Chapter 9: It can be better

"Look, Zack was here a little while ago." Tricia told Shyana.

Shyana looked up from her ID bracelet.

"Should I really care?" He didn't mean anything to her anymore. They were no longer friends, just acquaintances.

"Sit down Shyana this is very important. He's being hurt badly. He was bruised and scratched and well, just hurt when he came over."

Shyana sat down. She thought hem might have gotten into trouble and gotten beaten up again or something. She didn't have any business in his business anyways. Tricia took hold of hr by her shoulders and shook her.

"He's being abused by his father and it gets worse every time he goes near that house. Zack says that maybe you can help. You look a lot like his mother, he told me so."

Shyana finally looked into her eyes.

"Really Trish, How would that ever help? I mean sure I may look like his mother, but just because I look like someone in his house doesn't mean that his family is going to take favor in me."

"Shyana Belle McKessa, listen to me. His mother died of cancer, his father blames Zack. This is what is triggering the anger in him. And he takes it out on what he thinks is the cause, namely Zack. And Zack cares for his father a lot but, well, he's also afraid of him. He said he never meant to hurt you, and he still likes you a lot. He wants you to help him. He wants to meet you at the pier tomorrow. He wants to invite you to dinner, yet he wants me to come for 'protection'."

Shyana had to smile at this. Tricia may have been perky and fashionable, like her but she was not the fighter type. She even said herself that she couldn't kill a dead fly. So Shyana agreed. Sure she was kind of scared about the part that Zack actually thought of 'protection' needing to be there. Maybe he was joking. His father wouldn't hurt a stranger, or would he? Shyana knew nothing of Zack's father; she hadn't even known that his mother died.

The next day came. Landon called asking if Shyana would like to go out to the zoo with Trish to come and feed the dolphins. His friend worked there so that they could come over anytime they wanted to. But Shyana had also promised to meet Zack at the pier and she always kept her promises.

It was five thirty when Shyana saw him. She had dressed nicely so she looked respectful. Tricia was a little suspicious so she brought some pepper spray. She also brought some for Shyana.

"I hoped you would be here." Zack smiled a bit. There was a slight quiver in Zack's voice, as if he were scared or something.

Shyana looked at Tricia. She nodded and they followed Zack as he walked down the street.

When they got to the house it looked very ordinary, as if nothing bad could have been happening inside. But there was a ladder that had been knocked down near a broken window on the left side of the cream house. The window sides were a reddish color and the curtains were white, it was a beautiful house actually. Yet the front lawn was unkempt and the rose bushes were overgrowing onto the front steps of the house.

"Hey Zack."' Shyana asked

He looked at her questioningly

"Is this going to be one of those long-term sorts of things?" Zack looked at her then at the house.

"It probably will be."

Then he walked up to the house and looked at the doorbell. It was busted, apparently punched to the end of its function. So Zack took the gold painted knocker on the front of the red door and knocked three loud times.

A grandfather clock from inside ringed that it was six o' clock already. The doorknob turned and the door opened, there stood Zack's father, the one who caused pain for Zack, and the one who forced Zack to go and live elsewhere, Mr. Anderson himself.