Chapter 18 – Mandy's Past

I got to the clinic early the next day. It was actually a school day but I was so worried I couldn't wait until after to talk to her. I knocked on her door she was awake and looked shocked when I walked in.

"Leo...I didn't expect you till later"

"I know but I had to see you now"

"Well actually I am glad you are here I need painkillers my head is banging"

"Well see last night Mands someone spiked your drink so that's either from the drink or drugs"

"WHAT! Who did that?"

"I don't know Mands but I will find out and when I do they will be sorry"

"Aww my little geek"

"Yeah actually Mands I need to talk to you about something important"

"Oh god what did you steal? Did you kill Justin by accident?"

"What? No!" I said not able to help the laughter at her suggestions

"Then what is it?"

"Do you remember anything of last night?"

"No...Last I remember was talking to you before you came up here"

"Listen you said something last night and it worried me.."

"What did I say?" she asked looking at me confused

"Y...Rhiannon came over...she was helping me with you to keep you calm"

"Oh ..Where are you going with this"

"Y..You said to her...don't hit me... and then when I asked you about it you said your mum"

Mandy's POV

I couldn't let Leo know about my childhood I had to convince him that I was just saying any old thing because of the state I was in.

"That's an odd thing to say I must have been hallucinating" I laughed to myself

"Mandy...I know you to well I know when you are been serious or when you are messing around so tell me now what happened"

I looked at the burns on my wrist. I had told Leo that I had done them myself which he believed as people with mental health problems tend to harm themselves in one way or another, I had not thought about my past in a long time and I hadn't wanted Leo to find out.

"Well...my childhood wasn't the best"

"I know but...she hit you"

"It was when I was fourteen...that's when she first did it"

"That's strange most people it would be when they are much younger"

"I know I don't know what sparked her off...maybe she started then as it was easier to hide"

"Easier?"

"Well you know when you are a child people are always around you watching over you but as you get older they stop doing that as much, if she had done it when I was younger someone was bound to notice, Anyway I think it was her bloke who got her into it...she had a different one every week usually, some were okay, some were creepy, one of them was violent he hit me first though he only hit me once then they broke up so he didn't get to do it again"

"Why did he do it?"

"Because I hadn't cleaned my room...after they broke up mum started on me...she said I was bad"

"You weren't bad"

"Yes I was"

"What did you do?"

"I didn't clean my room, didn't get straight A's in school, spend too much time on the computer, had to be told to do homework, was late for school"

"Mandy that doesn't mean you are bad" he said sitting on the bed next to me "Everyone does that"

"Then I started to get ill..." I carried on..."That made mum more angry she eventually dumped me here"

"Well at least you aren't getting hit anymore, where was your dad during all this?"

"I...I don't have one...I have never met him he was gone long before I was born"

"Don't you want to find him"

"Not really...I don't need my family anymore" I said hiding my wrists knowing soon he would realise

"Wait them burns...did she do them?"

"Yeah with her coffee...she only started the burns a few months before I came here though"

"I bet that's what triggered it...you know your illness people say something has to trigger it before it starts to show"

"Exactly" I said

"Well you have me I will protect you"

"Thanks Leo" I said cuddling him feeling better my secret was out