Sorry if the events in this chapter, or previous ones, upset or offend anybody. They can be a little bit graphic at times, and that's just my style of writing. Though if you have any pointers or suggestions, feel free to tell me so. I love reading your guys' reactions, (and reviews, hint hint ;)

Rhiannon's POV

I think right now I pretty much owe my life to Joe Jonas, and that's not an uncommon statement. Though in the eyes of most girls, it would be because 'without the Jonas Brothers, I'd die!'. But I meant this in a serious way, I couldn't go back to my house and if I hadn't found that pay phone and called Joe I never would have been able to get help from someone. I guess I was even more thankful that he wasn't so weirded out by me that he wouldn't speak to me. Last night, my mother was pissed when I'd gotten home late.

"Rhiannon Jane, what the fuck is wrong with you? I told you to be home by nine and you come in a hour later?" She was furious, and I could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"I'm sorry mom, I really am. Have you eaten dinner, I could make you something?" I was at a loss for words, she could be somewhat reasonable when she wasn't under the influence but she was a hard drinker, though her immunity was next to none.

"Don't you play that game with me, you idiot. Now get over here," she was snarling, her eyes losing and regaining focus. I reluctantly walked over towards her, body tense and awaiting any sudden blows. She lifted her hand and attempted to smack me across the face, but her hand narrowly missed my cheek as her aim was obscured. That infuriated her more than anything. She screamed with fury, as if it was my fault.

"You worthless piece of shit." she slurred.

Then she picked up the telephone and threw it at me, but as I tried to dodge and jump down my forehead came in contact with the coffee table leaving an attractive little cut on my head. My mother laughed, she was a pain but when fueled by alcohol she became downright horrible.

She walked over to me, and shook me while screaming words I couldn't understand, her fingers were so tightly gripped around my arms that I could see the white forming around them as my circulation was having trouble. All this time, I was crying but my tears only seemed to fuel her vodka induced frenzy. When she stopped shaking me, she forcefully pushed me back as I struggled to regain balance, but failed and smashed backwards into the television which was pulled from the wall. There was no sense of understanding in my mother's eyes, vile anger was all I saw.

"Fix that damn television, and stop crying. I hardly even touched you," I just nodded while trying to restrain tears hoping it was over for tonight.

That was when I left, as soon as my mother had scrambled up the stairs. I didn't take anything except what was on me: my clothes and my cell phone. I just ran, legs and arms aching from more than running pains. Something else was hurt too, my pride.

Joe watched me the whole time I reminisced, nervously. I could tell he was afraid to talk to me, like maybe when you meet a blind person and you think it's in some way rude to ask, 'So were you always--' you'd stutter, afraid to say the word, when they'd step in for you. 'Blind, you can say it. It's not like I'm not aware of it.' I didn't want him to feel awkward, but something really serious had just happened.

"Joe, look I know you want to ask, so go ahead," I said.

I watched his mouth open and close, as if trying to word whatever was on his mind correctly.

"So that's why?" it's all he said.

"Why what? Why I'm shy, why I'm bruised?" I had no idea what he was asking, the question was much too open.

"No, I mean why you freaked out. You know, when it comes to any physical contact?" He didn't want to point out how easily scared I got, I guess he was being polite. But he did make a nudging motion with his body, not actually nudging me, as if to help understood what I meant.

"Well yeah. You see, my mother is an alcoholic. That's not too hard to guess but, she is. And when she drinks she gets a little bit violent, and even though her aim is usually off it doesn't lessen any impacts." I pointed to a bruise on my arm, "Arm, meet telephone." And then the cut on my head, "forehead, meet coffee table."

He just gasped from time to time, I had no idea what was running through his mind though. He seemed in some trance, what a perfect time to lose Joe Jonas. I snapped my fingers, and his mind came back into play while he stared at me. He pulled over, and before I could protest, he began what was on his mind.

"Look, Rhiannon. How come you dealt with it for so long? How come you didn't run out before, or tell anyone?" I guess I was expecting him to say that eventually.

"Because I've never really trusted anyone. I guess it's just like the world was full of people you couldn't trust, and that everyone would hurt you in the end. For some reason Joe, I don't feel that around you. I guess I just decided to act on it now, and try to get away. I know eventually I'm going to have to face my mother, I can't just leave and not come back, but for right now, everything feels right." It was true, even looking down at my bruised arms and seeing my discolored forehead in the mirror, things looked okay.

"I have one more question," I could see his face burning with curiosity, "Where'd Leonie come into play with all that? How come she knew, or something?"

I dreaded that, I totally forgot about it too. "Well, Leonie and I were unwillfully in a meeting with the school psychologist together, where she wanted to talk to both of us about our 'problems.' She basically found out that my mother was a drunken psychopath, and Leonie just happened to be listening to it all while waiting for her turn to speak."

"Oh," he looked disappointed, he probably thought we had some interesting story that he could vamp up and amaze his brothers with. Then his head jerked up a little, and his eyes narrowed. "Hey Rhi?"

"Hm?" I responded curiously.

"What was Leonie doing at the meeting?" Shit! Red alerts started going off in my head, I don't think Leonie told anyone about her brother dying, nor did she want the pity from it.

"I, well you see, she," I sighed, and quit stuttering, "I can't tell you, Joe."

Great, now he probably thinks Leonie is some psycho killer. I knew I couldn't say anything until I had her approval.

He stopped asking questions, and just drove me to the venue where everyone else was.

Kevin's POV

Joe had taken off in search of Rhiannon, Leonie and Nick were on the couch talking about mimes, and Laken was... actually, I don't know where Laken is. I looked around the room for her and spotted her over by the computer, scrolling. Oh no, she's not looking through those comments again, she wouldn't be. I walked towards her and sure enough she was scrolling through the comments. When she saw me walk over, her sulky attitude changed and she threw on a smile, even a snort here and there.

"Laken, c'mon, stop looking at all that shit," I was begging her, I didn't want her confidence ruined.

"It's quite humorous actually," she shot right back, ready for an infamous face down.

"The writers are just jealous," I tried to reason with her.

"Kev, I don't care about the comments!" I could see in her eyes that she was totally lying.

"Yes you do! Just, I'll delete them all or whatever," this was usually an admirable quality of hers, but not today.

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"I FUCKING DON'T"

"C'mon Laken, be reasonable."

"I'm being reasonable, now back off." She shoved me out of the way and sat down on the couch, breaking up Leonie and Nicks 'fascinating' conversation about carrots and eyesight or something.

Laken's POV

"Hi," Wow, what an introduction that was. Nice going Laken.

"Hey, Laken right," Nick said, motioning towards Kevin for a reason I didn't know.

"Yep," What was wrong with me, where was my confidence? Oh yeah, I know where. It's sucked into the minds of all those arrogant snobs, why were they taking such a toll on me?

"So Kevin tells me you're this god at Guitar Hero? Think you can live up to the game at Singstar? I saw this place down the street and if we can do it, we'll totally become some chick band and upstage them Jonas Brothers there." Leonie said pointed towards Nick, trying to make conversation. I smiled, and nodded.

"Boy, I'm hungry," was her next attempt. That, unlike her previous attempt, perked me up.