Changes That Could Kill You

1.03: "The Bleeding Scales"

Emma's Point of View

I've always had the perfect life. Well, that's what my friends think. And still do. I wouldn't call my life perfect, just well organized. We have a family policy never to lie and communication is very important in this family. But as I came downstairs this morning, my perfect world started crumbling down. My parents were seen fighting. Well, you can flush my perfect family down the drain.

OPENING CREDITS

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"Emma, I'm sure you're just over-reacting. My parents used to fight," my friend, Cleo, said to me as we were sat at our usual booth in the back with our juices, talking.

"And look where that got them." I really didn't mean to say that. I guess lately I've been a tad bit uptight because of the whole fighting fiasco.

Cleo's face definitely had hurt in it. "Let's change the subject. What are we going to do about Alex?"

"What about Alex?" I asked.

"The fact she's a mermaid." Cleo said, she whispered on the word "mermaid".

"I think we should wait for Rikki. Speaking of her, have you seen her lately?" I asked, while taking a sip of my juice.

"Not since yesterday. She seemed really upset. Maybe we should call her." Cleo added and suggested.

"I've got a better idea." I looked around the Juicenet Café and noticed Zane at the bench tops, order two juices to go. I figured that second drink had to be for Rikki. Zane's not that generous.

The next thing I know, I'm calling Zane over here.

When Zane approached us, I asked, "Have you seen Rikki around lately?"

Zane took a long time answering this question. Like he didn't want us knowing where she was.

"I have, but I really don't think you guys should."

"Why not?" Cleo asked.
"Cause she's going through a lot right now. I can't discuss the details, she'd kill me. But what I can say is Rikki got beaten up pretty badly last night, it wasn't a pretty sight."

As soon as Zane mentioned the words "beaten up" with Rikki's name in the same sentence, Cleo's face and mine turned from happy to completely horrified. Rikki beaten up? By who? Now I just had to find out more.

"Zane, who beat her up? How badly is she hurt?" my mouth was just blabbing on and on with questions I know couldn't be answered, but I just needed to know.
"Well, I can't answer the first part, but she has a sprain on her right foot, bruises on her right cheek, arm, and stomach. Nothing all that serious, but there's the emotional trauma as well."

"Well, can we call her?" I asked, picking up my cell phone.

Zane then put it right back where it was. "I don't think that's a good idea. Rikki didn't fall asleep until five in the morning. Who knew you girls could cry for so long."

"But she's safe?" I asked.

"You think I would be here if I didn't think she was safe?"

Zane did have a point. I really could tell, correction: I think everyone could tell that Zane really cared for Rikki. "Well, I better go. I've got this juice back to Rikki."

As soon as we saw Zane exit the Café, I grabbed my cell phone, quickly dialed Rikki's number then put it on speaker.

"I thought we weren't supposed to call her?" Cleo asked.

Seriously, Cleo can be such a goody two shoes sometimes.

"When do we ever listen to what Zane says?"

Cleo then agreed with me.

We heard the phone ring and then heard a voice say, "Hello?"

This definitely didn't sound like Rikki. Rikki usually is her happy perky self.

"Rikki?" I questioned.

As soon as she heard my voice, her voice changed into her happy, perky self. It's like she was putting up a disguise just so we couldn't suspect anything.

"Oh hey, Emma, what's up?"

"Nothing much, Cleo is also here."

"Hey, Rikki," Cleo said into the phone.

"Hey, Cleo," Rikki, said back.

"Zane was just here and he said something happened to you. Are you ok?" I asked her.

Rikki definitely didn't want to talk about this topic. She kept stuttering and quickly tried to change the subject. "Really what he'd say? Yeah, nothing really happened. Just some bruises no big deal. So what's up with you guys?"

"Don't try to change the subject. We want to know what happened. We're worried about you." I told Rikki.

"I'll explain, but not on the phone. Can you guys come over here at Zane's house?" she asked both of us.

"I can't. I have to work." Cleo said into the phone.

"I can, I'll be over soon." I told Rikki.

"Ok, I'll see you soon." Rikki said. And with that, she left our conversation.

I then turned off speaker and closed my cell phone.

"Ok, I'm going to see Rikki. You have to go to work?" I said and asked to Cleo.

"Yeah, it stinks because I really wanted to go and see Rikki." Cleo said, upset that she didn't get to see Rikki.

"I'm sure she'll be better in a few days and then the three of us will hang out."

"Yeah."

Cleo and I then went our separate ways. Cleo on her way to work, and me on my way to see Rikki.

I arrived at Zane's and wondered why Rikki would be here. Why wasn't she at her own house? Little did I know as I talked to Rikki I would find out that answer.

"Hey Rikki, how's it going?" I asked her, as I entered the living room where she was laying on the couch, reading a magazine.

She looked up from her magazine, and smiled when she saw me. "Hey, not bad, yourself?"

I couldn't help but stare at her bruised cheek. It's just that I've barely seen Rikki hurt, except when she hit that crate and became unconscious. I stopped starring at her cheek (seriously, how rude am I?) and said, "Nothing much." I then quickly added, "So spill, what happened last night?"

"Is that the only reason you came to talk to me? So you could just know that?"

I didn't say yes, but I didn't say no. My guilty smile was a dead give away. Call me nosy, but I just wanted to know how my friend was doing.

"Emma, that's pathetic. You don't want to spend time with me, you just want to hear about my night from hell that I had. You have no idea what I've been through!"

Rikki definitely was mad at me. I didn't mean to make her mad, it just sort of happened. I definitely didn't mean to say this next part, but it just happened, "You have no idea what I've been through! A little scrapes and bruises and you need your boyfriend to come to your rescue. You're the pathetic one. You should know that my parents are fighting, and have been fighting for weeks." I can't believe I just told that to Rikki, but again, it just came out of my mouth.

"Oh, boo hoo, so they get a divorce, big deal. You don't think I had to deal with the same thing? At least your Dad loves you. Mine just abuses me."

I could see tears stroll down her face now. I really had no idea that she was going through that.

"Rikki, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

"Save it! You just go back to your perfect world and complain to someone else. You mean nothing to me!" Rikki said, still crying.

Suddenly, Zane came into the living room and yelled, "What happened?" He ran towards Rikki and held her close.

Rikki cried, "Ask her!" She pointed to me, with fierce, evil eyes.

"Emma, I suggest you leave." Zane said, nicely enough to me. At least he didn't hate me, like everyone seems to do.

"I'm not leaving! This is exactly what I was talking about! Rikki gets upset, you're here to save the day!" I yelled.

Zane let go of Rikki and stood up, inches away from my face.

"You have no idea what she's been through! You weren't there when her father was beating her! You weren't there when I got kicked out of Rikki's house cause her Dad was drunk. And you weren't there when Rikki came to my house at three in the morning cause her Dad was beating her, and she had to leave that wretched place. So just LEAVE!"

I stumbled a little and ran outside Zane's house. I didn't even glance back. This was a bad idea coming here. I didn't want anything to do with anyone. From now on, it's just going to be me, myself, and I, no one else. Face it, I'm not needed. Tears started streaming down my face, I didn't care. I just needed to go to my house, and I'll be fine.

I walked into my house and I knew I wouldn't be fine even here. The second I walked into my house I heard screaming and yelling. That was my parents. They didn't even realize that I walked in the house. Some parents they are. I ran upstairs and into my bedroom.

I grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. I threw anything I saw on the ground. I was ticked off. I grabbed everything from my backpack and dumped it on the ground. That's when I saw it. The scissors that fell out of my backpack. I grabbed them and brought them closer to my wrist. I have no idea why I did what I did next. I just needed the pain to go away. The scissors were closer to my wrist, to the point where it was touching the skin. I pushed down hard on the scissors, causing my wrist to bleed. But you know what? I didn't care. I just wanted the pain I was feeling to go away.

As you're probably aware by now this story is not meant for younger kids (i know have I have 10 year olds reading this). So this series will definately get more&more dramatic each episode. If you thought this & Rikki's was bad..wait for Cleo's. Well sorry I didn't post this sooner...my computer crashed & is broken, so I'm writing this on a different computer (even though I'm not supposed to...haha). So I definately care what you guys think! So please REVIEW! & VOTE for who you think should be the next person. (it doesn't have to be Cleo, but it'd be nice). I already have a title for her: "Scream at the Top of Your Gills"...you like? Oh, and I'll post a trailer for this episode...i just haven't had my computer for the past 2 days. I've been doing a LOT of reading&watching TV/movies (especially "The American Mall"...i loveee that MOVIE!) Well, expect another episode Friday! :) can't wait to see your REVIEWS! I won't see them until I get my computer back...hopefully later today (HOPEFULLY). OH & if you want to see Emma going through the whole cutting thing...watch the lovely video that SavannahRouse09 made...it's amazing! (the link is on my profile).