Everything was going fine, but one night around dinnertime, I got a call from Mike, and I picked up, smiling.
"Hey Mike."
He was speaking rapidly, and seemed very distraught over something. He sounded like he was scared too.
"Wait. Mike? Slow down. Talk it through. I'll be there in five." I grabbed Jason's keys off the table, and ran out to his car, while Mike talked about how he was on his computer, his mom came in, and he pushed her into his nightstand…hurting her. Something was really wrong with him, but I didn't say that. It would only make him feel worse. I had to get there fast…he only was open with me, not really even his therapist yet. What if the guilt got too overbearing and he did something rash? Panic exploded within me. I threw myself in the car and put the phone on speaker and set it down on the passenger seat as I buckled my seatbelt and sped down the road to his house. I parked in front, grabbed the phone, said I was there, hung up, and got out. I locked the car quickly and shoved the keys in my pocket, everything was just blurring together in my anxiety.
I rang the doorbell and Aria answered.
"Aria- I need to see Mike."
"No! You shouldn't go up now. Come back another time, please."
Ella, her mom came out, her wrist in her hand, she nodded at me. "I'm sorry Madeline. But we can't afford to have you here right now." I looked between the two, my eyes glistening. Didn't they understand how much danger Mike was in right now? I had to protect him from himself, but those two gave off the impression they were trying to protect me from him, but why?
They knew we were dating, that he only was open with me. Where had the praise gone? The thanks?
I only knew I wasn't leaving without a fight. "Move it." I ordered, and shoved past my friend into the house. I ran up the stairs and straight into Mike's room, then closed the door behind me and locked it. I went into the bathroom and locked it too, so they couldn't get in from that door either.
Then, I marched over to the bed and sat down beside Mike and embraced him tightly, all my anxiety and anger floating away, replaced with gratitude and safety. I felt at home when he held me back.
"Mike." I pulled away."What did you do to your mom?"
"Nothing!" he said. "Stop bugging me about it! Every ten seconds you ask me how I'm feeling and I'm sick of it!" I stood up and took a step back. How did he go from holding me like I was his safe harbor, to telling me off for helping him?
"I'm trying to help you. Mike, you're my boyfriend. I care about you."
"I'm a terrible boyfriend." He scoffed. "Stop trying to help! I don't want your help, or my family's or some damn therapist's!" he stood up too now, and was coming closer, just as I was backing up. I backed up a few feet away from his door, and unlocked it, now frightened. I knew now why his sister and mom hadn't wanted me to come. But I had anyway. What was he going to do? It was like he was being possessed.
"Mike, you're scaring me. Please stop. It's me. Mads."
"No one said you had to come! You weren't invited in. But you always have to have your say, and get in the middle of everything!"
"Mike, stop it now." I stood up to him. "I'm helping you. Don't turn on me."
"Shut up! God dammit! Go to hell Madeline! I hate you! You're annoying, and a nosy bitch, so leave!"
"No, you don't mean that. I'm not leaving!" I shouted, and then it happened. He smacked me, across the face, and I stumbled back into his dresser, a sharp pain hit my back and my face stung. A bruise would definitely be there later, and a huge one. I'd need a ton of cover up. No one would find out about this.
"Mike? Maddy? I heard shouting, and Mom went to take the garbage out…" Aria stood in the doorway, looking between the two of us younger ones in cluelessness and I stood, tears pooling in my eyes, staring in disbelief at Mike, holding my hand to my face, hiding the mark. I looked to Aria and then at the ground.
"I'm sorry I bothered you all. Good night." I then hurried past Aria, my hand still on my face, and out of the house.
I opened the car, and started sobbing when I got in, to see Ella walking back into the house, oblivious to what had just happened. It would stay that way. I drove home, crying, and when I put the car back, I realized how angry Jason would be at me, not for driving under the age, he didn't care about that, but that I hadn't asked him first.
I stumbled out of the car, and I saw a flash of headlights, then Toby and Spencer got out of his truck and hurried towards me.
"Mads, what happened?" they asked, gaping at my state.
"Nothing, go back to your make-out session, or stake-out session on my house, whatever." I tried to walk up the stairs to the porch, but Toby blocked me.
"Tobes, I'm not in the mood. Let me past."
"Take your hand down from your face." He challenged back.
"No."
"If you don't, I'll call the police, and they'll get it out of you." Spencer piped up. "Assault is not tolerable."
I sighed, and put my hand down. The wind of the night against the bruised flesh helped a bit.
They gasped. "Who did this to you?" I stayed silent, unmoving. Then they knew. "Mike."
"Toby, let me go." I said, my voice breaking, thick with tears.
He let me sprint past into the house, but I knew he was planning something in his head. He wouldn't let Mike get away with abusing his own girlfriend; Toby and I were best friends.
I got in, already broken, when Jason swooped in as soon as Mr. Hastings' left the house.
"You took the car without asking." He started, but I begged for him to let me go to my room, for him to yell at me another time.
He stopped, assessing me.
"What happened to your face?" he asked suspiciously.
"Got whacked by a tree branch." I said vaguely.
"Liar liar." He shook his head. "You got hit. Who did this?"
I answered, "Jason, don't hurt him."
"Him? Was it Toby?"
I shook my head.
"…Mike…it had to be…he'd been depressed…I warned you Madeline! I told you! He's unstable right now! You just had to chase after a problem!"
"He needs help! And he needs me!" I shouted at him. He snatched the keys from me and marched out the door, heading to his car.
"Jason! Don't hurt him!" I begged as he got around the other side of his car and got in.
He rolled down the window on the passenger side so I could hear him.
"He won't get anything he doesn't deserve Mads. He hurt my little sister. That gets a response from the overprotective big bro." then he sped away, but I banged on the car for him to stop, and I ran down the road for a bit, following, but I wouldn't be fast enough on foot to catch up. I stopped. I was stuck.
Jason cared so much for me, and we'd never officially made up from our fight, but I knew he loved me. But did he show it in this way? I didn't want Mike getting into trouble too! It was hopeless.
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