Bruises - JATP Fanfic (Luke x OC)

Chapter 25

"Thank you for coming today, Brielle, and I'm sorry that you have to go through all of that. Do you need anything else?" The social worker asks the sixteen year old, and she shakes her head. Brielle has been there for over two hours, explaining everything that's been happening over the last ten years since her parents joined the Hollywood Ghost Club. The social worker doesn't know about that part of it, since she doesn't see ghosts, but she explained that her parents went clubbing for days at a time and when they came back home, they were drunk and usually very angry and violent. "I'll walk you to your sister's car and I'll contact her with any further information on the case."

"Thank you, for doing this." Brielle gets outside with the social worker and gives her a hug.

"Yes, thank you so much, Mayna. It means everything to me." Brielle watches as her sister gives the social worker a hug, and soon the two of them are off to see her sister's apartment which is still within the school district if she wanted to start living there instead of in the studio of Julie's house.

"So, how'd it go?" Aliyah asks as soon as she gets on the streets of L.A.

"Good. I think I shed through an entire box of tissues, but good. Thank you for arranging this meeting today." Brielle laughs a bit, and Aliyah wonders how such a sweet, kind girl could end up with demon parents like she was describing.

"I know you said you wanted to live with me, but I don't want to force anything on you, so let's give it a week and if by the end, you'd rather stay with Julie's family, I can set Ray up to become a foster parent and you can stay with them instead." Aliyah pulls into the parking lot of her apartment building, turning off the ten year old car that she got just before leaving New York, and popping open the trunk to get her little sister's suitcase while Brielle grabs her backpack.

"Okay, but I really hope this works out." Brielle counters, and Aliyah agrees. "So, are you seeing anyone?"

"No. Unfortunately, I have taken a hiatus from dating until I'm thirty. Which means another year and a half. My last couple boyfriends were bad. Abuse-level bad, but they're in New York, so I will never see them again." Brielle thinks for a moment, trying to figure out a way to give guys a chance because there are a lot of guys in L.A. she's sure her sister hasn't even gotten the chance to know, let alone date.

"Well, Los Angeles is not New York. Give it one more shot if there's a decent enough guy." Aliyah runs through all her memories of her boyfriends from high school, and other than being immature, none of them were all that bad.

"One more shot. But, you have to agree to come on one of the dates with me."

"Deal." Brielle extends her hand for Aliyah to shake, before making their way to the fourth floor, unlocking the door to apartment 4E, and heading inside.

"This is so cute, Lia." Brielle says, seeing the living room first with a light blue sofa that is the same color as the wall it's facing, along with two white chairs on either side and the TV on a white wooden stand across from the sofa. The coffee table has a million papers that blend in with the white top, along with a MacBook covered in dozens of stickers from various shows she's been in, products she's bought, and a few places she's been.

"Well, that's the living room. This is the kitchen, and I'll take you to your bedroom." Aliyah walks with the suitcase behind her to the smaller of the two rooms, which has a bed with a simple blue comforter, a desk in the corner, a bedside table, and a closet with more than enough room for her clothes.

"Thank you, Aliyah." Brielle drops the backpack and turns around to give her sister the biggest hug in the world. Startled for a moment, Aliyah doesn't even know how to react because she was more than happy to give her sister a place to stay, but wraps her arms around Brielle moments later.