Can You Save Me?

Tell Me The Truth

                              Justins POV
I wake up to an arm wrapped around my waist, i didnt know who it was so i pretended that i was still alseep. Hoping that when the other person woke up, hopfully soon, they would think i was still sleeping and leave me alone and by myself. I steadied my breath, a trick i had learned while having to, more than once, pretend i was asleep to either make people bored of me, or sneak up on them so i can make a good get away.

"I know you're awake, Justin" The other person said. "Are you cold? I know a place we can go to warm up." The voice was small, like the person couldn't have been any older than i was. Then i remembered, last night a boy had came and brought me to 'his spot'. I had been nervous at first because it sounded a lot like what Mr. Anthony would say to me when he wanted to play 'games' with me, but the boy seemed genuine and he'd said it was either him, or the man in the ally. And i had more trust in a kid my age than i ever would an adult, adults suck.

"I agree," the voice said. "What?" I answered sittting up to look over at Monty, the boy who i met last night. "Adults do suck, i hate adults, they think they can do anything they want just because they're older. Its bullshit." He says. "Oh, didnt realize i was speaking aloud" i said akwardly. But in all honesty i might just have to take Monty up on the offer of a warm place, i am freezing. "Im cold, can we go now?"

Monty doesnt say anything, just stands up and holds out his hand. I assume it was the same as yesterday and i grabbed his hand. We were walking when suddenly i remeber something i'd said last night. "Im sorry if you felt pressured to accept what i asked, i dont have to stay if you dont want me to" i said, rushing it out all too fast, i wasnt even sure Monty had understood anything i said. "If i didnt want you around, i would have refused. Plus its nice to have someone else to look after, feels normal." He replied. "You dont have to look after me," i said defensivly, "i can look after myself."

"I know you can, Jus. I was just saying it feels normal to have a younger kid, even if he's only a year younger, around for me to help and assist if im needed." That confused me, did he have siblings? If so why was he here with me and not with them? If his home life is bad then why would he leave his siblings there? "Do you have siblings?" I ask, i needed answers to some questions or i was litterally going to explode.

"A little sister, shes actually only a year younger than you, shes 5." He says, a smile plastered on his face, and a look of adoration and happiness in his eyes. The same look and smile i'd seen him give me the night before when he'd gladly accepted to let me stay with him. "If you're home is bad, why did you leave her there?" I hoped Monty would understand that i wasn't being rude or invasive, i was just wondering and concerned for his little sister.

"She's safe right now, i know she is so i can focus on staying out until i know my dad has calmed down enough to go home." He said, his voice was different than it was before. When i looked at him, he was no longer smiling and his eyes were stone, no emotion and no signs that there ever was any to begin with. I wanted more, how could i know if i was safe if i didnt know him and why he stays on the streets. For all i know he could be tricking me, trying to make me trust him and make me repay him when he does favors for me. I just needed to know, and i think i knew how to make things even. I decided not to press it, not yet at least.
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We arrived to a place, i'd seen it before on my way to the allys i usually slept in. It's called Monet's, it's a cafe and coffee place. I'd never thought to go inside, i always thought of it to be a place for rich people, not a poor kid on the streets type thing. I guess its just because of how fancy it seemed to me, but if Monty came here then maybe im wrong about it, maybe people wouldn't bat an eye if i walked in with dirty clothes and disheveled hair.

Monty and i went inside, we used money that Monty claimed he found in an ally, but i think he just stole it from someones pocket. But he was buying us food and drinks so i didnt mention it. After we ate everything, like animals might i add, he decided we would go back. Although instead i told him i wanted to show him one of my favorite places first. "It's beautiful dont ya think?" I asked him, it was a nice veiw close by to where we slept, bench somewhere near so you coukd sit and just look across the clif. The veiw was definitely very pretty, "it is, its very pretty." Monty said, sitting down on the bench and looking out at the veiw.

I decided this would be the perfect time to ask my questions. If i wanted Monty to give something up then i knew i would have to too. I knew Monty had questions for me so i decided i could use that to get him to answer me, or i could try at least. "I'll answer your questions too, full detail, but you have to do the same with mine. I need to know i can trust you."

It was less about needing to trust him and more about me being a nosey 6 year old, but i still needed to know enough about him so that if it was a trap, i could use something to my advantage. If he hurt me, i would know a weakness and exactly how to get away. He nodded at me, he stayed silent for a little before he finally spoke.

"My dad." Is all he says, i stay silent because i knew he had something else to say, he just was trying to find a way to say it. "My dad hates me, he hits me and beats me and sometimes it gets really bad. My mom, she hates it, at first she'd try and reason with him. Tell him to stop and that i had done nothing wrong, but he snapped at her, told her that i was a mistake and good for nothing. He slapped her that night, hit her over and over, so i had to do something, i grabbed one if his whiskey bottles and hit him with it, it shattered and he passed out." He paused for a seccond and took a breath.

"He was more drunk than he usually was that night, any other night and he would never have hit her, i knew it and she did to. He knew better than to hit her, she had two overprotective older brothers and a dad who'd kill for her anytime anywhere. But somehow she still loved him, so instead of calling her family, everytime he got stumbling down drunk, she would grab my little sister and lock them in her room or sneak out the window and drive off until the next day." I was shocked, i had to deal with moms drug addicted and abusive boyfriends all the time, but it shook me to know that another human could possible understand it. But Monty did, i knew it now, monty was not dangerous, and he wouldnt hurt me, because he wouldnt want to become his father.

"Why didnt your mom bring you into the room too or bring you with her when she left?" I mean, if his mom brought him too wouldnt his dad just eventually give up trying to get him? "Because, if she did, his attention would be back on her aswell. And not just me and her, but on Estella too. And she's too young to know what abuse feels like, i dont want her to know. So sometimes when my mom isnt home to protect her, i stay instead of leaving. I make sure Estella is entertained and stays in my room, when my dad gets bored of me and tries to go for her instead, i have to piss him off so he doesnt hit her."

"Wow, Monty im so sorry you have to do that. Adults really, really suck. I mean we're on the streets, we're just kids we shouldn't have to be doing this." I hate that Monty had to go through twice the abuse in order to keep his sister and his mother safe, it really was rediculous how a 7 year old boy has to protect his mother, when it should be the other way around. But i guess i really cant say anything, because i too protect my own mom from her boyfriends. Mr. Anthony to be specific, he is one of the worst yet.

"Okay, so whats your question, what do you want ne to answer?" I ask him, he held up on his part, so i'd hold up on mine. But instead he looked at me and said, "we might have to finish this tomorrow."

"What? Wh-" but before i could finish my sentece his hand covered my mouth, he pointed to a truck that sat parked on the sude of the road, a man was inside. As soon as he saw Monty pointing in his direction, he got out of his truck and began to walk towards us. We both glanced at eachother and we did what any sane person would do in this situation, we ran.

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End notes: Sorry for the rushed chapter, i relized i hadnt posted my seccond chapter or finished writing it so it was deffinetaly rushed so sorry.