Never Again

p a r t ~ 1

It was one of 'those' days: relatively nice weather, school was uneventful, just a normal day. Like any other really, except for Jack. Jack was one of those friends; I didn't have to say anything to him, he just knew.

"Brooke?" he asked me, as we walked to our homes. I looked at him out of my, or what he called, dazed gaze.

"What?" I replied.

"You ok?" Oh, the sincerity. I nodded, putting on my brave face.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, you just seem---out of it." I pulled my jacket closer together, pulling at my sleeves.

"I'm fine," I said again. We stopped outside my house. It was broken down and beaten. It looked more like a piece of junk, but it was my house.

"Do you need me to pick up Maddie or anything?" I managed a smile.

"No. Mrs. Johns takes her home now, but thanks. I appreciate it." As I turned to walk up my steps, a pain in my leg fired up throwing me off balance, and I fell onto the concrete. Jack, ever my rescuer.

"Brooke!" He cried as I turned over. The pain was still very real, but I just blocked it out. "Hey, what happened?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing---I just got a Charlie horse." I hated lying to him, but I could never tell him the truth. He instantly started to rub my leg but stopped. He gingerly lifted my leggings exposing the real damage. His eyes looked like I'd betrayed him in some way.

"What is this?" He demanded as I pulled at my legging.

"It's nothing. I---fell," I lied, again. "I was on Maddie's bunk and..." I knew he could see right through it.

"It's him." I didn't meet his gaze. "He's hitting you." My eyes snapped towards him. "I know about it, Brooke."

"You don't know anything." He winced at my biting tone.

"No, I don't. But I do know what to do, you need to tell someone."

"Why can't you just leave it alone?" I screamed. I ran inside, shutting the door. I cuddled my books and ran to my room, taking the steps two at a time.

The room was pretty bare except for my rusted bed, and shabby dresser. At night, the candles were my only comfort. During the bouts of sleeplessness, of pain and agony, I would light them and dream of a different life. They fueled my hope for that day when it would all stop. But I knew better than to get my hopes too high.

I heard Maddie come through the door. I reached the bottom step to see the stout blonde woman kindly ask if there was anything else she could do.

"No, we're fine," Maddie answered robotically. I put my arm around her.

"Ok, very well. I'll see you tomorrow Madeline." Reluctantly she left. After I shut the door I turned to Maddie.

"Why was she snooping?" I asked. Maddie looked down.

"She saw my shoulder. I'd forgotten my jacket at recess, and when I came in, she saw the black and blue."

"Does she suspect?" Maddie shrugged. "Maddie you know why we hide it." Maddie nodded sadly. "If the cops find out then they'll put us in the Foster System." I put my hands on her shoulders. "We can't lose each other, not now. I'll be eighteen in a month, and then we'll be able to leave." I heard her nine-year-old stomach growl. "Come on tiger, let's go fix some dinner." I said and we headed to the mold covered kitchen.

Our PB&J sandwiches tasted stale and were J free. Jelly was a luxury we couldn't always afford. We tried to enjoy them as best we could when the front door burst open. The unintelligible ranting and grunting were obviously from our drunken 'father figure'.