Thinks start to pick up here! YAH! Many thanks to Kanae for being my beta :D
L.L.A.P
~Laces
Chpt.2
Grandpa was a nice man. He was my mother's father and had a great sense of humor. He made me laugh, and that's when I realized that laughing made me forget the pain. If I looked on the good side of things, the pain would null for an instant, and I really wanted the pain to go away. So I would tell jokes and make people laugh. The only day I didn't was at the funeral, which I did not enjoy.
It was a sunny day, and was a nice temperature. We put roses on their graves, and Chris was still glaring at me. He hated me ever since what I told the detective and he would make sure that I knew. He would always remind me of something mom or dad did, and said that they would still be here if I didn't kill them. He would also punch me or trip me in the hall way. This didn't go unnoticed though. Mike was a big strong football player who would definably put Chris in his place for misbehaving. Grandpa would catch him beating me up sometimes and also put a stop to it. Grandpa was a strong construction worker with big hands and strong arms. Nobody ever wanted to mess with him either. Chris would always say that Mike was going to go to college and Grandpa wasn't always going to be home for me to rely on.
On the days that both of them were out of the house, Chris did a brutal job on me, and Kirk would join him at times. They also would threaten me about telling. I still tried to keep a positive attitude and keep telling jokes. It made things hurt less, even the beatings that Chris would give me. I was still upset that the man who killed my parents was still at large though. The cops were taking too long. They needed a pro on the case, and I knew exactly who could do it. Batman.
"Batman?" laughed Aaron once hearing my idea. Aaron was the only sibling besides Mike that I trusted with anything. He then stopped laughing when he noticed the seriousness on my face. "But he's all the way in Gotham. Even if he does exist."
"Yah, but he's a detective. I'm sure he'd be able to help out with mom and dad's deaths," I stated.
"But how would you even get to talk to Batman?"
"There's a bat-signal thingy on top of Gotham P.D." I explained. "Maybe if I got Mike to drive me or something."
"Yah, but we need you here Dodge. You can run the store, plus you're good at calming Mark down when he's cranky." explained Aaron. He was right about that. I was needed. One day however, something changed my opinion.
Mike had to go out of town to apply for a college and Grandpa had to go to work. Since John and Luke had to serve out some Saturday school (they're troublesome) guess who was my babysitter? Chris. He beat me up something fierce, and would yell at me.
"Nobody wants you around anymore Shelly! You're nothing but an extra mouth to feed! It's all your fault mom and dad died and now we're all suffering, but you think it's all a joke! Quit being a goof and get serious!" he screamed. That's when Aaron came in.
"Leave Dodge alone!" he exclaimed.
"Stay outta this shrimp!" Chris growled, punching me in the gut.
"But…"
"I said stay outta it!" Chris shouted at him. Aaron looked at me, and I nodded my head.
"Just go Aaron, you didn't see any of this," I stated calmly, then winced at another punch to the stomach.
"No!" he exclaimed, enraged at my pain. He started to punch Chris but was no match. A nine year old against a fifteen year old. Chris shoved Aaron to the ground.
"She's the reason mom and dad died, Aaron! It's all her fault, don't get in my way for trying to teach her a lesson," he growled, then went back to me, but Aaron wouldn't let up. He ran and punched him in the side, but this didn't hurt Chris in the slightest. If anything, it just annoyed him. Chris roughly slapped Aaron across the face, making him fall. I just wanted to be invisible. To blend into my surroundings and disappear. At the same time I was angry. Chris turned to me but his eyes were having problems focusing.
"Where're yo…" I quickly punched him in the face, and he fell down hard. Aaron looked up, recovering from his slap.
"What did you do to him?" he inquired.
"I punched him in the face," I answered truthfully.
"Then why isn't he getting up?" Aaron questioned. I could hear the fear in his voice.
"He's still breathing. I think I just knocked him out."
"You gotta get outta here! He'll hurt you until Grandpa gets home. Maybe even after. You just have to get outta here," he said worried.
"But where will I go?" I questioned.
"I don't know… Gotham! You could get Batman and try to solve mom and dad's murder," he explained.
"I'm just a kid! How am I suppose to get help to solve mom and dad's murder from Batman?" I questioned a bit scared.
"I don't know, but you gotta try," sighed Aaron. I nodded my head.
"I owe you guys that," I added. I grabbed my brown trench coat, a black bowler hat, and my purse. It was filled with twenty three dollars. Aaron quickly handed me some of his money, so I had thirty dollars total.
"Thank you, Aaron. I'll come back, and Mom and Dad's murderer will be found and brought in," I stated, and I saw him tearing up. "Hey, come on Aaron, you'll see me again. I'm gonna take the train to Gotham. I'll be okay. Now promise me that you'll stay safe and if Chris gives you a hard time, hide in the closet. It locks from the inside, and I have a stash of food inside it. I hide there a lot," I explained with a slight smile.
"I love you Dodge. Please be safe," he said, hugging me.
"I'll try. Tell Mike and the others I love them. Even Chris. He's just mad because… just tell them I love them," I sighed, and Aaron nodded his head. I sprinted out of the house and towards the train.
i hope you enjoyed! please tell me what you think :D
L.L.A.P
~Laces