Chapter 3:
"What hotel are you staying at?" Jean asked Amy as they sped off down the road.
"We're at the Hampton Inn by the interstate," Amy said as she sat in shock in the passenger seat at what had just happened. Amy turned to look at Jean, "Oh my god honey, why didn't you call one of us and ask us to help?"
Jean laughed harshly. "Honestly, who do you think would have been able to help me? I couldn't have been with you, Matt, and Jeff, because you were on tour and I hadn't graduated yet, and I doubt that Uncle Gil would have taken me because Mom would have made him think that I was lying."
Amy thought about it for a moment, then spoke, "Jean, you know that Gil would have taken you in a heartbeat. All you would have had to do was show him those bruises, and he would have moved heaven and earth to bring you back to North Carolina with him. Gil loves you like you were his own child, and he has ever since your dad died in the car accident when you were four."
Jean shrugged. "I made the best choice that I thought I could in the situation. I just avoided being home as much as possible, especially when it was just me and Frank. When he and Mom first got married two years ago, I thought that things were going to be great. I had a new stepfather that was really nice, and even though I didn't really want to leave North Carolina, I figured that Indiana wouldn't be that bad. My mom was happy, and I wanted to keep her that way as long as possible. I honestly don't remember a time when my mom was truly happy before she started dating Frank, which is really sad. As much as it hurt me, I wanted her to be happy because I knew that I would be out of the house in a few years. I just didn't think that things would get as bad as they did."
"No kidding," Amy said. "When exactly did he turn into an asshole?"
"About a year ago," Jean answered. "Mom starting going away on all these business trips since she got promoted to a manager, and that really pissed him off because she was making more money than he was. Frank couldn't stand to not be in control of everything, it was like it was a challenge to his manhood or something. But anyway, one weekend Mom was supposed to be home, but she ended up having to take a trip for work and he got really drunk to try and forget about the fact that she was in control of something. I came in about fifteen minutes late for curfew because I'd had to stop and get gas, and that had never bothered them before. Usually as long as I made it within fifteen to twenty minutes, everything was fine – but that night everything was different. Frank got in my face about being late, and I made a comment about how he wasn't my father and he didn't have the right to tell me what to do and he blew up on me.
He called me lots of names, but he kept sticking to the fact that I was an ungrateful little bitch because I didn't appreciate everything that he'd done for me and my mom. I told him that I appreciated what he'd done for my mom, but as far as I could tell, the only thing that he'd done for me was to take me away from North Carolina, away from my friends and family, and bring me to Indiana where I didn't know anyone. That triggered a mental breakdown or something in him and he just went nuts. He beat the hell out of me for a good two or three hours before he finally stopped after he realized that I was unconscious. He ended up having to take me to the hospital that night, claiming that I got into an accident with a four- wheeler in the backyard when I crashed into a tree. I ended up with three broken ribs, a broken arm, and a concussion after that incident, and I had to agree with his story, because I knew if I didn't – I'd be injured even worse than I had been. He was just different after that, y'know? He'd gotten a taste for violence, and he enjoyed the occasions when he'd get to hit me. My mom still didn't know about it though, because he'd only do it when she was away on business and could use my gymnastics practice as an excuse for all the damage to my body, and then the one time that I tried to tell my mom....well, she didn't believe me and told me that I was just trying to ruin her chance at happiness and threatened to kick me out...and that's where things have kind of been until now," Jean finished as they pulled up to the hotel.
Amy just looked at her in shock. "Oh my God. I really don't know what else to say to that. I have no idea how you managed to deal with all of that, and still graduate and still be the sweetheart that you are."
Jean shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder that myself, and then I remind myself that if I didn't act like I do – I'd turn into him. And that's something that I refuse to do. I know that I'm better than that."
"Sweetie, you're tons better than that. I don't think that you could ever be the kind of person that he is, because you're right, you are better than that," Amy told her. She leaned over and hugged Jean, "Just remember girly, Matt, Jeff, and I are your new family, and we'll always be here for you, no matter what."
"Thanks Amy," Jean said, as she hugged her back. "You have no idea how much I appreciate that. Not to seem really harsh and unemotional, but you're probably wondering why I haven't cried over this."
"Yeah, just a little bit," Amy admitted candidly.
"His goal was to try and make me cry, and I never gave him the satisfaction and that pissed him off. I swore to myself, up and down, that I would pass out before I would give him the pleasure of letting him see me cry, and he never did. I'm proud of myself for that," Jean said.
"Oh honey," Amy said sadly. "Well, I can't really say that I blame you then, but keeping all those emotions bottled up inside you isn't the way to go because eventually it'll just all blow up in your face."
"I know," Jean admitted sadly, "but I'm just not ready to deal with all of this yet. I hate having to realize that I just lost my mother to that man, because I know she'll never forgive me after this."
"Well, if she's going to treat you like that, and believe his lies, then maybe your mom isn't worth it. I know that's not what you want to hear, but sometimes you just don't have a choice," Amy told her.
"I know," Jean said. "Well, I guess we might as well get out of the car now," she commented wryly.
Amy laughed. "I suppose we could do that." She climbed out of the car and led the way into the hotel and up to the suite she was sharing with Matt and Jeff. "Here we are," she said as she opened the door. "Our home away from home, at least for now. Matt and I are staying in this room, but there's two double beds in the other room so I guess you'll be sharing a room with Jeff."
"Oh yay!" Jean joked. "It'll be just like old times! We can annoy the hell out of each other yet again!"
Amy laughed. "Isn't that the truth. I love Jeff to death, but he's so hyper sometimes."
"Well, if it's okay with you – do you think it would be possible for me to jump in the shower real quick?" Jean asked.
"Oh sure, here I'll go get you some of my clothes," Amy said as she quickly grabbed a t-shirt and jeans out of the dresser.
"Okay, I'll see you in a little bit then," Jean said as she made her way into the bathroom.
Amy turned on the TV, not that she really watched it because she was so busy thinking about what had happened today.
"What hotel are you staying at?" Jean asked Amy as they sped off down the road.
"We're at the Hampton Inn by the interstate," Amy said as she sat in shock in the passenger seat at what had just happened. Amy turned to look at Jean, "Oh my god honey, why didn't you call one of us and ask us to help?"
Jean laughed harshly. "Honestly, who do you think would have been able to help me? I couldn't have been with you, Matt, and Jeff, because you were on tour and I hadn't graduated yet, and I doubt that Uncle Gil would have taken me because Mom would have made him think that I was lying."
Amy thought about it for a moment, then spoke, "Jean, you know that Gil would have taken you in a heartbeat. All you would have had to do was show him those bruises, and he would have moved heaven and earth to bring you back to North Carolina with him. Gil loves you like you were his own child, and he has ever since your dad died in the car accident when you were four."
Jean shrugged. "I made the best choice that I thought I could in the situation. I just avoided being home as much as possible, especially when it was just me and Frank. When he and Mom first got married two years ago, I thought that things were going to be great. I had a new stepfather that was really nice, and even though I didn't really want to leave North Carolina, I figured that Indiana wouldn't be that bad. My mom was happy, and I wanted to keep her that way as long as possible. I honestly don't remember a time when my mom was truly happy before she started dating Frank, which is really sad. As much as it hurt me, I wanted her to be happy because I knew that I would be out of the house in a few years. I just didn't think that things would get as bad as they did."
"No kidding," Amy said. "When exactly did he turn into an asshole?"
"About a year ago," Jean answered. "Mom starting going away on all these business trips since she got promoted to a manager, and that really pissed him off because she was making more money than he was. Frank couldn't stand to not be in control of everything, it was like it was a challenge to his manhood or something. But anyway, one weekend Mom was supposed to be home, but she ended up having to take a trip for work and he got really drunk to try and forget about the fact that she was in control of something. I came in about fifteen minutes late for curfew because I'd had to stop and get gas, and that had never bothered them before. Usually as long as I made it within fifteen to twenty minutes, everything was fine – but that night everything was different. Frank got in my face about being late, and I made a comment about how he wasn't my father and he didn't have the right to tell me what to do and he blew up on me.
He called me lots of names, but he kept sticking to the fact that I was an ungrateful little bitch because I didn't appreciate everything that he'd done for me and my mom. I told him that I appreciated what he'd done for my mom, but as far as I could tell, the only thing that he'd done for me was to take me away from North Carolina, away from my friends and family, and bring me to Indiana where I didn't know anyone. That triggered a mental breakdown or something in him and he just went nuts. He beat the hell out of me for a good two or three hours before he finally stopped after he realized that I was unconscious. He ended up having to take me to the hospital that night, claiming that I got into an accident with a four- wheeler in the backyard when I crashed into a tree. I ended up with three broken ribs, a broken arm, and a concussion after that incident, and I had to agree with his story, because I knew if I didn't – I'd be injured even worse than I had been. He was just different after that, y'know? He'd gotten a taste for violence, and he enjoyed the occasions when he'd get to hit me. My mom still didn't know about it though, because he'd only do it when she was away on business and could use my gymnastics practice as an excuse for all the damage to my body, and then the one time that I tried to tell my mom....well, she didn't believe me and told me that I was just trying to ruin her chance at happiness and threatened to kick me out...and that's where things have kind of been until now," Jean finished as they pulled up to the hotel.
Amy just looked at her in shock. "Oh my God. I really don't know what else to say to that. I have no idea how you managed to deal with all of that, and still graduate and still be the sweetheart that you are."
Jean shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder that myself, and then I remind myself that if I didn't act like I do – I'd turn into him. And that's something that I refuse to do. I know that I'm better than that."
"Sweetie, you're tons better than that. I don't think that you could ever be the kind of person that he is, because you're right, you are better than that," Amy told her. She leaned over and hugged Jean, "Just remember girly, Matt, Jeff, and I are your new family, and we'll always be here for you, no matter what."
"Thanks Amy," Jean said, as she hugged her back. "You have no idea how much I appreciate that. Not to seem really harsh and unemotional, but you're probably wondering why I haven't cried over this."
"Yeah, just a little bit," Amy admitted candidly.
"His goal was to try and make me cry, and I never gave him the satisfaction and that pissed him off. I swore to myself, up and down, that I would pass out before I would give him the pleasure of letting him see me cry, and he never did. I'm proud of myself for that," Jean said.
"Oh honey," Amy said sadly. "Well, I can't really say that I blame you then, but keeping all those emotions bottled up inside you isn't the way to go because eventually it'll just all blow up in your face."
"I know," Jean admitted sadly, "but I'm just not ready to deal with all of this yet. I hate having to realize that I just lost my mother to that man, because I know she'll never forgive me after this."
"Well, if she's going to treat you like that, and believe his lies, then maybe your mom isn't worth it. I know that's not what you want to hear, but sometimes you just don't have a choice," Amy told her.
"I know," Jean said. "Well, I guess we might as well get out of the car now," she commented wryly.
Amy laughed. "I suppose we could do that." She climbed out of the car and led the way into the hotel and up to the suite she was sharing with Matt and Jeff. "Here we are," she said as she opened the door. "Our home away from home, at least for now. Matt and I are staying in this room, but there's two double beds in the other room so I guess you'll be sharing a room with Jeff."
"Oh yay!" Jean joked. "It'll be just like old times! We can annoy the hell out of each other yet again!"
Amy laughed. "Isn't that the truth. I love Jeff to death, but he's so hyper sometimes."
"Well, if it's okay with you – do you think it would be possible for me to jump in the shower real quick?" Jean asked.
"Oh sure, here I'll go get you some of my clothes," Amy said as she quickly grabbed a t-shirt and jeans out of the dresser.
"Okay, I'll see you in a little bit then," Jean said as she made her way into the bathroom.
Amy turned on the TV, not that she really watched it because she was so busy thinking about what had happened today.