A/N: Just a little warning this chapter talks about abuse. It's nothing
graphical or anything, but I thought I would just warn everyone it talks
about it a little. Hope you enjoy.
Lauren sat on her bed flipping through the pages of an old photo album. The pictures were taken before she left home. The entire family was there and they looked happy. She hadn't seen that for awhile. After she left everything changed, and not for the better.
She knew in the back of her mind Rachel blamed her for everything. For their family's drifting apart and all the bad things that happened. The tears that she had been holding back had finally started to flow freely.
"She was great wasn't she," Rachel said from the doorway making Lauren jumped. Lauren turned and looked at Rachel."I mean mom."
"Yeah she was," Lauren said turning her glance back to the album."They both were." Rachel thought a minute, but then realized Lauren meant their dad too. The dad she never got the chance to know. She slowly walked into the room and sat down on the end of the bed opposite Lauren.
"I've been thinking about what you said," Rachel said fumbling with her hands."And I think we do need to talk. About a lot of things."
"So, where do we start," Lauren asked shutting the photo album.
"When everything started," Rachel said locking eyes with her."I want to know why you left." Lauren looked down at the bed for a minute not sure how to say the right words. She said the first thing that came to her mind.
"I had to get away from there," she said looking back up at Rachel."I had to get away from everything. I mean everything changed once dad died. And I never understood why mom had to marry Rick. The guy was a complete jerk. That's why I never let mom change my last name."
"But why didn't you call or anything," Rachel asked."I mean I never like the guy but I didn't have a choice. And I never had your number or address, so I couldn't call you or write you."
"I guess I was afraid," Lauren said."I saw what Rick did to mom and I wanted to get away from that. I tried to get mom to come with me but she wouldn't. And as much as I wanted to I couldn't just take you."
"You think I wanted to be there," Rachel asked standing up."Some nights he would come home completely out of it, and just go off. Screaming and yelling at mom. I tried to block it out, but I couldn't. Then he started hitting mom and beating her. I tried to stop him, but he would just turn it back onto me. You weren't there to protect us like you should have. I tried to help mom but there was only so much I could do." Rachel paused for a minute and bit her lip trying to keep the tears from coming."That one night was the worst. He came home and started right away on mom. I tried to stop him, but he just threw me into the bookshelf and I blacked out. When I came to the cops where there. They rushed her to the hospital, and two days later she died. I couldn't even call you. I was alone in the hopsital watching our mom die and I couldn't even call you."
Lauren listened to Rachel while tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't know all that happened. She couldn't find any words to say. All she could do was listen to her little sister tell what happened.
"Where were you," Rachel asked locking eyes with Lauren."When I needed you the most you weren't around. How can I just forget that?" Rachel turned around and walked out of the room. Lauren heard the front door open followed by it being slammed shut. She knew this was only the beginning and that things would get worse. She set the album down and got up. Grabbing her coat on the way out the door. She knew she had to find Rachel before someone on the streets did.
Lauren sat on her bed flipping through the pages of an old photo album. The pictures were taken before she left home. The entire family was there and they looked happy. She hadn't seen that for awhile. After she left everything changed, and not for the better.
She knew in the back of her mind Rachel blamed her for everything. For their family's drifting apart and all the bad things that happened. The tears that she had been holding back had finally started to flow freely.
"She was great wasn't she," Rachel said from the doorway making Lauren jumped. Lauren turned and looked at Rachel."I mean mom."
"Yeah she was," Lauren said turning her glance back to the album."They both were." Rachel thought a minute, but then realized Lauren meant their dad too. The dad she never got the chance to know. She slowly walked into the room and sat down on the end of the bed opposite Lauren.
"I've been thinking about what you said," Rachel said fumbling with her hands."And I think we do need to talk. About a lot of things."
"So, where do we start," Lauren asked shutting the photo album.
"When everything started," Rachel said locking eyes with her."I want to know why you left." Lauren looked down at the bed for a minute not sure how to say the right words. She said the first thing that came to her mind.
"I had to get away from there," she said looking back up at Rachel."I had to get away from everything. I mean everything changed once dad died. And I never understood why mom had to marry Rick. The guy was a complete jerk. That's why I never let mom change my last name."
"But why didn't you call or anything," Rachel asked."I mean I never like the guy but I didn't have a choice. And I never had your number or address, so I couldn't call you or write you."
"I guess I was afraid," Lauren said."I saw what Rick did to mom and I wanted to get away from that. I tried to get mom to come with me but she wouldn't. And as much as I wanted to I couldn't just take you."
"You think I wanted to be there," Rachel asked standing up."Some nights he would come home completely out of it, and just go off. Screaming and yelling at mom. I tried to block it out, but I couldn't. Then he started hitting mom and beating her. I tried to stop him, but he would just turn it back onto me. You weren't there to protect us like you should have. I tried to help mom but there was only so much I could do." Rachel paused for a minute and bit her lip trying to keep the tears from coming."That one night was the worst. He came home and started right away on mom. I tried to stop him, but he just threw me into the bookshelf and I blacked out. When I came to the cops where there. They rushed her to the hospital, and two days later she died. I couldn't even call you. I was alone in the hopsital watching our mom die and I couldn't even call you."
Lauren listened to Rachel while tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't know all that happened. She couldn't find any words to say. All she could do was listen to her little sister tell what happened.
"Where were you," Rachel asked locking eyes with Lauren."When I needed you the most you weren't around. How can I just forget that?" Rachel turned around and walked out of the room. Lauren heard the front door open followed by it being slammed shut. She knew this was only the beginning and that things would get worse. She set the album down and got up. Grabbing her coat on the way out the door. She knew she had to find Rachel before someone on the streets did.