We Care About You
(Kevin's POV)
So we just got done listening to Vanessa and watching her…she's amazing. I am glad that she is allowing my mom to pay and take her to dance, her weakness is still the same, she has to make people happy, she puts people before herself. We ate pumpkin pie and now we are on the couch, my mom and dad are sitting next to each other on the love seat, Nick is teaching Vanessa Dear God on the guitar while my family and I are watching them. It's funny considering Nick is a perfectionist. Now it was ten and Nick and Joe will be having to go up to bed.
"Nicky its time for bed." My mom said.
"Awe come on."
"No you to Joey."
"Please…" They begged.
"No."
"Fine 'Nessa will you sing to us?" Nick asked.
"Umm…ok." She answered. "Only if you will go to bed right after I am done…deal?"
"Deal." They replied running up the stairs.
"I will be up there in five!" She called up to them.
"Thank you…" My mom said.
"Its fine…" She said as she put up the guitars.
Soon she went up there and I looked at my parents.
"So…do you like Vanessa?"
"Of course we do." My mom said
"Is she the same?" I asked.
"Well…she seams more, well shy, quiet, you know stuff like that." My dad answered.
"Oh…umm…did she use to tense up?" I asked hesitantly.
"No…why?" My mom asked.
"Don't tell her I told you this…but after the incident in the cafeteria, oh dad her step sisters said she killed her dad and she ran," I explained, and his face went from calm to angry, "Well she broke finally and I followed her, I know I didn't know it was her at the time, but she's sweet and everything, so I went to comfort her, when I put my arms around her she tensed up…" I explained.
"They said that…how old are they, did she tell her step mom?" My dad asked.
"Sixteen, and no because those are her princesses, and her step mom doesn't do anything about it from what I could tell, I mean they asked me after she ran out why do I hang out with an ugly girl like that…"
"And what did you say?" My mom asked.
"Well I said, well more like asked, if they looked into a mirror lately or did they brake them all…"
"Good job!" My dad said…until my mom hit him.
"I know, I know, but they were being mean to her…and you haven't seen them, they are ugly." I said.
"Still…" My mom said.
"I know." I said.
"She still has it huh." My dad said.
"Yeah…" My mom said.
Soon Vanessa came down and sat down next to me on the couch.
"So…how have you been these past years?" She asked.
"Fine actually…you know just touring and what not…how about you?" My mom asked.
Vanessa just shrugged. "Fine I guess." She said.
"I hope it gets better." My mom said.
"I know it will."
"So what are your steps like?" My dad asked.
"Lets see…"
"And please don't lie, we kind of remember the signs of when you lie…so it would be useless anyways." My dad said.
"Ok umm…my step mom is…well she just needs help, she treats her two daughters like they are princesses, she never tells them no, they are spoilt, her name is Trish, the oldest is Erika, she's the taller one, and Collene is the fatter one. They have stringy dirty blond hair and they have dull blue eyes, they are what-to-be preps who can never be a prep, and hmm…" She said.
"What about you in the family…please be honest." My dad begged
"I am the slave that does everything, and I am the person they take their anger out one, like they spread rumors, call me names you know stuff like that." She answered quietly.
"Oh…" Was all my dad said.
"Yeah…"
Soon we just talked about school, and stuff and when we looked at the clock it was eleven thirty and Vanessa was almost asleep.
"Oh dear, honey your step mom must be worried sick." My mom said, Vanessa just shook her head.
"They aren't?" She asked, and Vanessa just shook her head again.
"Why not?" My dad asked.
"B'cause their gone." She mumbled.
"What!" My mom yelled which caused Vanessa to jump up fully awake.
"I'm sorry…what did I say?" She asked.
"I'm sorry it just took me by shock, why is your family gone?" My mom asked.
"What do you mean?"
"There is no pint in lying, we all heard you…" I said.
"Fine, they are always gone, they leave every weekend and holiday." She said quietly.
"What about you? Don't they call or anything?" My dad asked.
"No sir."
"They don't check to make sure your ok?"
"No sir."
"What about where you stay?"
"I stay home alone."
"Your fifteen!" My dad was getting angry at these people.
"I have been staying home alone since my dad died."
"Since you were thirteen?"
"Yes sir."
"And your ok?"
"No…"
"Why aren't you ok?"
"Because I get scared sometimes but its nothing."
"Yes it is."
"How."
"Because you shouldn't leave a child at home over night all by themselves, its wrong, she takes your step sisters, and that's not fair." My dad explained.
"Look its fine…I don't care."
"Well we do, we care about you, and we want you to stay here for the rest of the weekend."
"I cant do that."
"You can and you will."
"But I don't even have anything to sleep in."
"Kevin can she borrow something?"
"Yeah of course."
"There you go."
"Uh…well…uh…fine."
"Come on lets go…" I said as I took Vanessa's hand and pulled her upstairs.
(Vanessa's POV)
I can not believe I let this slip, Trish is going to kill me. I just went upstairs to sing to the boys, then I come down and they ask me about my steps. What is going on? Soon I was half asleep, and kind of let slip that they are never home…like I said Trish is going to kill me. Now we are in Kev's room and he is at his dresser…looking for me something to wear considering Paul is making me stay the night.
"Look…I can just go home…its no big deal." I whispered because Joe was asleep.
"No your staying…look my parents REALLY care for you…please." He asked.
"Well…umm…ok." I said.
"Ok…thank you…"
"No thank you…" I said as he went back to digging, soon he stood up with a red shirt and some plaid pajama pants.
"Here you go…I hope they fit." He said.
"Umm…I can just wear my tank top." I said.
"Umm…ok…and the pants have a draw string so…you can just you know make them tighter." He said.
"Ok thanks." I said as he took my hand and lead me to the room next to his.
"Here you can stay in here…there is a rest room so you can take a shower if you want to, um…if you want to I can take you to your house tomorrow so you can get some cloths." He said.
"Yeah…thanks." I said.
"Your welcome…goodnight." He said.
"Goodnight." I said as he left soon I got dressed and into bed…but before I went to sleep Denise and Paul came in.
"Hey we just wanted to check on you…are you ok?" Paul asked.
"Yes sir." I said.
"Do you need anything?" Denise asked.
"No thank you…thank you though." I said.
"Its fine…" Denise said.
"Look we know after your parents died your step-mom may have shown you things she should have not…like it fine to stay home alone…and that no one cares…but we do, we want you to know that you have always been like a daughter we never could have, so we want you to know that we are here." Paul said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes…" Denise said.
"Thank you." I said.
"Anytime sweetie." Denise said as she hugged me and left.
"I really do care for you." Paul said.
"Thanks for everything." I said.
"Anytime baby…now you might want to sleep." He said as he got up kissed my forehead and left. Soon I was asleep, the most peaceful sleep I have had since my dad died.
(Paul's POV)
I just left Vanessa's room, she is so sweet, she always has been, its just there is something now that has changed. I cant put my finger on it…I hope I can figure it out soon. She is so much like her parents…they were amazing and great…them of all people. I went to my room and got dressed and got in next to Denise.
"Can you believe them?" She asked.
"Who?"
"Vanessa's…step-mom, and step-sisters…"
"I know…"
"She just looks so tiny…and fragile…and I…I…I can even explain it…"
"Look we are going to figure this out…" I said thinking back to the conversation we had today…they usually take their anger out on me…with rumors and stuff. "Honey where is a notepad and pen?" I asked.
"Why?"
"Look…I don't know if its true yet…I am hoping its not…but anything suspicious we need to write down…" I said.
"What do you think it is?" She asked.
"I think she may be abused."
"No…" She gasped.
"Look…she tenses…she jumps when you yell…she does whatever you say…and one of her sentences…two…I am the slave…and…I am the person that they take their anger out on…she covered it with they just spread rumors around about me…" I said writing this stuff down.
"Oh my gosh…" She said.
"Look we will just keep tabs and wont ask her about it…"
"Well when we do…you should you already seem closer to her…should we ask the boys to watch over her?" She asked.
"Yeah…just don't tell them why…"
"Of course."
"I never understand why people do that…"
"I know…"
"And ex-specially to someone like Vanessa…spanking I can handle…abuse…well you know." I always hate abuse…my father wasn't always the best…yes he use to abuse me…I had older sibs but they were always gone and they were just perfect, athletic and what not to where I was different…soon when I was sixteen I had had enough.
(Flash Back)
I was sixteen and I had just come home from school. My dad had gotten up off the couch and came to me. I haven't seen him much considering I have been at Denise's who's parents found out but asked them not to tell. They didn't. Well anyways. He came towards me and started smacking me around. Soon I had had enough.
"Dad!!!" I yelled and he froze I stood up and looked him straight in the eyes and whispered. "Why?"
"Why what?" He asked.
"Why do you hurt me? Why do you want to?
"Because…"
"Dad please…please I am begging you. I want to be able to know you…I want to be able to bring my girlfriend home to meet you…I want to be able to talk to you…please dad." I begged.
"What…"
"Dad you have never tried to get to know me…I am tired of getting hit…I am tired of lying…I am tired of having to be scared to come home…dad why me…why anyone…just why?"
"Because I was upset…ok, I wanted all of my kids to be like me."
"But I am not you…dad look at me…just take a look at me…ok I like music…but I have an amazing girlfriend who loves it to…she is pretty and smart and she's just amazing…she's a cheerleader…like I am football player." I had started playing to make my dad proud and it didn't work because he never listened to me…I liked it but liked music way more.
"You play football?" He asked stunned.
"I have been…I am quarterback."
"Really?"
"Yeah dad."
"Why?"
"I wanted to make you proud."
"Son…I am SO sorry…I am sorry I let it go this far…it…it wasn't right…I am SO sorry…" He said as pulled me into his arms and we cried he cried as did I we cried for a while…then I fell asleep in his arms. The next morning I talked to him about everything and then I called Denise and explained everything and she met my dad and mom who was back in-town…soon everything worked out…I still flinched a lot and what not but the beatings stopped.
(End Memory)
"Look its just when I see or feel someone getting abused…I know how it feels"
"I know hon."
"I think Vanessa…"
"Should stay with us every weekend and needs to get the house till late at night…and especially on holidays…I would love to have a daughter."
"I like it…maybe since you love to design and you never got to design a girls, why don't we give her a room?" I asked.
"I love it!!!" She said I could already see in her head what she is planning. "Ok I have to know what she is in to."
"And maybe since we have one more reordering studio give it to her."
"You are a genius." She said…I knew she wasn't just saying this she has always wanted a little girl and Vanessa was the closest she ever had.
"Ok so we know she loves music."
"No dur."
"Well we just to figure out more about her…you sure about this."
"Of course we have enough money and watch tomorrow the boys are going to be like 'can she stay with us forever' just watch."
"Thanks honey."
"We should get some sleep."
"Your right…night."
"Night." She said as we both fell asleep.
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Ok so I know I might be going a little fast but well I hope it will make since soon...I hope to be writing more soon...acually I will...just tell me what to write and well yeah...read and review please.