Sister Act?: Pt2

"Hey you stop!" The shrill voice caught the attention of bout Aliyah and her assailant. "What do you think you're doing mister?" Merry called running over. "Get off her!"

Jason threw the bat aside and grabbed Rosy around the waist carried her kicking and screaming into the house. As the door closed her eyes met Aliyah's, begging not to be left, not again.

Merry helped her to her feet, and as they walked home Aliyah recounted what had happened back at the house.

"So what do you think? They abused her or something?" Merry said chewing on the collar of her black shirt.

"Don't know, I didn't see any marks on her." Aliyah responded. "But I know we shouldn't have left her."

"What could you have done? Kicked the door down and taken her? Way to get arrested. Or if you're really lucky he has a shot gun under the sofa."

"I know, I know. But her eyes, she thought I had saved her, and then I left her back there with them, him."

"Ali, I know how you feel but there was nothing we could have done, I mean we could call Social serves in the morning, but they may not be able to turn something up."

"Tomorrow might be too late."

"Look, Ali, just promise me you wont do anything, stupid. Promise me!"

"Ok, ok, I promise, I wont go back there and try to be heroic tonight."

With a parting shot Merry left. Aliyah pulled out her house keas, and went up to her room, putting an ice pack onto her arm.

The following morning she was sitting at a table on the grass section that was shared by the high school and the lower school. Merry perched on the end swinging her legs absently; John was like Aliyah sitting on the tabletop resting her feet on the seat part.

"Did you do anything about last night yet?" Merry asked, her mid was obviously the same place as Aliyah's.

"I tolled dad, well told him the edited highlights." She replied.

"So that would be, no catching falling girl, or braking baseball bats with your bare hands." John said.

"Yare about that, he said, I should go to the police."

"You should." Both her friends said at once.

"I mean, even if you don't have any proof that he is beating her, you could still get him on G.B.H. after what he did to you." John put in.

Aliyah just stared off into space.

"Hey. Isn't that the girl from last night?" Merry said, the other two followed her gaze and saw a small girl huddling down in her puffer jacket.

"It's not that cold." John put in, gesturing to the others both girls were wearing long sleeved tops agents the autumn chill, but it wasn't cold enough for the lager coat the younger girl was wearing.

"Some times all the clothing in the world wont keep you warm." Aliyah said absently without taking her gaze off the girl.

"What's up?" They trio jumped in surprise as Markus spoke.

"Oh nothing." Aliyah said quickly.

"You see the girl over there." Merry pointed. "Ali thinks she is being abused by her father?"

"Merry! Do you have to tell every one?" Aliyah said.

"You should go to the police." Markus said.

Having seen her the young girl rushed over to Aliyah and wrapped her arms around the older girls legs.

"Why didn't you come back for me?" She wailed, burring her head into Aliyah's thighs.

At that moment Charity walked past, she was about to make a scathing remark but Aliyah's glair stopped her.

The three of them were in their last class of the day, Biology, sitting at the back talking in hushed voices, Mrs Kimmins the teacher was droning on about capillary action, but most of the class was asleep. Aliyah glanced across at Charity, who was playing hangman on the back of her notebook.

"So are you going to call the cops or what?" Merry asked for the umpteenth time that day.

"Look I don't know! Will you just drop it!" Aliyah hissed.

"Miss Whitehead, if you sat one more thing you will be spending the rest of the week in detention." Mrs Kimmins said.

Aliyah spent the rest of the lesion in a thoughtful silence, not really caring about what the teacher was saying, she had covered this back in England before she had left.