Breaking the Strings

Keeping Secrets and Slapping Wrists.

This story: "Breaking the Strings" and its content is copyright of PocketNerd 15 and LaniLove97 - © 2012. All rights reserved. Any No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of PocketNerd15/LaniLove97  (MinniePooh97).

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Hello guys! So my best friend (LaniLove97) and I (PocketNerd15) have decided to make a joint account where we write stories together. [Genius right? ;)] Anywho, I write Chloe's part of the story and Lani writes Jayde's part of the story. We both have acces to the account, so if you want to talk to both of us, you can message this account. If not, you can find me @PocketNerd15 and Lani @LaniLove97. 

*Dedicated to LovelyOwls for the lovely cover :)* 

Now go read! :) 

**

~ Chloe ~

'I'm sorry babe.'

Those were the first words, regretfully sputtered out of his mouth, each time his strong, calloused hands made sharp, painful contact with her frail little body. 

'You know I didn't mean it. Please forgive me?'

Like the idiot he'd made Chloe out to be, she forgave him every time. But he knew she would, because Dayne Thomas had the sweet, broken girl eating out the palm of his hands.

And there was nothing she would do to stop it.

Not yet. 

**

Chloe walked into her bedroom, flanked by her little sister, Mia. Mia was only thirteen - a few years younger than Chloe - but was the closest thing she'd ever had to a best friend. Sure, being queen bee atop the social ladder had it's advantages, but true friends weren't one of them. 

Mia looked at her big sister adoringly. She loved spending time with her, simply because she was her role model - an exact picture of how she wanted to be when she got to her age. 

Well, almost. 

Mia studied her sister carefully, noticing how she moved stiffly and with lack of ease. She figured it could be because Chloe was an avid swimmer and it was near the end of summer, but then she realized something. A big something. 

The bruise that was slowly spreading across her sister's thin arm. She was sure that hadn't been there earlier, and she couldn't figure our what could've caused it; the only place Chloe had been was at Dayne's house. Mia had never really taken a liking towards Dayne, she'd always thought there was something off about the way he behaved around her sister. Everyone else thought they were the best couple imaginable, with their good looks and adorable personalities meshing perfectly, but Mia wasn't fooled. Not one bit.

"Hey Chlo? What happened to your arm?" Chloe's face paled, and her palms became lined with glistening beads of sweat. Mia knew she was about to lie to her, and Chloe knew she couldn't get away with her lie, but she'd hoped Mia wouldn't question it. 

"I, um, at Dayne's house we were watching movies, and I got scared and fell. He grabbed my arm to..keep me from falling! Yes, that's it. So yeah, it's nothing." She thought her small - realistically massive - fib was believable, and was convinced that Mia'd bought it. 

No such luck. 

Mia grabbed Chloe's arm - which sent sharp, prickly pains through it in the process - causing her to wince inevitably. As she studied the massive bruise, she noticed that there were thin, almost unnoticable nail marks in her arm. Some were cherry tomato red, and others were tinted a light purple. The skin around the marks was already beginning to peel off. 

"What did he do to you Chlo?!" When Mia looked up from scrutinizing the cuts, she saw that Chloe was biting her lip, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She smiled sadly and shrugged her shoulders, feeling defeated. 

"He's sweet, and I really do think he loves me...but..." Mia couldn't believe her ears. She knew something was off about the boy, but she wouldn't think it was this! Not this. "..he just gets so angry with everything. He doesn't mean anything personal, it's just that he can't control it." 

Mia's little thirteen-year-old heart shattered into a billion pieces. Her and her sister had been through so much together, their lives being flipped upside down on several accounts, but they were always safe with the ones closest to them. 

But the one boy closest to her big sister was the one causing her the most heartache and suffering. 

"How long has this been going on? How long have you been hiding this?!" Mia wasn't angry that Chloe hadn't told her, she felt more betrayed than anything, but she was determined to ignore her own feelings for the sake of her role model. Her big sister with the thin marks of dried up blood on her arm.

Chloe's heart throbbed when she saw her little sister shed tears at her expense. She felt guilty for keeping this from her, but she was trying to protect her from even more pain. Their mother'd caused enough of that for them already. 

"Well it's only been for a few weeks, but he gets worse every time. He just started with yelling and smashing stuff, but then a week ago, he slapped me." Chloe was choking words through her own sorrow-filled tears. She felt weak and pitiful, but most of all she felt disgusted. She felt like she should duck underneath her covers and hide from Mia, from her father, from the world. 

"Oh my gosh Chloe! We need to tell some-" 

"No. No Mia, this stays between you and me, got it?" Mia nodded. "It can be like our little secret. Besides, he's the sheriff's kid, no one would believe us." Mia stared blankly at nothing in particular. "Even if they did, what would they give him?! A slap on the wrist if even that much." Chloe was talking to herself more than she was her sister. 

She'd obviously not told anyone - except for Mia, of course - about what her long-time boyfriend was doing to her, and she didn't plan on telling anyone else. She figured she would have to teach herself not to cringe every time Dayne reached even a tender hand towards her. That way her little problem wouldn't be figured out and spread like wildfire by the blabbering mouths of her high school.

No, the secret would stay hidden in a safe place.

In silence. 

 **

Well hello again! (PocketNerd15 here, duh! ;]) So just to let you guys know (because we're wonderful like that) We both upload on the same day. So we read eachother's stuff, make sure its a-ok and post (: 

Um, what did you think? 

Like it, love it, hate it? Ah, well tell me! What should I add, what should I explain? 

Nothing? Good! ;) 

Tah-tah! Have fun reading Lani's post(: 

<3 Simone ;D