Finding Lou

AT HOME WITH THE TOMLINSONS

"Let's go home. Shall we?" I asked with a small smile.

They nodded and we began our walk.

"Where's the car?" Felicity asked.

"I don't have the car anymore." I said quietly.

"Why not?!" Daisy asked worried.

"It's getting repaired." I lied.

"Tell us the truth Lou. We deserve to know." Lottie said. I smiled a bit at her sassiness.

"It was stolen." I said quietly.

"What?! How?! When?! Where?! By who?!" I was bombarded by questions.

"By someone at school, today, and that is all I'll tell you." I said stopping their questions.

"Call the police!" Lottie said.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I just can't!" I yelled. They know about the accident but they don't know how I'm treated at school.

"Sorry I yelled." I said seeing their scared faces.

We continued to walk in silence until Daisy screamed and pointed at my head.

"What?!" I asked a little scared myself and angry since the sudden yell didn't help my massive headache.

"Lou! You're bleeding!" Felicity yelled.

My head must have started bleeding again. That does happen. I should've cleaned it better.

I was silent.

"Louis?" Lottie questioned with a hand on my shoulder. I whinced in pain.

"What really happened at school today?" she continued

"After school I tripped down the stairs and hit my head really hard." I shrugged.

"That's not all. I can tell." Lottie pushed lightly dabbing my forehead with a tissue from her backpack.

I sighed.

"Fine... I was tripped down the stairs and fell and hit my head. That's why I'm late...I was knocked out for about half an hour ...and that's when my car was stolen."

They all gasped and Lottie stopped with the tissue.

"Louis!? Why would someone do that?!" Felicity asked.

"I don't know. Some people are just mean for no reason. You know?"

They nodded.

"Do you need to go to hospital?" Phoebe asked.

"No. I'm fine." I laughed picking her up.

For the rest of the walk they told me about their day. At least someone had a good day.

********************

By the time we got home it was already 5:40. It takes longer to walk with five other people. We walked in and all went to our rooms to do our homework. Or play in Phoebe and Daisy's case. Or in my case I went to shower and clean my wounds. When I'd finished Mum and dad were still yelling making it hard to concentrate on my homework that I started after cleaning myself up. So I turned on my phone music and started humming along to the Fray.

********************

At about 7:15 I finished my homework so I went downstairs and began to cook spaghetti for dinner which was basically the only thing I could cook. By 7:40 I had finished and I went upstairs to get my sisters. It's a better idea in this house to not let the parents know you're home. Especially when they're arguing drunk. That's how Daisy was hit on the head that one time. So the girls stay quietly in their rooms until I get them for dinner almost every night.

I brought them downstairs and we ate in mostly silence. We finished at 8:00 and I told the girls to get ready for bed. They obeyed and I cleaned the dishes and the kitchen then watched telly until 8:30 when I went up to see them all ready for bed. I first tucked Daisy and Phoebe in after a story. I was leaving the room when I was turned back by Phoebe who said:

"Sing for us Lou!"

I sighed and turned to them.

"Of course."

I don't sing much anymore apart from rare occasions. And only for them.

"If I don't say this now I will surely break. As I am leaving the one I wanna take. Forgive the urgency. But hurry up and wait. My heart has started to separate..." I sang them look after you by the Fray. By the time I'd reached the second verse Lottie and Felicity walked in and smiled at me. When I'd finished the twins were sound asleep and I walked with Felicity to her room and Lottie went to her room. I said goodnight to her, tucked her in, turned the light off, and shut the door. I then went over to Lottie's room.

"Thank you." she said as I sat on her bed.

"Thank you? For what?" I laughed.

"For singing. I know how much you used to love it and we appreciate the rare occaisions when we hear your beautiful voice."

"Oh it's no problem."

"Louis?"

"Yeah?"

"You were tripped and had your car stolen by Stanley and them am I right?"

I sighed.

"Yes."

"I know this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Why does it happen? Why do you let it?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"Is this about Hannah?"

My breath hitched in my throat.

"No why?"

"Because after that night I noticed you came home with bruises and cuts and such everyday."

"Lottie."I sighed "It's hard to explain. I'll tell you later but right now you need to sleep."

"Fine."

I kissed her goodnight and tucked her in. I shut the door and the light and went into my room. I ran my hand throught my hair. What a day.

******************

I went into bathroom and pulled out my knife. It was about 9:30 by now. This was my private time. After they were in bed I'd go into my bathroom and cut and cry. And that brings us to now. I continued to cut for a while still sobbing. I changed my bandages and added some new ones. I then put on my pajama bottoms and got into bed. This was such a hard day. Sure I met a nice girl. The first person to talk nicely to me in over a year. But that didn't change my pain or that I had an awful day.