Stacy's POV
And so she did, with her head hung heavy and a broken heart weighing her down more. I felt a rain drop explode on my head and looked up. The sky only threatened rained once in a blue moon. It couldn't have come at a better time. It was like a movie, so cliché and perfect. I admit, I did feel awful about telling her to leave. But god damn it. . .I'm so pissed. How could Sabree do that to me?
How could Jay do that to me? For the second time. I'm so stupid. Maybe I shouldn't bother with trying to have a girlfriend anymore. At least Tony kept his shirt on. Jay walks up to me, with a bit of a uncomfortable look on his face. He was coming to tell me, I knew it. He actually tells me when he kissed my girlfriends. At least he's got that going for him.
I huff out, biting down my lip hard enough to have the taste of warm blood in my mouth. I wanted to snap his neck. I wanted to beat the shit out of him. But. . .I can't. Jay's one of my best friends, ever. He's had my back for as long as I can remember now.
He swaggers closer, and closer still. I can't bite back my urge to yell at him. "Dude, what the fuck we're you thinking? Why did you kiss Sabree?!" I hardly throw the word 'fuck' around, Jay knew that. He chuckled lightly to himself, tossing his head back.
"Let me guess, I couldn't "handle" her?" I rage on, the urge to hit him growing stronger.
Jay remains silent. I know how he works. He's waiting until I loose my cool completely. Not going to happen.
"Stacy, bro, it was just a kiss. It didn't mean shit. She don't mean shit to me. I was just. . .bored, I guess." Bored? Bored? That's his excuse? Damnit, Jay. Ugh.
"What do you mean you we're bored?! We're you just 'bored' when you stole Kathy away from me too?" That had struck a nerve with Jay.
"Fuck, man. I thought we were pass the whole Kathy thing. That was so fucking long ago. Kath's a fuckin hoe anyways, man. You were better off without her. Stacy, dude, I fucking love you bro. If I was gay, I'd totally hit it." He stopped, waiting for my reaction. Although I was disturbed, I did crack a small smile. Jay playfully punched my chest and tried pulling me down to his level by jumping and hooking his arm around my neck.
"You're family to me, bro. I love you, man. We cool, broha?" He again awaited my answer. I look at him, my faint smile growing bigger, and nod. "Good," he jerked my head towards him and smacked his lips against the side of my head, "Now go get your girl, mannn."
Sabree's POV
Rain. Of course. How fah-reaking perfect. I've been walking non-stop for about, two hours now? I'm a fuck up. I really am. A clash of roaring thunder and let the rain fall. It was starting out slow at first. I walked a few miles further, and further still until the rain had begun to pour.
I was soaked to the bone and chances were likely I've had a terrible cause of pneumonia in the morning. But still, I didn't care. Right now, all I could hope for is to get terribly sick and die a slow, painful, soup filled death. I'm a s-l-u-t. Slut. Slut, slut, slut slut,slut, slut, sluttttttt. How could I even think to betray Stacy's like that?
I was sober. I was ableto stop it. I should have been able to stop it, before Jay was on top of me half way naked.
"No wayyy, dude! I knew Tyler's hair wasn't naturally that straight!" Jay doubled over with laughter.
"For sure, he straightens it like, every day." I laughed a little myself, a smile plastered onto my face. He was funny, I admit. But I would never think about hooking up with him, much less leaving Stacy for him. Stacy's amazing. And a great kisser. I'm positive Jay's got nothin' on him. There's a silence between us. We both look like idiots, smiling and grinning at each other. Then it happened. His lips met with mine and his body weight had been pressed against mine. The kiss grew deeper, the moment more intense. I felt his hands search for the zipper of my jacket. Then I realized I was making the biggest mistake of my life. Holy shit. I shove him off me and stutter for an excuse.
The rain had still no signs of letting up. What did I think would happen? That by walking around in Santa Monica in the rain would wash away my sins? I'm close to my apartment. And what do you know? The first thing I see is my dad's car in the drive way.
Why is he come? They've only been gone for two days. They're supposed to be gone two weeks. Oh, shit. I'm in for it now. I ran the rest of the way in, trying to escape the rain. Unfortunately for me, we live on the very top floor of the complex. No way up except the emergency escape ladder, or whatever, but I was way too short to reach. I guess I'll have to take the front.
I took a deep breath of courage as I reached out to open the door. It wasn't locked. But, then again, this is Venice. In this proclaimed 'ghetto by the sea' we, like most, had nothing to take. I turned the knob, listening to the clicking noise.
The apartment, for once, had been clean. But I guess I've been the only one home for a while, so of course it'd be kept clean. "Hello?" I called out, stepping further into the dank apartment. Maybe theres been a mistake? And, they had someone bring their car home because they had somehow gotten enough money for a better one? No one answers.
I take off my jacket and my shirt, now being only dressed in a my sports bra and jeans for earlier. I shut the door behind me, wrapping my arm s around my stomach and wander into my bathroom. Honestly, I wasn't ready to face myself. I bit down on my lower lip, hard. My hair had since been knocked out of its neat, pristine ponytail and random strands stuck out here and there. My make up, was ruined. My cheeks had been stained black from my mascara. Water-proof my ass. My eyes stung from the flow of tears, and they stung horribly whenever I blinked.
For a long time, I stared at myself. I studied every inch of my appearance, as if there was something wrong with me look wise. No, nothing was wrong with my face. It was internal, physical. Then, I realized what a was wrong with me. I was exactly like my father. I'd become him the moment I allowed Jay Adams to kiss me, and fondle me. He isn't exactly father of the year. I hated him , thus I hated myself. More tears came. Tears of hatred, both for myself and the kind of person my dad had morphed me into. I balled my hand up into a fist and slammed it into the mirror.
Cracks broke out and decorated the mirror, the tiny fragments of the mirror came loose, collecting all in the sink. A burning sensation rushed my arm and I held it to my chest. "Ow. . " I muttered, sucking my lower lip. I looked up, glaring at my distorted reflection in the mirror. This is exactly how it started. It had looked so tempting. I just had to try it.
It had been worth it. Damn it, had it been worth it. If for a little bit, I could escape the stress without the worry of going to jail, or going back to a foster home. I shook myself from the first night I'd started cutting, seeing my dad's reflection creep up behind me.
He wasn't drunk. Yet, anways. I saw a bottle clutched in his hands, dark and full of nasty beer. I wish he was drunk. My beatings never seem as bad when he's drunk. He never seems to hit as quiet as hard. Every muscle in my body tingled and tightened when his hand gently brushed against my hip. He kept it there, lowering his mouth to my ear.
He breathed out, "Where were you, baby?" My grip tightened on the bathroom counter. I searched for an excuse, but lying to my dad was never a subject I excelled in. "I just. . .I just wanted to go surfing is all." He smirked, taking a swig of his beer and one step closer to me. My dad knew I hated him. He knew it. So he did it anyway, he did it so he could get me riled up just to knock me down.
"Get away from me!" I shove him away from me, if only for a second before he captured me in the same position as before.
"Sabreeeeee, I know you d-don't mean that honey. I'm your father. I love you. I ju-I just want a little bit of affection." His chin rested on my shoulder, his drunken breath blew onto my neck.
"No, you don't." I jerked myself away from the counter, in hopes of sending my father back and away from me. "You don't love me, you didn't love mom and you didn't love Karlee!" I accused sharply, drawing in semi-controlling breaths. "You love that fucking bottle. You do love that bottle, don't you dad? You let it fucking tear this famly apart. That and that fucking worthless bitch! I'm not your child. I can't be your child." I screamed. His finger nails ripped across the untanned skin of my stomach as he threw me into the wall.
So all the other beatings? All the other times I thought I'd 'crossed the line.' Well. . I was wrong. I really had crossed the line. But I know I deserve this. I deserve every cut, every bruise, every landed kick to the stomach. It's all just pay back for hurting Stacy, the sweetest thing on this earth next to honey.
This day is just full of clichés. The beating didn't stop there. Oh, no. It wasn't even close to being over. My dad was pissed. I could tell by the force behind his kicks. I'm sure I could have felt a rib or, like, all of them break with this last kick. 'Guess what, Sabree? No matter how much you hate me, you're always going to hate yourself. Because you are my kid, no matter how much you hate it. We have the same blood, Sabe. The same genetics. You're all mine.' He kept on taunting over and over, as he punched me, slapped me.
" You've got a big mouth, kid. Just like you're fucking mother. Well, the next time you decide to talk back to me, think about what your gonna say. I could kill you right now, Sabe. You know it and I know it. Believe me, bitch, that sounds really fuckin' promising right now." He had grown tired of using his hands as weapons. Now he turned to the half way empty bottle in his grasp. I coughed up a little bit a blood and looked up just enough to see my father back up. My head dropped to the ground, I had little strength. Weakly I tried to cover my face. He threw the bottle at the wall full force.
It had shattered, showering me with beer and glass. Then he started with the little glass cups. They, too, shattered, the small pieces cutting my face. The larger shards, though, sliced through the delicate skin of my collar bone, arms and shoulders. I couldn't move. I was bleeding profusely from every part of my body. I could only tell what was going on by my hearing. I heard my dad rustle through the house to find one last weapon to finish his rage. He tosses the cup up and down, cynically. I could hear him chuckle and laugh at his fallen daughter. He was proud of this. He was proud of watching my body, limp and bloody, lie on the bathroom floor.
The last cup, he had angled just right, slamming it against my head. Blood trickled down my face at its own free will. It was disgusting, feeling the warm, red liquid flow down any given part of my body. It wasn't helping at all, only creating black waves and dots in front of my vision.
The extent of the damage to my chest, ribs and lower body could not be seen. It felt like hell down there. "I love you, Sabree." He turned out the light.
My body, was in so much pain. My breath was gaspy and shakey. I couldn't even cry normal tears. I. . .I. . .
Stacy's POV
I'd managed to get into Sabree's neighborhood by nine o' clock. I figured there was no use in going after her right away, it'd only make the situation worse. So I stayed and partied with Jay, Tony and everybody. I even had one cup of beer. It wasn't so good. I don't see why anybody would want to drink that stuff night after night. Even when I tried to leave, I had everyone trying to convince me to stay longer.
But, Stacy Peralta was synonymous with caring, I suppose. They just didn't get. . me.
'You care about that girl way more than you should, Peralta.' Maybe Jay was right. Or maybe he was just trying to get me to stay longer, so he try and talk me into smoking weed for the first time. But Jay had an annoying way of being right. But if that night hadn't happened, I still would have gone to Sabree's anyway. Whenever Larry and Mia were asleep, when I didn't have to work I would always come and see her. She was. . .is the best part of my day. No matter what mood I was in, she could always do me one better. She was beautiful. She was, well perfect. And either way, she's a part of my life. And I love that.
Her parents were still away. At least, I hoped he was. His car wasn't around. . .
I stopped for a few moments, just in case fate conspired against me today. I took a minute to gather every ounce of confidence I had in me to stand up to Rick, to be the hero. I wrapped softly at the door with my knuckle. "Sabree? You here?"Although I knew I was partially crazy, I really did expect the door answer back. After all, it did open by itself.
All the lights were off. The weather had been. . .odd today. Rainy, sunny, then rainy again. And the sun had even set early. The only light available to me was the pale moonlight shining through the window, illuminating only the furnishings of the empty apartment. The apartment seemed less welcoming to me now.
The only downside to relying on the moon was that it only lit up certain things within its distance. Thump. I had run into something. "Oh, shit." My hands flew out in front of me to brace my fall. Damn it. Where is she? No sign of her or her parents'.
There was little place to travel in her apartment. Where could she have gone? Jay's? Tony's? I was about ready to give up my search, but the bathroom light, the only light in the house on, caught my attention. I'm officially the bravest guy in the history of forever. Barging into Sabree's house, where her abusive parents could be anywhere, going into every room. And now, I'm walking into the only lit room in the house. Her dad could be in there, for all I know.
My defensive shields threw themselves on. I'm trippin' out, bad. I think I hear Rick's voice coming from the narrow hall? No, no. He would have thrown my ass out if he had been home. Maybe Sabree's in the shower?
I kick the door open with my foot. No way was I prepared for what I saw.