AN: Thank you to Wolf Born Woman, Guest, Guest (because I'm presuming each Guest is a different person), CaliNative76, Guest, and write more soon for your reviews. Okay, so to answer a couple of things that have come up in some of your reviews:
1. My chapters are typically one thousand words, I find it easier to right to that length because I find it's just right for my style of writing so it includes enough detail, not too much waffle, and includes what each chapter is planned to cover. So, I'm sorry, but the chapters will probably stay the same length, but if you want to read in bigger chunks, try saving up several chapters then have a big read up at once.
2. I know it's irritating that they are quite a bit younger than the original characters are, believe me when I say it frustrates me too that I can't just leap into the main story, but it's really important some of the back story is explained so the later story makes sense. On the upside, they're older in this chapter, but not fully grown yet, sorry.
Read and review please!
Song suggestion: I need a doctor, Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey.
Chapter Twelve: Cuts and Bruises.
In the past four years, Sam and I grew close. Together, we ran the house. I'd clean while he dealt with the D.I.Y and bills, taking on a part time job. While this caused us to become distant to the outside world, none of the Tribal Elders had a clue. We made sure of that. Mrs Uley didn't seem to notice anything either. She'd work in Port Angeles or be out with friends, occasionally bringing a man back to the house. After months of late night visitors, I was all but numb to the noises now.
But in the past six months, she'd kept one man, Riley. Sam didn't like him and he didn't like either of us. Riley would be at the house most days, eating his way through our food supplies and watching cable. I'd learned to stay out of his way, especially when he'd downed several beers. But I wasn't always so lucky.
Whenever I got home from the Reservation's middle school, I'd find the coffee table strewn with empty beer cans and packets of chips. Riley lounging on the only couch, watching sports. Tiptoeing around him, I gathered up the finished cans first.
"I'm not finished with that." Riley slurred one day when I picked up one. Shaking it, nothing splashed inside. So ignoring him, I took it to the waste bin, "I said I'm not finished with that!" He roared suddenly.
"There was nothing in it." I quietly pointed out. But he was up, out of his seat, and lumbering towards me.
"I wasn't finished with it." He snarled and I backed into a corner.
"Leave her alone!" Sam yelled, appearing in the front doorway. He was supposed to be doing a job for the lady down the road, a broken shelf needing to be fixed.
"I didn't ask you!" Spinning drunkenly to face Sam, I watched Sam stand tall. Whenever Riley got violent, Sam had a tendency to lock horns with him. Both were known to be sporting bruises after a spat.
"Sam, leave it." I begged, "Come on, I need help with my homework." Dodging around Riley's wavering figure, I put myself between them, "Sam, please."
"Okay." He finally sighed and I smiled, relieved to be spared another brawl.
"Just run away, Sam, hide behind the brat!" Tugging on Sam's arm, I pulled him away before he could snap back.
"He'd not worth it Sam, don't give him the satisfaction of replying." I whispered desperately.
But I needn't pull him away. Riley stormed up to us and swung Sam around, punching him sloppily across his jaw. Sam stumbled back a step before bringing his foot up and kicking Riley back.
"I said, leave us alone!" When he stumbled to the floor, Sam flew at him, throwing punches and gripping Riley shirt. In his inebriated state, Riley couldn't fight back strongly enough and Sam beat him down every attempt he made at hitting back.
"Sam!" I screamed and tried to pull the two men apart, "Sam, stop, please! He's not worth this! Sam!" So forced on pulling Sam out of danger, I didn't see Riley's fist until I connected with my nose. My head knocked back and I tripped onto the floor.
"Bella!" Sam jumped off Riley with a last well placed kick. Riley groaned and curled in on himself. Blood seeped from my nose and I closed my eyes against the woozy scent, "Bella, damn, Bella." Sam heaved me onto my feet and led me to the bathroom, cursing under his breath.
"Sam, it's okay." I tried to assure him but I wanted to throw up at the sight of the blood dripping onto my shirt.
"What've I said about getting involved?" Sam scolded me quietly, pressing a wad of tissue to my nose, "I can handle Riley myself."
"I know." I muttered, "I just hate seeing you hurt."
"You're one to talk." Sam scoffed and pulled the first aid kit from under the sink. As he rummaged through it, I tried not to pass out. I'd never done well with blood, my own or anyone else's, "You're lucky it's not broken. It looks like a blood vessel just split."
"Good, no hospital." Nodding, I looked over at Sam. He had a busted lip and a dark bruise was forming on his jaw, "How're you holding up?"
"Fine." Taking away the tissue, he twisted my head this way and that, "I think it's stopped. Small blood vessel then."
"You'd be a good doctor."
"Ha, I could be if I didn't have to deal with assholes like him. I prefer fixing building, they don't talk back." Chuckled, he handed me a glass of water and a pill, "Knock it back, the pain's not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Thanks." I frowned but took the medication. He hated me in pain, whenever he suspected it; he'd shoved painkillers my way. But he'd always refuse them himself. Watching him clean up his face next, I sighed sadly. If only I'd listened to Sam, he always told me to stay in my room until he got back. This brought me back to why he was home so soon, "What about that shelf you were supposed to be fixing?"
"Shelf?" He furrowed his brows before nodding in understanding, "Oh, yeah, she wasn't in so I came home."
"Oh." Nodding back, I ran my hands through my hair and looked in the bathroom mirror. My nose was swollen but nothing too nasty or obvious, unlike Sam who'd be sporting his injuries for another week or so.
Downstairs, I could hear Riley stomping around, cursing to himself. Mrs Uley would be home soon, and then he'd complain to her for an hour before she'd take him out for a drink or they'd head to her room. She'd calm him down while we stuck to our rooms, waiting for the latest fight to blow over again. Then it would happen all over again in a few days. I sighed and Sam looked over at me with a sad smile.