When I got there, Craig had already laid out some food for me, and his math homework.
"Eat and copy at the same time. I know if you go home without the homework done, he'll know. You're dad's mean, not stupid."
"Isn't Joey home?"
"He's out with some friends. I'm babysitting. I warn you, as soon as Ang realizes that you're here, she'll be down. She likes you, El."
"Well I like the little squirt too."
"Hey!" a voice protested. Angela was coming down the stairs. "I'm not a squirt."
"Sure you are, Squirt. Come help me with my homework."
Angela dashed over to me and sprang into my lap, hitting my side.
"Ow!" I cried in pain. I had scrapes and bruises there from falling on my tapes earlier.
"What is it El?" Craig asked, concerned.
"Nothing," I said quickly, looking back at the math. But even Angela could see through my flimsy excuse. She pulled up the side of my shirt a little, and put her hand gently on the bruises, and looked up at my face.
"The dinosaur?" she asked, sadly.
"Yeah." Nobody spoke for a few minutes. "So, Ang. Gonna help me out with this math?"
"Yeah! I know how to add and subtract!"
"Well, that's perfect, because I need some help with subtracting." Ang started picking out random numbers from the page, and subtracting them. It probably took me longer to copy the homework, because I had to listen to her, but that was fine by me. Craig kept feeding me too. Pretty soon, I was stuffed, the homework was done, and it was quarter to eight.
"I gotta get going."
"You can't walk home alone though, and I can't go with Ang."
"I got here okay, didn't I? I'll be fine getting home." I packed up my stuff, and headed out, thanking Craig and then Ang for all the help with my homework.
It was only a few blocks to my house, but I soon wished I had thought of some way to not walk home alone. Those senior girls, who had attacked me in the bathroom earlier, were outside. Once they saw me, I knew it was too late to get away. I did the best job I could of pretending to be confident, but as soon as they headed my way (running, might I add) I ran as fast as I could for home. I was right outside my house when they caught me.
I was almost sorry I had run. It was 10 times worse than when I had been cornered in the bathroom. Even worse, my father was watching from his bedroom window, smiling. I thought it would continue forever, but Emma's mom came outside, with a phone in her hands threatening to call the police. She looked like she was screaming, but I couldn't really hear her. I just kept staring at the window. As soon as Emma's mom had come outside, my dad disappeared. Pretty soon, Emma followed her mom out. She was holding a towel, and she pressed it up to my side. I hadn't realized it, but one of the girls had a knife. She hadn't really done any terrible damage, but I was bleeding pretty good.
"Come on hon," Emma's mom said softly. "Come one inside with me for a minute. I'll get you cleaned up, and we'll talk." She gently helped me stand up, held on to me while I got my bearings. Then I realized it was probably way past eight.
"Um, no. That's okay. My house is just right there, and I should be getting home. I'll be fine, honest." I looked at her with pleading eyes.
"Ok. But I'll have Emma walk you to your door, just to be safe."
I agreed, and Emma and I walked slowly to my door. It was locked, and I didn't have my key, so I rang the bell. My dad opened the door.
Emma tried to explain what had happened, but my dad cut her off. "I saw what happened. Ellie will be fine. Thank you." He then pulled me inside, and shut the door behind him. He shoved me up the stairs. I didn't think I could hurt any worse, but I was wrong. I couldn't really keep my balance, because my head hurt so badly, and on the first shove, my eye hit the railing. I started tearing up immediately.
"Poor baby," my dad said, sarcastically. "Move it!"
I moved it. But I wasn't fast enough.
"You're getting what you deserve, you know that?" he asked, hitting me. He shoved me into my room. "Exactly what you deserve!" He picked up one of my tapes, and started smacking me with that. I was seeing stars, and I soon sunk to the ground.
"Why are you making me do this?" he asked, upset. Then he threw the tape, as hard as he could, at my head. It hit the back of my head, because I turned away from it, but it hit hard. I cried out, and my dad turned around. He had been about to leave me room! He glared at me, said simply, "Its what you deserve." Then he left.
I realized that Emma had left the towel pressed to my side. It wasn't very bloody, so I wrapped it around my head like a turban, to absorb some of the bleeding. So exhausted, and barely able to move, I collapsed into my bed, and fell asleep.
"Eat and copy at the same time. I know if you go home without the homework done, he'll know. You're dad's mean, not stupid."
"Isn't Joey home?"
"He's out with some friends. I'm babysitting. I warn you, as soon as Ang realizes that you're here, she'll be down. She likes you, El."
"Well I like the little squirt too."
"Hey!" a voice protested. Angela was coming down the stairs. "I'm not a squirt."
"Sure you are, Squirt. Come help me with my homework."
Angela dashed over to me and sprang into my lap, hitting my side.
"Ow!" I cried in pain. I had scrapes and bruises there from falling on my tapes earlier.
"What is it El?" Craig asked, concerned.
"Nothing," I said quickly, looking back at the math. But even Angela could see through my flimsy excuse. She pulled up the side of my shirt a little, and put her hand gently on the bruises, and looked up at my face.
"The dinosaur?" she asked, sadly.
"Yeah." Nobody spoke for a few minutes. "So, Ang. Gonna help me out with this math?"
"Yeah! I know how to add and subtract!"
"Well, that's perfect, because I need some help with subtracting." Ang started picking out random numbers from the page, and subtracting them. It probably took me longer to copy the homework, because I had to listen to her, but that was fine by me. Craig kept feeding me too. Pretty soon, I was stuffed, the homework was done, and it was quarter to eight.
"I gotta get going."
"You can't walk home alone though, and I can't go with Ang."
"I got here okay, didn't I? I'll be fine getting home." I packed up my stuff, and headed out, thanking Craig and then Ang for all the help with my homework.
It was only a few blocks to my house, but I soon wished I had thought of some way to not walk home alone. Those senior girls, who had attacked me in the bathroom earlier, were outside. Once they saw me, I knew it was too late to get away. I did the best job I could of pretending to be confident, but as soon as they headed my way (running, might I add) I ran as fast as I could for home. I was right outside my house when they caught me.
I was almost sorry I had run. It was 10 times worse than when I had been cornered in the bathroom. Even worse, my father was watching from his bedroom window, smiling. I thought it would continue forever, but Emma's mom came outside, with a phone in her hands threatening to call the police. She looked like she was screaming, but I couldn't really hear her. I just kept staring at the window. As soon as Emma's mom had come outside, my dad disappeared. Pretty soon, Emma followed her mom out. She was holding a towel, and she pressed it up to my side. I hadn't realized it, but one of the girls had a knife. She hadn't really done any terrible damage, but I was bleeding pretty good.
"Come on hon," Emma's mom said softly. "Come one inside with me for a minute. I'll get you cleaned up, and we'll talk." She gently helped me stand up, held on to me while I got my bearings. Then I realized it was probably way past eight.
"Um, no. That's okay. My house is just right there, and I should be getting home. I'll be fine, honest." I looked at her with pleading eyes.
"Ok. But I'll have Emma walk you to your door, just to be safe."
I agreed, and Emma and I walked slowly to my door. It was locked, and I didn't have my key, so I rang the bell. My dad opened the door.
Emma tried to explain what had happened, but my dad cut her off. "I saw what happened. Ellie will be fine. Thank you." He then pulled me inside, and shut the door behind him. He shoved me up the stairs. I didn't think I could hurt any worse, but I was wrong. I couldn't really keep my balance, because my head hurt so badly, and on the first shove, my eye hit the railing. I started tearing up immediately.
"Poor baby," my dad said, sarcastically. "Move it!"
I moved it. But I wasn't fast enough.
"You're getting what you deserve, you know that?" he asked, hitting me. He shoved me into my room. "Exactly what you deserve!" He picked up one of my tapes, and started smacking me with that. I was seeing stars, and I soon sunk to the ground.
"Why are you making me do this?" he asked, upset. Then he threw the tape, as hard as he could, at my head. It hit the back of my head, because I turned away from it, but it hit hard. I cried out, and my dad turned around. He had been about to leave me room! He glared at me, said simply, "Its what you deserve." Then he left.
I realized that Emma had left the towel pressed to my side. It wasn't very bloody, so I wrapped it around my head like a turban, to absorb some of the bleeding. So exhausted, and barely able to move, I collapsed into my bed, and fell asleep.