Lilly drove home deep in thought and crying as she thought of what to do with her feelings for Amber and would occasionally pull over and slam her hands on the steering wheel and shout out curses. Lilly had mixed emotions on what to do. She knew she loved Amber a great deal, that she did not doubt, but the girl cheated on her and that was inexcusable in her book. Then to do it with her best friend, a girl she loved as deep as a sister, made the matter worse. She wanted to forgive Amber for what she did, but she also wanted to hate the girl; something she could not do regardless of how hard she tried. She was confused and knew it was time to talk to her mother and get advice from a woman she admired and looked up to a great deal even if she did not show it all the time.

Lilly got home and found her mother sitting at the kitchen table in their small apartment. Lilly looked at her mom before the woman knew she was there and smiled. She always found her mother very pretty and so did her friends. Oliver loved to come visit her just to see her mom and when Lilly and Oliver dated he would tease Lilly about breaking up with her so he could date her mother. Lilly would laugh and tell the boy her mom would eat him alive. The main issue Lilly's mother had is trusting men due to what her ex husband did to her. That was one reason Lilly thought she could not forgive Amber. Lilly cleared her throat and her mother looked up and smiled.

"Mom…can I talk to you for a minute?'

The older woman feigned a look of shock, "Wow…my own daughter actually wants to talk to me! I may go into cardiac arrest just hearing those words."

Lilly rolled her eyes and sat down, "Mom…please stop. It's important."

Ms. Truscott smiled, "Ok…but I need to talk to you as well. That's why I have been waiting for you. Who goes first?" Lilly pointed at her mother and the woman continued, "Robbie Ray called me this afternoon."

Lilly sighed, "What did the jerk want?"

"Lilly! You and he used to get along so stop that. He has always been nice to you. Anyway, he is concerned, honey, concerned about Miley. Seems she got into a fight at school earlier this week and he says she has not been out of her room since Monday. Robbie told me she just sleeps and cries and does not eat. He's worried, baby, and thought you may know what's going on. He…well…he thinks it may be drugs."

Lilly rolled her eyes, "No she is not on drugs! God he is an idiot. Yeah she drinks at parties on occasion but she does not do drugs. I think she is…well…I know about the fight and she was totally wrong. All the girl did was talk to her…anyway…I don't care what's wrong with her. Miley is a lying whore!"

"Lillian Truscott! She is your best friend!"

Lilly gave a harsh chuckle, "She used to be…but I found out what I mean to her and her views on friendship recently and she is nothing to me now but a lying whore I hope I never see again!"

Ms. Truscott looked shocked but did not press the issue, "Well…maybe give her dad a call or Jackson even and help them out. I…well…I…well you know how much I adore Miley and hopefully you and her can work things out. Now to your problem."

Lilly gave her mom a confused look, "How do you know it's a problem?" The older woman laughed.

"Because, daughter who I love more than anything in this world, I know you would never ask to have a moment like this unless it is a problem you are having and confused about. You are a very strong and independent girl and for you to come to me for help it must be a problem."

Lilly smiled, "Yeah…more of a dilemma…Mom, after dad cheated on you…well…did you ever think about forgiving him and working things out?"

Lilly's mom gave her a look of surprise. "What…ummm…well…wow, Lilly, what brought this on? Did he contact you again? I…I know how you feel about him but if he wants to see you I think you should. He is your father and the problems we had should not affect you. One good quality he had was he was a good father and loved you."

Lilly smirked, "No he did not call me…I think I made it clear to him after the last time he called to never contact me again. No…I was asking because…well…I was only nine when the two of you split up and I was just wandering if you thought about it. I mean to end a marriage over that one thing…yeah I know it was bad and I don't like him for what he did to you…but maybe you could have worked things out."

Ms. Truscott laughed and then grabbed Lilly's hand, "Lilly…oh baby, do you think that is why I divorced him…because he had that affair with his secretary? Oh, my poor child…no I divorced him for the number of affairs he had not just that one. He cheated on me constantly even before we were married. If it was just the one…well maybe we could have worked it out. Why the question…did the person you are dating cheat on you? Is that why I hear you crying at night?"

Lilly nodded and her eyes got watery, "How did you know I was dating someone?"

Her mother laughed, "Please…I know when you are in love…I could tell. How come you never let me meet him…or her?"

Lilly pulled her hand back and stared at her mother, "Her…what makes you think…why did you…mom! Her? I…what…"

"Oh stop it, baby, I know…hell I knew about you and Miley and that girl Allison and of course Oliver. So is it a him or her?"

Lilly smiled at her mother in respect, "Yeah…it's a her…her name is Amber and she is so pretty and sweet and caring and…and so ladylike. She can be clumsy and is totally not into sports but can be so graceful. She always wears dresses or skirts and I have never seen her in a pair of pants and she always looks so perfect and gets upset with me when I curse…and…and…"

"And you love her, right." Lilly nodded and blushed.

"You are ok with me liking girls?"

"I don't mind…I want to see you happy and if you are gay I am fine with that."

Lilly smiled, "Well…I don't know about being gay…I mean I like girls and also like boys…maybe confused…but I love her, mom. I love her so much it hurts when I am not with her and…and…"

"And she cheated on you." Ms. Truscott said and took Lilly's hand again as her daughter nodded and started to cry.

"It hurt, mom, it hurt so bad when she told me…and…I wanted to die. I have tried to hate her for it but I still love her and can't hate her. I…I don't know what to do. I want to be with her again…but I…I don't know if I can trust her."

Ms. Truscott scooted her chair to Lilly's and hugged her daughter tight as Lilly place her head on her shoulder, "I know, baby, I know…but I can't make that choice for you. Only you can. Just think if you can ever trust her again and do you think she would do it again?"

Lilly sniffled and took a deep breath but did not let go of her mother, "I…I don't think she would…I mean…well…mommy, she has a fucked up home life…sorry…but she does. She lives with her aunt and uncle because her mom and dad died and then her older brother got killed in the war…it's complicated, mom. She has a cousin who is only eight and she is so sweet and adorable and…her aunt and uncle…well…they beat them mom. They beat them and hurt Amber and Natalie and sometimes…sometimes Amber spaces out and gets lost in her own little world. I think she does it to escape…and…and she puts herself in harms way to protect the little girl Natalie. Amber loves the girl and she takes abuse so Natalie won't have to. I…I don't know what to do." Lilly started sobbing again and her mother held her tight. Lilly did not mention the sexual abuse the girl suffered as she told her mother of some of the things Amber and Natalie endured. She also left out the more horrible tortures such as the branding and burning with the hot water. When she was done her mother gently pushed her back and Lilly wiped her eyes.

"Oh my poor baby…I…I don't know what to tell you. She won't go to the police?" Lilly shook her head and explained about Amber's fears of the foster homes and her mom nodded, "Yeah…well she is right. Remember that policeman I dated a while back? Well he worked a lot with placing children in foster homes and he told me some horror stories. There are some good ones out there, but the bad ones out number the good ones by about ten to one. Does…does her uncle sexual abuse her?" Lilly lied and shook her head, "Thank goodness for that at least. Oh, poor baby, I cannot tell you what to do but you have to look at some things. First, if you love her and want to be with her it will take time and work to get that trust back. It does not happen over night, but if you think she will not do it again then it may be worth it. Next, you cannot throw it back in her face. That is a terrible thing to do. And last, if you want to work on forgiving her you also have to forgive Miley. You can't forgive Amber and not Miley."

Lilly looked at her mom, "How…how did you know it was with her?"

Ms. Truscott smiled, "Well you and Miley have been friends for a long time and for you to call her a lying whore…I can figure it out. But you can't forgive one without the other, Lilly. It does not work that way."

Lilly pried herself from her mom and stood up, "I…I have some thinking to do…I…I think I will talk to Amber at school tomorrow and…I want to work things out, mom. I love her so much…but…I can't forgive Miley. I can never forgive her for what she did." Lilly walked out of the kitchen and to her room. He mother sighed sadly.

Lilly got to her room and sent Amber a text message, I luv you! I want to talk tomorrow at school. I really luv you! Lils, Lilly knew she would not get a reply until later that night so she smiled and clutched her pillow and thought of Amber and knew she could work things out and be happy again.

Amber walked in the house and up the stairs to the bathroom. She saw Natalie sitting on the edge of the tub naked waiting for her. The girl looked pale and was still shivering and sweating.

"Ams, make it hot. I want to take a hot bath…I am so cold."

Amber felt the girl's forehead, "Oh, baby, you are burning up with fever. We have to get your fever down. Have you been drinking juice like I told you? You may be dehydrated."

Natalie shook her head, "Mommy wouldn't let me. She said I would just spill it. I…I don't feel good, Amber…I…I'm going to get sick again." Natalie jumped up and threw up in the toilet as Amber held back her hair, which was already splattered with dry vomit from earlier. Amber was not a doctor but she noticed the girl only threw up bile and her stomach was empty. She got scared and knew Natalie needed a doctor. When Natalie was done vomiting Amber ran her a cool bath and told the protesting girl to get in so they can try and get her fever down. The older girl then went downstairs, avoiding her aunt who was in the living room drinking, and got a glass and the carton of orange juice. Amber made Natalie drink two large glasses of juice and then bathed the girl. After she dried Natalie off she took the girl to her room, made her drink another glass of juice, gave her some medicine, and took her temperature. Amber frowned when she saw it was one oh three but was glad Natalie stopped shivering and sweating. The older girl got Natalie's CD players and head phones off the dresser and sighed with fear. She knew what she had to do and was afraid of what was going to happen to her. Amber walked to the bed and gave the CD player and headphones to the girl.

"Put these on, Little Peep, and do not take them off. I mean that! Do not take them off until I come back up here…I am serious, baby." Natalie nodded and grabbed Amber's hand.

"Amber, I'm scared. I…I don't want her to hurt you. Please…please don't go down there."

Amber kissed the girl's forehead and smiled, "It's going to be ok, Little Peep, I'll come back up here after…after I talk to your mom. Just stay here and don't remove the head phones…promise me you won't take them off."

Natalie, with tears in her eyes, nodded. "I…I promise…I love you, Ams…I love you so much."

Amber closed her own eyes to stop the tears that threatened to drop from her eyes, "I love you to, baby. You…you made my life so much better and…and…I love you." Amber could not say what she wanted. She wanted to tell this girl so much about how she helped her love again and how much she touched her life, but the words would not come. Instead she kissed the girl's lips gently and winked when she pulled back. Amber walked from the room without looking back.

Natalie placed the head phones over her ears, turned the music up, and prayed. God…please don't let her get hurt to bad…please protect her. And…and please, God, please kill my parents. They are evil people and need to die. Please let it be just me and Amber and…and make Lilly and Amber be friends again. Natalie knew right from wrong and she knew it was wrong to pray for the death of her mom and dad, but she did not care. She loved Amber too much and wanted her best friend's pain to stop. She cried as she listened to the Jonas Brothers. She preferred Hannah Montana but she could not listen to the girl pop star while Amber got punished because she did not want have memories of Amber getting hurt every time she heard a Hannah Montana song. As she got older, Natalie could never listen to a Jonas Brother song after this night without thinking of Amber and crying. She learned to hate the boy group just from a memory.

Amber walked downstairs and hoped her aunt was not to drunk. She was meaner the drunker she was. Amber walked into the living room and cleared her throat.

"Ummm…m'am…I…I need to talk to you." She said in a fearful voice.

The woman stood, turned around, walked to the girl, and caressed her cheek as she smiled in a cruel way. Amber briefly thought again how pretty this woman must have been before the drugs and alcohol took it's toll on her beauty. She was still attractive, but in a hard cruel way. "Well the little whore actually wants to talk to me, huh? This is a surprise. Please don't tell me you are pregnant. Or let me guess…you have a STD from fucking a bunch of boys at school…or maybe you need a new pimp to sell your ass on the street corner. Now that is a good thought…I may be interested in that job; it may be fun to see you sell your skanky ass on the streets. Hell you give it for free might as well make some money off of you."

Amber ignored her taunts and did not flinch at the touch, "No ma'm…it is Natalie…she needs a doctor. She needs to go to the emergency room or something. Her fever is high and she…" She was interrupted when the woman pinched her cheek and let out a whimper of pain.

"Shut up! She does not need a doctor. She just has a cold. God she is so pathetic and such a cry baby." The woman turned and started to walk away.

"No, m'am…she has the flu and had been vomiting and her fever is one oh three and…" Amber backed away as the woman turned and walked to her. The girl backed into the wall and her head jerked to her right as the woman slapped her.

"I said shut up, slut! Do you think I don't care about her! Fuck you, whore! She is fine. Now go clean the kitchen and leave me alone. I also am defrosting some of those game hens for dinner. You cook them so well and that is what we are having. At least that is one other thing you can do besides fuck boys…you are a decent cook." The woman turned and walked back to her chair. Amber caressed her cheek which burned in pain and took a deep breath. She knew the woman would refuse to take Natalie to the doctor so she would talk to the man tonight. He was a doctor and he would at least look over his daughter and maybe her would determine she needed to see a doctor and get some prescription medicine for her. She swallowed hard and knew this was going to be the terrible part.

"M'am…I…I have to tell you something else." The woman turned and gave her a look as she raised her eyebrow. Amber felt her knees almost give way and felt as if she may pass out. "Well, spit it out, girl!" The woman screamed at her.

"I…well…when I went to get Natalie's medicine…I…I dropped your pills in the sink and the top was not one good…and…well…they spilled down the drain." Amber then fell to her knees as she saw the look on the woman's face, "Oh God…I am so sorry…It…it was an accident! Please…please don't hurt me anymore…I…I'll do anything if you don't hurt me!" Amber begged and started to cry. The woman shouted a few curses at her and then picked her up off the floor by her hair and Amber was half dragged and half crawled to the chair. The girl whimpered in pain and the woman made her sit in the chair.

"Don't fucking move, bitch!" She screamed and Amber nodded as tears of pain and fear fell down her cheeks. The woman left the room and Amber heard her upstairs in the bathroom throwing things from the medicine cabinet. She soon came down holding the empty prescription bottle in one hand and to Amber's shock the handcuffs and nylon cord her husband used on her on some nights in the other. She threw the bottle at Amber and it hit her in the head.

"You, cunt! I…you fucking, cunt!" She screamed, "Hold out your hands!" Amber hesitated and the woman slapped her and grabbed her hands and cuffed them; the woman then tied Amber's feet together with the nylon rope. Amber whimpered and begged but was slapped again.

"Shut up…shut the fuck up!" The woman screamed and then took a deep breath and calmed herself after a few moments while Amber whimpered in fear. The woman walked to Amber and bent down and touched her cheek.

"Do you think I am stupid, Amber?" She asked calmly and Amber shook her head to afraid to talk. "Well I think you must believe I am since you think you can fool me. But you can't, you stupid whore. I know everything that happens in this house." The woman took Amber's handcuffed hands and wiggled them, "Like these little toys of yours and my husbands. I know he uses them on you and where he keeps them and all his amusements." She let go of the girl's hands, "He used to do the same to me; did you know that? I was his plaything at one time." The woman smiled evilly.

"Please…please don't…I'll do anything for you…please don't hurt me. I…I can't take it anymore." Amber begged softly and the woman laughed.

"What do you have I want? What could you do for me I want? No, silly cunt, there is nothing you do I want."

"I'll…I'll stop having sex with your husband…I'll…I'll stop…I promise I'll stop!" Amber pleaded louder and again the woman laughed.

"Why would I want you to stop? I don't care what he does with you. Hell, I am glad because he won't fuck me in his perverted ways anymore since you are here. But back to the original question…I am not stupid even if you think I am. I know what you do, Amber. I know how you protect my daughter. I know you do things or take the blame for things she does so I won't punish her. Like these pills…I know she is the one who spilled them in the sink."

"No! No…it was me! I did it…she…she didn't do anything…it was me!" Amber screamed and the woman laughed once more.

"No, whore, it was Natalie…admit it! Admit it was her and I will let you go and you will not be punished. Think of it, Amber, no pain today and all you have to do is tell me the truth. Spare yourself, Amber, I know it has been hard on you and I know you are tired of the pain…make it easy and tell me the truth." The woman said in a very kind and motherly fashion as she lovingly caressed Amber's hair.

Amber whimpered and for a moment she thought she would. She wanted to tell this evil woman she did not spill the pills and be able to spare herself anymore pain, but then she thought of that small beautiful child upstairs and she knew she could not do it. She knew she would die for Natalie if it came to that.

"Fuck you!" Natalie screamed, "I did it! And…and I was glad it happened you junkie whore!"

The woman screamed in frustration and pulled Amber to the floor by her hair and rolled the girl on her stomach. Amber kicked and struggled but with her hands cuffed and her feet bound she could not do much. She felt the woman pull her skirt up and rip off her panties. Amber whimpered and turned her head to see the woman walk to the lamp and pull the electrical cord from the stand and double it up in her hand. Amber screamed when the cord struck her naked butt cheeks and the back of her thighs. The woman hit her over and over and Amber cried and screamed in pain. Soon Amber was on the floor whimpering and crying in pain and the woman stopped and bent down to pull Amber's head up by her hair.

"See, bitch, this is what you get for lying and calling me a junkie whore! We have not even started your punishment for spilling my pills. Now back on the chair, dear girl." The woman said once again in a calm voice and laughed as Amber whimpered and struggled to get to her feet and back in the chair. It took her a while to do so, but once she was seated the woman smiled at her. "Do you know what would hurt you more than me punishing you?" Amber shook her head hard, "For you to watch me punish Natalie. That would hurt you wouldn't it, Amber?"

Amber's eyes went wide, "Noooo! God please no…leave her alone! She…she didn't do anything!" The woman laughed and gagged Amber with her own panties.

"Be a good girl and stay put…we don't want poor little Natalie to be hurt anymore than she needs now do we?"

Amber shook her head fast and muffled out pleas for the woman to leave Natalie alone but it didn't do any good. The woman left the room and soon she returned with Natalie walking behind her. The girl looked pale from the flu but also from fear. As soon as she saw Amber bound and gagged in the chair and with tears running down her cheeks, Natalie ran to her friend and dropped to her knees at Amber's feet and hugged them.

"Amber…what…please mommy! Please leave her alone! Don't hurt her anymore, mommy…please!" Natalie begged and looked at her mother.

Her mother pulled her up by her arm roughly and pushed her to the floor, "Stop your pathetic begging, bitch! I am through punishing her anyway. Do you know what she told me, Natalie? I gave her a choice to either be punished or tell me the truth and she could not wait to tell me it was you who spilled my medicine in the sink. She does not love you, Natalie, she could not wait to save herself and watch you get punished as long as she did not."

Amber thrashed her body and tried to tell Natalie it was a lie and not to believe the woman, but the gag prevented the words from coming from her mouth and all Natalie heard was muffled cries. The girl looked at her mother and started crying at what she knew was going to happen and then at Amber. What Natalie did next surprised and frightened Amber and even in the situation she was in made the Goth girl's heart burst with pride and love for the girl. Natalie smiled through her tears and winked at Amber and the turned back to her mother as she stood up on her feet.

"Well, mommy, she is right! I did do it and you know what, you bitch! I did it on purpose!" The girl screamed. While Amber was proud of the girl she also felt fear coarse through her at what would happen to Natalie. The woman was so stunned that she did not react at first and when she did she slapped Natalie with such force the girl fell back and her head landed on the coffee table with a sickening thud. Amber saw Natalie fall and hit the table and the girl role to the floor not moving. Her eyes were closed. The woman moved to her and kicked her in the side.

"You are just like her! You are going to be a whore like her!" The woman screamed at her daughter as she kicked her repeatedly and Amber heard a terrible crack and knew at least one of the girl's ribs broke but the girl did not move or make a sound and Amber noticed blood and spit slowly trickled from her mouth. After a few more kicks the woman stopped and picked up the phone and dialed a number. She did not have to wait long before the other line was answered.

"Its me…you need to call in another prescription for me. You stupid daughter dropped all the pills in the bathroom sink." She paused while the man said something. "Just do it and please come home now. I need a pill bad. Oh…you may also have to take your daughter to the emergency room as well. Your whore was supposed to be watching her and I think she has the flu and passed out and fell down and hit her head in a table. I think she is unconscious and hell she may be dead." The woman hung up the phone and uncuffed Amber and pulled her hair back hard. "Listen, cunt…she fell…do you understand me? She fell down and I was not in the room! It's your fault! Understand?" Amber nodded and when the woman left the room she pulled her panties out of her mouth, untied her legs, and fell to the floor next to Natalie. Amber gently lifted the girl's head and cradled it in her arms as tears poured from her eyes.

"Please, Little Peep…oh…please don't die! Please…oh God…please let her be ok!" Amber looked up to the ceiling, "Oh God…I know I said I don't believe in you anymore…but…but I do…please I am begging you…don't take her too…don't take her from me! I love her so much! Please God let her live! I am begging you…please let her be ok!" Amber screamed and then kissed Natalie's forehead, "Please, baby, please wake up…I…I didn't tell her, baby, I didn't tell her it was you…I promise! Please be ok!" Amber cradled Natalie's head in her arms and rocked back in forth and begged for the girl to be alright and not die as tears poured out of her eyes.