The Voice (Luke Hemmings)

5. Change

I was immediately shoved into the wall when we came home. He grabbed my hair and pulled it down, so I had no other choice than to lower my head. Else he would've ripped my hair out of my head. No thanks. But now it was easy for him to push me to the ground. So he took the opportunity. He pushed me hard. I lost my balance and fell on the ground. He kicked me in my stomach and I immediately rolled up in a ball. I just ate breakfast. I just hoped I wouldn't have to puke. But if I did, it would be over him. Fucker. He kicked me several times more and my whole body was aching. After that he grabbed me by the neck and forced me to stand up again. But I couldn't. I was so dizzy and white dots were covering my vision. I grabbed the wall for support and heard a door being opened. "Mason? Skyler! What are you doing here?" I heard my mother say. "This whore has been hacking into the school system and now she's being kicked out." My father said full hatred. "This." He kicked me. "Fucking." He kicked me again. "Slut." And again, in my stomach. I doubled over and fell on the ground again. My head bashed against something, my guess is the coffee table and it started throbbing more than first. Great. Now a headache too. I held my hand against my head and I felt a warm liquid. Blood. "Mason, please stop this." My mom said. "After this stunt?" He snorted. "No way in hell." And he kicked me again. "Mason!" My mom shouted. His attention was now on her and I used the opportunity to haul myself up with the help of the couch. "What is your problem whore? Don't know who the boss is here?" He said to me. I spit out some blood before a plan came up in my head. "If someone's a whore here, it's you." I spat in his face. Something flashed in his eyes, but it was away as soon as it came, so I couldn't see what it was. "What did you call me?" He said. "A whore! You're a fucking whore! How could you do this to mom? I actually don't care about me, but mom? You married her for a reason and-" He cut me off. "Don't you dare say it." I glared at him. "Think of this as payback for being a shitty father the last couple of years." His face fell. "Mom, he's been cheating on you for the last 17 years. He has a daughter with another woman. The daughter's name is Quinn. They left him after Quinn discovered he had a wife. So now he's at home because he doesn't have them to go to." My mom's face fell and my father started choking me. "All those times he was away... He wasn't... At work. He... Was with.... Them." I couldn't breath anymore, but at least my mom knew. My eyes grew wide. I could die. I could actually die. My mom walked to him and raised her hand. She slapped him right across the cheek. Damn right. His grip on my neck loosened and I managed to get out. I fell on the ground and tried to catch my breath. "You son of a bitch. You have a daughter?" My mom said. Shit's about to get real. She never swears. But what I didn't expect is for him to slap her back. Right across the cheek also. Fuck. He never slapped her. Or hurt her physically. My mom's eyes were wide open. "How could you-" She was cut off by another slap. He... Fuck. He balled his fists and kicked her in the stomach. Fuck, I have to stop this. I looked around me for something to stop him and my mom looked at me with fear in her eyes. I nodded at her and ran to the kitchen. The set of kitchen knives begged me to grab them. And how big the temptation to grab them was, I couldn't. The chance I'd kill him was too big and I didn't want that. Even though it didn't seem like a bad idea though. Rapunzel. My favorite Disney movie. She used a frying pan to knock people out. I opened a cupboard and grabbed the first frying pan I saw. I ran back to the living room and saw my mom laying on the ground, my father hovering over her, with his back to me. I sneaked up to them and just when he was about to kick her, I swung the frying pan to his head and knocked him out cold. His body fell limp to the ground, on my mom. I quickly pushed him off of her and helped my mom stand up. "We... We have to go." My mom stuttered. And I nodded. She hugged me tighly and looked at me up and down, to look for any damage. She wiped the blood from my chin, and I winced. There was a cut in my lip and it hurt pretty bad. "Go upstairs and pack your things okay? I'll meet you here in 15 minutes. She said and walked to the kitchen. And that was the moment I knew everything would change. I ran to my room and grabbed my suitcase. I couldn't bring too many things and we need to get out of here soon, before he wakes up. I looked around the room and didn't know where to start. So I started with my closet. I grabbed the shirts and tops I wore most and threw it into the suitcase. After that I threw 2 pairs of black skinny jeans and 1 pair of normal jeans in the suitcase, together with light pink shorts. After that I grabbed three bra's and all my panties and threw it into there also. After that I grabbed my laptop. I checked if my phone was still in my pocket and it was. I grabbed the charger for my phone, iPod and laptop and put it also in my suitcase. After that I walked to my bedside table, grabbed my iPod and put it in my pocket. I walked to my bathroom and put all the makeup, shampoos and stuff into a bag and put it into the suitcase also. After that I grabbed my box with acasseories and my wallet, and put it in my suitcase also. I filled the rest of the suitcase with shoes and just random things I thought that could be necessary. I looked around the room once more and sighed when I saw the electric guitar. Of course I couldn't bring it... I could bring the guitar, but to bring the amplifier too... That would be too much. And the sound from an electric guitar without an amplifier is not really spectacular, so... Nope. I couldn't bring it. If only I bought the acoustic one... I closed the suitcase and dragged it downstairs. I saw my mom already standing in the doorway. "Go grab the car keys, I'll set these things by the car." She said with tear stained cheeks. I nodded and walked to the kitchen, where the car keys hung on the wall. Okay... The SUV, the BMW A3 or the BMW mini? Hm. Let's go fo the BMW A3. I grabbed the car keys of the BMW A3 and walked past the living room. I stopped in my tracks when I saw my father laying on the couch. My mom must've put him there. I grabbed him, pushed him off the couch and laid his neck in an odd angle. So when he would wake up his neck would be sore. Ghehehehe I'm so evil. I should actually give him a broken nose, or give him a black eye... Or cut my initials in his forehead with a knife... Yea, you're right. I've seen too many movies. Sadly I decided not to do that though, I think a headache and a hurting neck are enough. I went through his pockets and stopped when I had his wallet in my hands. "Thanks." I murmered and walked back to my mom, who had put our suitcases in the BMW already. Ah, she knew me so well.

"Where are we going?" I asked when we rode through the busy streets of LA. "Other side of town. We'll crash at the first hotel we'll come by." I nodded and focused on the road. Normally I would listen to some music right now, but there was too much going on. From the corner of my eyes I saw my mom grabbing the steering wheel tightly and I decided she could use the distraction. I put the radio on and smiled weakly at my mom. She sighed deep and focused on the road again. No Good In Goodbye by The Script came on the radio and I sang along quietly. "You can sing very well, I never really noticed." My mom said quietly when the song was over. She felt guilty, because she didn't know a lot about me. I could tell. But she wasn't the one at fault here. "Thanks." I replied. As you could tell, my mom and I never really talked. Just because my father liked the silence. And even when he was not there, we didn't talk much. I didn't know why though, but my father was a big part of it. After two hours of driving we passed a hotel. It wasn't luxe, but it wasn't cheap either. Just a normal hotel. My mom parked the car next to the hotel, on the little parking place. We grabbed our suitcases and walked inside. "Wait here okay?" My mom said and I nodded. She walked to the reception desk and talked to the woman behind the desk for a bit. After a while the woman gave her a key and looked like she was giving directions. My mom nodded and walked back to me. "Let's go." She said.