Reasons to Live | ✔

Bonus 1: Calvin's Reason To Live

Bonus Chapter- Calvin's Reasons to Live

(Takes place ten months earlier, in Chapter 1)

I woke up to the sound of another beer bottle making in contact with the floor. Immediately, my heart started racing as I jumped out of my bed to the other side of the room where Becca was. I hated when he was home. I hated feeling useless. 

"Becca! Wake up, Erik is back, Erik is here," I gasp quietly as I looked at the bedroom door, keeping quiet to hear for any footsteps. My heart thumped erratically in my chest as Becca quickly shot up from the bed and made a beeline for the door to lock the door.  She quietly grabbed the bat she kept near the door and I swallowed nervously. "Should we call Caleb?"

I knew the answer to that question but I took the chance to ask each time Erik acted out. Becca was seeing this guy in high school. His name is Caleb. He was nice and sweet to my sister. She said he was her guardian angel.

I frowned at that comment since guardian angels were supposed to protect the person.

I never understood that comment of hers.

Did I have one?

I don't know.

Did I need one?

I don't know.

She never told him what was happening at home. Even when I hear Caleb questioning over the phone, she'll make up a lie. They only started seeing each other, but she didn't want to tell him. She never asked for anyone's help.

I shook her head to my question.

I got all the blankets to try to block the door, trying to be as quiet as possible in the process to hopefully not remind Erik that we were just upstairs. Maybe Erik won't hit us today. Sometimes, he was too drunk to come up the stairs to beat us, but it really was based on luck itself.

Today, luck wasn't on our side when I heard the creaking of the staircase.

I gulped when we heard the creaking stairs as well as his mumbling.

"Bec..." I said, trailing off. I felt my heart pumping fast, my blood draining from my face and sweating hands. Becca backed away from the door when there was a huge banging on the door.

"Come out here, you fucking leeches," Erik yelled. I pushed myself to the end of the bed, terrified of out of my wits. I heard Becca curse next to me.

She only curses when she's afraid and mad.

She turned to me and I look up at her, confused.

She smiled.

I know she does it to try to calm me.

I wish I was older than her so I could protect her.

She knelt down till we were staring at each other, eye to eye. Gently, she nudged me under the bed and smiled. "Hide under the bed, Calvin. Don't come out no matter what you hear. Do you understand? Can you do that for me? Cover your eyes and ears?"

I nodded and quickly went under my bed as more thumping pursue before Becca unlocked the door. I covered my ears and shut my eyes.

___ ____ ___ ____ ___

I stared at my surroundings of the school blankly with my hands in my pocket, bored.

Knowing that I was standing close to 200 feet up from the roof, the impact from me hitting the ground would instantly kill me. The thought of me made me smile.