Chapter 13 – Fi gets hurt
I heard yelling downstairs, I rolled out of bed and went to see what was going on. Conner was right up against Fiona who looked small and scared. He was yelling right in her face. I grabbed the bat off the hook and went up behind him. He grabbed Fiona's arm, she groaned in pain. I was almost close enough to hit him, I raised the bat but my throat started to tickle and I coughed. Conner turned around and grabbed me, he was so quick. I dropped the bat and continued to cough, I couldn't make it stop. He grabbed me around my arms and chest and lifted me off the ground. 'What the fuck were you going to do?' he screamed at me. I couldn't stop coughing and him squeezing my chest just made it worse. He shook me and yelled at me to stop. Then there was a whack and he dropped me, i slumped to the ground and struggled to catch my breath. There was more yelling. Then Fiona hugged me. I was still coughing. She picked me up and took me into the kitchen and sat me on the bench. She gave me some water then some cough syrup. I stopped coughing, looked at Fi then started to cry. My throat hurt, my arms hurt and that bustard had hurt Fiona. Fiona wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. I felt her body shake. I squeezed her tighter and she clung to me.
I pulled away from the hug and put my hands on either side of Fiona's head then kissed her nose, I couldn't reach her forehead. She took a deep breath. "Let watch some tv" she said and lifted me off the bench.
"Fantasia?" I asked as soon as it started playing. "It's pretty" she said as she sat down next to me. I snuggled into her as we watched the movie play.
"Conner hurt Fiona" I whispered to Lee as I tried my hardest not to cry. "What?" he asked as he moved closer to me. "He yelled at her and grabbed her arm really tight" I said. "How did she stop him?" "I tried to hit him with the bat but I coughed. He grabbed me but then Fi hit him with the bat and told him to leave. How could he hurt her? He said he looked after her." Lee put his arm around my shoulder, "Some people are just mean and angry and lie, like Javs dad. Fiona's strong for telling him to go away." "She didn't look very strong" "she's one of the strongest adults I know and Conner is the biggest arsehole for hurting her" Lee said and stood up. "Yeah!" I agreed and jumped up. Possum walked in just as we went to leave, I decided to stay for a bit longer.
"Here" Possum said and shoved a briefcase into my chest. I grabbed it "why?" I asked. "I'm going and don't need that stuff anymore" he said. I knelt down and went to open the briefcase. He put his foot on it. "Not now" he said. "Where are you going?" I asked. "Away, families moving" he said. I suddenly felt sad. "Just like that?" I asked. "Yep, that's the way of things. None of us are around for long Luce. You'll get used to it" he said. "The mural isn't finished" I said. "You got to do it now. I got to get going. See ya kid" he said and simply walked off. "Thanks Possum!" I yelled out after him. Another friend gone, I felt sad but I didn't cry. I went back to my drawing on the wall.
"Lucy" Fiona whispered as she grabbed my arm to wake me up. She had Liam in her arms. I could hear yelling coming from somewhere. Debbie was getting down from her bed. "Who is it?" she asked already panicked. Fiona didn't answer, she took us into the hallway. Ian, Lip and Carl were all there, Lip had the bat. "It's Conner, what's going on?" Ian asked. "He's nuts" Carl said. There was banging on the front door. "Fiona!" Conner screamed. Debbie grabbed Fi. "He is violent, we need to call the cops" Fi whispered. "What? No way" Ian said. Lip just looked at Fiona then nodded. He stayed upstairs to make the call while we went down to the kitchen. Something was thrown through the front window, glass shattered and went everywhere. "You can't hide from me!" Conner yelled. "Are they coming?" Debbie asked Lip as he came downstairs. "That's what they said" he said but he didn't sound very hopeful. There was different yelling now and another voice, Frank. Then it went quiet. "Franks there" I said. Lip headed to the front door "Lip no" Fi told him. "Two against one now" he said and kept walking.
We couldn't tell what was going on, there were some voices and noises. "You really think you're stronger than me? Your sister is mine!" Conner yelled. "Ian, go get Kevin. Alibi" Fiona said. Ian went out the back door while the front door was slammed open. Fiona pushed me, Carl and Debbie into the toilet and gave Debbie Liam. "I love you" she said and went to close the door "no you can't! You have to come in too" Debbie yelled. "I love you too" I told Fiona and grabbed Debbie's hand. Fiona closed the door. "Lock the door" she told us.
Debbie, Carl and I huddled together. Liam screamed in Debbie's arms. I couldn't hear what was going on in the kitchen because of the crying. After a while there was some screaming and a couple of thumps. There was a soft knock on the door "it's ok, you can come out now" V said. Carl opened the door. Fiona and V stood there, Lip, Ian and Kev were behind them. We rushed into their arms.
"Lucy don't, just leave her alone" Debbie hissed at me as I left our room. I went to pull open Fiona's door but could hear her and V talking so listened instead "he seemed so nice, how could I let this happen?" Fiona cried. "You're 19 and they are good at tricking us, this isn't your fault" V said. "Look what he did V, did you see their faces? I let him into this house" "not everything is on you Fi, you're allowed to date and have fun. Shit happens, they will be fine. They are fine, they're strong kids, they have to be" "Lucy" Lip said as he grabbed my arm "stop listening to people's private convos" he whispered. "How else am I gonna know what's going on?" I said a bit to loud "shh, get back to bed" he told me. I shook him off me "I don't want to." "Lip, it's fine she can come in" Fiona yelled out. I opened the door and jumped on the bed. "Are you ok?" Lip asked Fiona, she nodded. I laid down in front of her and looked into her eyes. I touched the bruise on her cheek. "I love you" I whispered to her. V laid down in the other side of Fi. "I love you too little Gallagher" v said "I wasn't talking to you" I smiled "just kidding! I love youse too V" I said. "Yeah? You better" v joked. "Fiona sandwich?" She suggested. I wiggled right into Fi and threw my arms around her, v did the same and we squeezed. "Tighter Lucy" v said "no, I can barely breath" fi said laughing. "I'm kinda getting smothered by boob" I mumbled "as if there's enough there to be smothered by" V said. "I would be dead by now if it was you." "wouldn't be the first victim my titties have claimed." "ok enough now. Lucy turn around" Fi said. V let me go and I flipped over. "That's better. I like being big spoon" Fi said. "You can always be my big spoon" I told her.