pull her close to me, she starts to cry. "Have you been throwing up the past few days?"
"I threw up last night twice."
"Oh boy," I regretted that as soon as it left my mouth, the look in Nudges eyes told me she was worried.
"W-what's your 'oh boy' for?"
"Umm. Uh. I'mma call for Mrs. G."
"Is it that serious?" I open the door and call down to her. As soon as she is at the door I tell her what I think is going on.
"Oh boy."
"Why is everyone saying 'oh boy'!" I bite my lip subconsciously.
"Have you taken sex ed, yet?" Mrs. G asks.
"No, Next quarter." Nudge says in a hushed voice.
"Okay, you already know how sex works, unfortunately. But, when someone has sex, uh, or is assaulted, without protection; The girl can get pregnant." Nudge suked in a breath of air. "And one of the earliest signs, is nausea and vomiting," The look on Nudges face was complete terror, then she started to ventilate.
"S-so I could be pregnant with his kid?"
"You could be, or you're not, we haven't tested it yet, it's just the first thing that came to Max's and my mind," by this time Nudge was crying. I walked over to he, pulled her off of the floor, and held her, as I started to cry with her.
"Nudge, I'm so sorry this happened to you. You shouldn't have to deal with this, you're too young," She just continues to cry in my arms.
Two days later
Mrs. G just came back from the store, she wanted Nudge to try the tests. I went upstairs with Mrs. G and gave Nudge the bag of tests.
"Nudge, go in the bathroom with the tests, open them follow the directions carefully. But one thing I want you to promise to me," Mrs. G said.
"What?"
"Don't look at the tests at all, can you promise me that?"
"Yes, I can do that."
"Allright breath, and don't look."
It has been a while since Nudge has taken the tests, but none of us has looked at them. Mrs. G said after the cupcakes we got for Angel and Gazzy because they finished first grade with honors. This was sad on Nudges 15 birthday she might be pregnant. Her birthday is next week on Thursday.
We had the cupcakes, and Nudge, Mrs. G, and I went upstairs. We told the older boys to watch
the kids. Right now we were staring at the bag of tests.
I grabbed Nudge's hand, and squeezed it. "Are you ready?"
She breathed in, then out. "I'm ready." Mrs. G opened the bag, got one of the boxes out, and opened it. Each pack had two tests in them; she bought two boxes.
"Okay, um, these two say no."
"ZOMG! I was so scared! This is really weird tho. Don't you think? I have all the symptoms, and stuff but then I'm not. Ya know. God this is so-" I slapped my hand over her mouth. "Sorry," I give her a squeeze.
I clear my throat "Okay, next box," I hear Nudge gasp.
"Um, oh, this one says you are pregnant, both of them," I am utterly confused.
"Uh, isn't it the same brand?"
"Yes, Max I wouldn't get two different brands. I've been pregnant before, twice."
"Sorry, I just don't understand it."
"I get it."
"So what do I do?"
"We'll have to take you to a doctor find out 100% if you are or are not. That means telling the older boys, 'cuz Will has to go on another business trip tomorrow night," Mrs. G says.
"Nudge are you okay with that, I mean you are going to have to tell them if you are. What do you have to lose if you aren't we can tell them that we have to get you tested for pregnancy."
"I guess, go ahead," Nudge said sadly.
"Oh, my!" I snap my head to Mrs. G. "Nudge were you thinking of keeping the baby or not?" She says more calmly.
"Oh," I whisper to myself.
"Um, I haven't thought about that," Nudge says softly.
"Nudge, if you are pregnant, that is an option. I'll pay for it if you want to do it," Mrs. G offers.
"Thank you Mrs. Griffith, but if I am, I'm going to keep it. That's what my mom did with me. It's not fair to punish the child, because of how it was made. My biological father, raped my mother, and she kept me, because she knew it wasn't my fault. And if I am pregnant, I'm going to do the same thing."
"Wow Nudge. That's really touching. Did your mom tell you that?" Mrs. G asked.
"No, she told me that she didn't know my father. She told me because when I was young, I asked her why I looked different from the family. And from then, as I got older, I pieced it together. From the was Jeb talked about me to her, telling her that I was a mistake keeping me, and stuff like that. Jeb didn't like me and kept telling her she should have aborted me."
"Oh Nudge, that must have been terrible for you."
"It was but I had Max, to get me through it, then I always had Angel to make me smile, so I had it good, as far as that goes."
"Okay, um. Wow. So, Nudge when do you want to visit the doctors?"
"Um, I guess as soon as possible?"
"Okay, I'll call them tomorrow morning. Are you okay with telling the boys the situation tonight, after Gazzy and Angel goes to bed?"
"Ya, sure, why not?"
"Okay, it's settled."
"Thank you Nudge," Nudge looks at me weird.
"Why?"
"You've been so strong through this, you haven't let it get to you as much as it would for me. You're so strong Nudge. Please stay like this. Thank you for helping out with everything," she gives me one of those huf laughs
"No problem."
"Well girls, I'm going down stairs. Wanna come?"
"Ya, wanna tell them now, Mrs. G?"
"Do you want to Nudge?"
"Let's do it."
The guys were shocked, at first, then Iggy tried to comfort Nudge. Iggy offered to go to the doctors with us. Fang came and talked with me in my room after the fiasco was over. He wanted to know how we were going to deal with the baby, and go to school, if she was pregnant . I told him that I would pull Nudge out of school, once she started to show and she would join an online school. She doesn't need the extra attention, and all of the comments, it would add to the stress, and if she was pregnant, the stress wouldn't be good for the baby. Once she had the baby she would stay at home and do online schooling until the doctor said it would be good for the baby, and Nudge.
"It seems like you've thought about this a lot."
"My mind has been on this for the past three days. Lot of time. Does the plan seem logical to you."
"Yep."
"Nudges birthday is next Thursday."
"Ouch."
"Ya, ouch. I don't know what to do." I flop on my bed, turn on my stomach and groan into my pillow. I feel Fang sit on the bed. He starts to rub circles into by back. Like that time I had the nightmare, on the couch. He works his way up my back,all the way to my neck, and starts to rub out the knots that have been there since Jeb started to drink.
"Stop thinking, your muscles are tensing. Relax." How did he- "Max." His voice is warning.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. Where is your hair brush?" I point to the dresser, my face still in my pillow. "K." He gets up, then he comes back. I was about to ask him why he wanted to know where my brush was, but then I feel him to start taking my hair band out. "You have a huge knot in your hair. Knowing you, you would have gotten frustrated when trying to get it out, and try to cut your hair off. So I'm going to do it for you."
Once he was done with brushing, he pulled it into a loose braid. By the time he puts my brush back, and sits on the bed I give out a yawn. He moves my head so I'm facing him.
"Can you please sit up?" I mumble an excuse for a yes, and do it. "Max," oh I don't like that voice, and he must see that on my face, because he says my name, but softer. He takes my left hand and holds it in his two hands. "Max, you are beautiful, you are strong, you don't stand for someones crap, you are good, not bad. You do everything in your power to make sure the people who you care about don't get hurt. I may have only known you for about two months, but I know you can get through anything." He looks into my eyes, and I see that he is hurt, it makes me shiver. "I want to ask you a question, but please don't push me away. Can you do that? Can you promise to not push me away?"
"Uh, yes. I promise." I see his face relax, his eyes closed as he exhaled. He started to rub small circles in my hand.
"I want to know why you do this," he said as he turned my hand over, and pushed my sleeve up. to reveal my scars, and my healing cuts. The last time I cut was four days ago, I tence. I just keep staring at my wrist, I can feel his stare on my face, waiting for me to look up into his black orbs. I feel the tears prick the back of my eyes. One single tear escapes, Fang reaches up, and gently wipes it away with his thumb, he leaves his hand on my face. "Max, I know you've been through alot, but I need to understand."
"You, You w-won't," I choke out, a few more tears escape my eye's.
"I can try," Fang says softly, I look up at his face, and his face shows that he really cares.
"Why?"
"Because, I, I did what you are doing." I look up quickly, I'm shocked. "I did it a lot, and no one noticed. A week after I was adopted by my family, I cut too deep, and I lost so much blood. I passed out, Iggy woke up and needed to use the bathroom. He found me laying in my own pool of blood. After that I was permitted into a mental hospital. After that I stopped, I still have the urges, but Iggy looks at my arms after every two weeks to make sure that I'm not. And I don't want to go back the hospital, and I don't want you to have to go there," after he was done he looked up into my eyes. "Max, let me help you."
"How?"
"We'll work on what you can do instead of cutting. And try to help you get rid of what is making you do this."
"How do you know this will work?"
"I went through all of it. And I beeve in you Max," I gave him a huff laugh. "What was that for, Max?"
"I don't think that this would work."
"Can we try, first?"
"Ya, but it's not going to work."
"Okay, first thing. I'm going to count all of your scars and cuts," I shivered violently. "What's the matter, I only need to count your arms and thighs?" I started to bit my lip. "Max?"
"No."
"No what?"
"Counting."
"Why?"
"You."
"Huh? Do you want me to get Nu-"
"No!"
"O-okay. I'm not going to even ask if you want my family to come in here, because I don't know what they would do. I need to count them if this is ever going to work."
" I never did anything to my legs."
"Still I need to count your arms and look at your legs. Please go get changed into some shorts, and a tank top for me."
"I don't have any shorts."
"Okay, I'll go get some basketball shorts from my room, change your shirt while I'm out please."
UGH! I really don't want to do this! He's going to to see what Jeb did. He's going to feel sorry for me! I hate that! Might as well change into my tank top. Ugh! It's been like three minutes, is it that hard to find shorts?
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in!"
"Here Max, go change into these."
"Fine," I said through clenched teeth.
I came out of the bathroom, before I left the bathroom I saw the "S" coming out from underneath the shorts on my right leg.
"Max, can you lay on your back, please?"
Yup, whatever."
"Max I'm trying to help you. Are you mad at me for caring?"
"Ugh! No, I just, ugh!"
"I get it."
"Let's get this over with."
"I'm going to check your arms first." He counts all of my cuts and scars, then he writes the number for each arm. "Okay, um, uh, pull the shorts up just a little, uh, please?" He says rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ya, but please remember I didn't do this to myself."
"I remember what you said, earlier." I sit up, and lift the shorts up to weare there is smooth skin. I look up at Fang and see the shock on his face.
"This is one of the reasons, Jeb did this, and I have to deal with this every day."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. This is why you didn't want me to see your legs . Right?"
"Uh, ya."
"So, you don't do anything on your legs?"
"No, just my arms. I remember Jeb did this when mom first died, it was really painful. So I never did anything to my legs. I have no idea why."
"I'm sorry that I pushed you to do this. And I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."
"There was no way for you to know. It's fine. I didn't tell you. And you didn't make me feel uncomfortable."
"Next time, please tell me. I know you said no, but I thought it was because you didn't want help."
"It's fine. I told you. I'm tired. Tomorrow your mom has to call the center for Nudge. We might get in tomorrow, because of her age. I can't do that if I'm tired," I say laying down on my stomach. I feel Fang sit beside me. "Fang, I'm tired. I don't want to talk anymore."
"Then don't, I remember you saying that you couldn't fall asleep easy, even if you were tired. I want to try something. You just relax. Okay?"
"Fine, can you turn off the light though? If you need turn on the small lamp."
"Okay."
As soon as I feel Fang sit back down I start to think of all of the things that happened today. Nudge didn't get an answer to if she was pregnant or not. Fang counting my arm scars, his seeing what Jeb did to my legs. I feel Fangs hands start to rub my back, all I can think of is how good it feels. He starts to work his way up my back, he stops when he feels me arc into the bed.
"Are you okay?" He whispers. I nod my head, and he goes back to what he was doing. He gets to my shoulders, and my whole body starts to tingle as he works at the knots. As he was working on my neck my mind started to go blank. I mumbled something along the lines of a thank you to Fang, then I slipped into unconsciousness.
Alright, I'm also try to make the chapters longer so you have more to read.
This chapter is seven pages long on google docs. Is my writing any good? 'Cuz I think so. I don't know why but I feel like no one really reads the Author's Notes. If you read the AN's Please comment and say that you do, or don't. On chapter 9 I got views and no reviews. On chapter 10 I got 3 views but no reviews. I want to know how I can improve my writing, please let me know how. If you want something to happen in the story I am open to your ideas. I will answer your questions or concerns regarding to the story.
QUESTIONS!
YES / NO : Nudge is Pregnant?
GIRL / Boy : If she is Pregnant?
YES / NO : Niggy Relationship?
YES / NO : Is the story any good?
I WILL BE PUTTING A POLL UP SOON!
RE-READ AND REVIEW
-CY