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So if you peel away the skin,
you'll find the strong survive but they can't always win.
I stand up to the shallow end,
You won't see me drowning - sink or swim

Sink or Swim, Hedley

The door slammed. I dropped my plushie kitten as mom stomped through the house. I wondered what I had done wrong.

She came into the room, eyes blazing and a bottle of whiskey in her hand. I cowered in the corner as she spoke.

"You little pest. I tell you to not be seen, but the neighbors asked me who the kid in my backyard was!" My mom yelled, and slapped me hard. "I let you go outside but you can't even follow my directions! You're useless, Melody, useless!"

I whimpered. Things like this happened every day, and now it could go either way. Mom would either lock me in the basement for a while and leave me alone, or do that and give me a beating. I hoped it was the first.What did I even do? She told me to go out. I just listened to her... "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?Sorry?You ungrateful brat! I go through so much trouble to keep you alive, but you have no respect!"

She had been drinking again. It looked like option two. My mother grabbed something and stomped towards me.

I hid my face in my arms. I didn't want to see what was coming.

I woke up with a gasp, forgetting for a moment I wasn't in that hellhole anymore. "I'm okay...I'm okay." Those kinds of dreams hadn't bothered me for a while now, but the events of last night had gotten me thinking about it.

It had stopped raining outside, and the sky was cloudless.

My hair was a complete disaster. I sighed, slowly beginning to brush it out and get ready for the day, while thinking about last night

At least Jake hadn't found out. Because he worked nights, he'd had no idea how messed up an evening I'd had. Hopefully I would be to keep it that way, because if he knew, shit would go down.

At times...he can be a little too protective.

Kaoru and I had waited at that park till Hikaru came in his fancy blue car. Hikaru had immediately gone to Kaoru and made sure he was all right. There was a little scene, which when I looked back on it, was adorable.

The car had skidded to a stop and Hokaru jumped out. He ran for his brother and they hugged for a moment.

"Kaoru! We looked everywhere for you, what happened?"

"I got lost and met up with Ame. I'll tell you the rest later, Hikaru. We need to get out of here - the thugs hurt Ame." Kaoru looked back at me. "Let me help you."

I shook my head no, trying to regain control over my emotions. Nobody else needed to see me...the other way. "It's my arm, not my legs. I can take care of myself." But the wound did look bad...it hadn't stopped bleeding yet, and the gash was about seven inches, curving across my arm.

Ignoring their protests, I got up and staggered to the car. Hikaru got in the driver's seat while Kaoru rode in the back with me.

They whispered back and forth as we drove. I wondered where we were going, because as far as I knew, nobody had been told my address.

"Do you want to go to a hospital?" the twins asked me in unison.

I shook my head. I hated, hated, hated hospitals.

"But that looks pretty bad. Are you sure?" they pressed.

"I didn't think anyone could actually do something like that!" Hikaru exclaimed.

"You really should have it seen to."

"Yeah, it's still bleeding."

"Just take me home, guys. I've treated much worse than this without any help."

"What do you..." Hikaru took a closer look at me and noticed my old scars for the first time. "Ouch! What the hell happened?"

I just looked out the window. "Look, I don't know if you've been paying attention to me for the past week, but I'm not exactly the type to spew my secrets. I really don't want to talk about it. Kaoru can tell you if he wants. Just take me home."

They had done that, but they refused to leave until they knew I had treated my wound properly. Hikaru had tried to ask all sorts of questions, but Kaoru kept shushing him. I hoped he would keep his word and not tell anyone about my mom.

There wasn't much I could do to hide the large bandage on my arm, though. Oh, well. The other Hosts will probably find out eventually...but maybe they can keep it a secret. They've made everyone at school think Haruhi's a guy...they might even help me...

I picked up my little plushie cat, Calla. It was, or had once been, a ginger-and-white tabby, hardly larger than my outstretched hand. It had been the last present that my dad had given to me before he had his heart attack. It had survived the abuse like I had...Though after so many years, it looked very worn. I still kept it, though, because it reminded me of simpler times. I took Calla with me everywhere, it hid in the bottom of my schoolbag and in my purse. I wish I had a real cat.

My phone started ringing. I checked the caller ID - Kaoru. He had insisted on getting my number last night, to make sure I would be okay and he could check on me. It's kind of sweet...

But all my instincts went against the fact of letting someone else in. Last night I had been irrational. And even if I became closer to Kaoru, he could change. Become an entirely different person.

Just like my mother.

But either way, I guess there's no going back now.

Sorry for the lateness and filler!
I had writer's block...bad.
Thanks for all you amazing reviewers and favoriters!
I love you all, Please continue and make me happy!