I kept my promise! Two chapters for Valentine's Day! :D
Purplicious Rose: Who'd you guess Damen was? ;)
Thanks for reading! Review please!
Chapter 11
"Damon? That good-for-nothing jerk you went out with?" Alex asked.
"Oh, so now you tell me you hated him?" I asked. He just shrugged in response.
"What about him?" Bryan asked, putting his hand on my knee.
"Well, there's really no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it," I took a deep breath. "He beat me. A lot."
"What!" Bryan, Max, Alex, and James exclaimed in unison. Aisha looked down at her hands.
"When did this start?" Max asked.
"Um, a week after he asked me out."
"That long?" Alex's eyes went wide.
"Why didn't you do anything to stop it?" Bryan demanded. "Why didn't you break up with him?"
"He said that if I said anything- went to the police or told anyone- he'd go after me and kill me. He'd even kill you guys if he had to. And I couldn't let him do that!" I said, tears stinging my eyes. "You guys are all the family I have left! I couldn't let him kill you!"
"Wait, don't you guys have a legal gaurdian or something?" James asked.
"Yeah, our aunt," Bryan said.
"Wouldn't that count as family then?"
"Not when it's this aunt," Bryan replied. James just looked confused.
"Our parents died in a car accident when I was six. Alex was seven, Max was eight and Bryan was nine. The guys that killed them claimed they were hired to do it, but they refused to say by who, but I won't go into that. Anyways, Aunt Jackie has never been a real big fan of me. She was abusive too. Bryan and Max are legal adults now, and could have easily just moved away from her. But that would just leave Alex to protect me. You see, all our lives, Bryan, Max, and Alex could never leave me alone with Aunt Jackie. After a little incident, they made sure I was never left alone with her," I replied. "So, we don't really call Aunt Jackie family. I really wish Bryan or Max could be my legal gaurdian, but Aunt Jackie just won't allow it."
"So, how did you guys know Aunt Jackie was abusive, but not Damon?" James questioned.
"She never told us. We thought all her bruises were from Aunt Jackie. But we didn't know how or when Kenny would have gotten them from her," Alex answered.
I looked down at my hands. "I'm sorry. I was just so scared. I didn't know what to do!"
"Why are you telling all of this to us now?" Bryan asked.
I took a deep breath but couldn't respond.
"She saw him," Aisha answered for me.
"Damon?" James asked.
I nodded.
"When?" I looked at him desperately, not able to speak. "The Palm Woods 6000," he breathed. I nodded.
"That's when I first saw him," I whispered, starting to get my voice back. "But when someone broke in to my apartment, I found a note on the table. Then at the party, I got a text."
"Someone broke into you apartment?" Bryan asked, wide-eyed.
"There was a note on the table?" Aisha asked.
"What did they say?" James asked.
"One thing at a time please. Yes, someone broke into my apartment. I think it was Damon. Um, yeah there was a note on the table, and the note said, 'You are MINE. ALWAYS.' And the the text said, 'You are MINE forever. Got it?'"
"Why does he keep saying you're his? Did he, like, rape you?" Bryan asked, worried.
"No, no. Nothing that bad. Just… beating. Bruises, black eyes, cuts, et cetera."
"So those weren't Aunt Jackie," Bryan mumbled.
"Yeah."
"Have you seen Damon since then?" James asked.
"No. I'm hoping I just imagined it."
"Let's leave it at that then, huh?" James suggested.
"Good idea. Ok, James, you need to go now so I can get ready," I said, gentley pushing him out the door.
"What? Oh, ok," James said, suddenly realizing what I was talking about.
"See you later," I said, smiling.
"Five o'clock. One hour, ok?" James asked.
"Got it. See you then."
"What was that about?" Max asked.
"What? Oh, nothing. Hey, are you guys getting hungry?" I asked.
"Actually, yeah," Alex commented.
"Well, there's this really good Chinese place just two blocks down," I said. "You can go there."
"Are you coming with us?" Bryan asked.
"Uh, no. I've got plans tonight," I said, smiling.
"Ooh, with who?" Aisha asked.
"I'll tell you later."
"Aww, my little sister has her first L.A. date tonight!" Alex exclaimed.
"Alex!" I exclaimed, gentley smacking him on the head.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"C'mon! Let's go get ready then!" Aisha said, dragging me by the wrist to the bathroom.
I wasn't going to do anything real special with myself for my date with James, but Aisha insisted on picking out my clothes and doing my makeup.
She picked out a black one-shoulder dress, where the side that didn't cover my shoulder, ran down to my wrist. Aisha put a small amount of black eyeliner on (just enough to make my green eyes pop), white eyeshadow, and black mascara- the classic smoky eye deal. Only it made my green eyes the most noticeable feature on my face, popping out against my pale skin and dark eyelashes. She finished with a pale pink lipstick.
"Viola! She is finished!" Aisha exclaimed.
I looked at myself in the mirror. "Oh, you're good," I commented.
"I know," she smiled.
I laughed. "Now there's only one more thing I need to do before I go."
"Show your brothers?"
"Well, now there's two," I smiled.
"Well, let's show your brothers first. They're going to dinner soon, you know."
"Ok."
"Introducing: Kennedy MacKenzie Grace Griffin," Aisha announced, and gestured towards me.
Alex let out a low whistle. I smiled.
"You look great, Kenny," Max said.
"Thanks, Maxie."
"Don't call me 'Maxie' or I'll call you 'Kennedy darling,'" he smiled.
I pouted.
"Don't pout, Kenny. It's bad for the lipstick!" Aisha exclaimed.
"Sorry!" I said, pretending to be scared.
"You look incredible. Are you sure you're my sister?" Bryan asked.
"Ha ha, you're so funny," I said, grinning.
"Ok, so there's one thing I need to do before I go," I said, walking over to my guitar.
"Play?"
"Yeah. There's a song that I've been writing and I really want to get it out."
"Alright, let's hear it."
"Ok," I said, and started strumming.
According to you I'm stupid, I'm useless
I can't do anything right
According to you I'm difficult, hard to please
Forever changing my mind
I'm a mess in a dress, can't show up on time
Even if it would save my life
According to you, according to you
But according to him, I'm beautiful, increidble
He can't get me out of his head
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible
Everything he ever wanted
Everything is opposite, I don't feel like stopping it
So baby tell me what I got to lose
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you…"
I trailed off. "That's all I have," I muttered.
"That's so good!" Aisha exclaimed.
"Thanks," I said, just as someone knocked on my door.
I opened the door and saw James standing there, in his lucky white v-neck and a pair of dark denim jeans.
"Hi, I'm James. I'm looking for Kenny. Is she there?" James joked.
"Ha ha, you're hilarious, James."
"You look amazing, Kenny."
"Thanks. You ready?"
"Yeah. Let's go." I took his arm and we walked downstairs to the lobby.
"So, have you figured out what movie to watch?" James asked.
"You sure you don't have any conditions for the movie? Like no chick flicks, no horror movies, no Twilight movies…" I trailed off.
"Nope. Tonight, you can pick whatever movie you want to watch."
"Aw, so sweet," I said. "But are you sure? No going back on your word!"
"I'm absolutely positive."
"Ok. How about The Last Song? No groaning!"
James just smiled. "Two tickets for The Last Song, please," he said to the guy at the box office.
I looked at him, jaw dropped. I didn't know any guy who would ever watch a chick flick without some form of complaining!
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said and grinned at him.
About ten minutes into the movie, James did the classic move- pretending to yawn and then resting your arm around your date. I smiled to myself. He really didn't need to do that.
"That movie was so good!" I said, as we walked out of the theater.
"Now, there's only one more part of our date."
"What?" I asked. I had thought the date would only be a movie, but, honestly, the date with James was going so perfect, I didn't want it to end!
"Just come with me," James said, taking me to the car.
He drove me to the beach, just as the sun was starting to set.
"No way. How'd he find out?" I questioned myself.
James and I walked down the beach, hand in hand, just talking until it was finally sunset.
"Kenny," James breathed, pulling me to face him and holding both my hands. I looked down at our intertwined hands and smiled.
Still holding my hand, James gently lifted up my chin so I was looking at him.
We slowly inched our way towards each other until our lips almost met when I heard, "Well, well, well."
I looked over.
"No," I whispered.
Cliffie! hehe :D If I get reviews *hint hint*, I just might add another chapter today! Just cuz ;) Sooooooo Review please!
