Trapped

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No one said anything the next day at work, but I could see the worried and curious stares they sent my way when they thought I wasn't looking.

It wasn't until a month later, when TJ had gotten furiously intoxicated and busted my lip open, that one of them said something. Lauren, Kaysie, Shelby, Sasha, and Jenna were all sitting behind the counter when I walked through the door. Kaysie and Lauren were the first to notice me, and when the others noticed them looking, they too turned to face me. It was Jenna who turned to me with a gasp, her brown eyes widening in shock.

She ran over to me, a worried look in her eyes. "Kymmie, what happened to your lip?" She exclaimed.

Sasha, a newly-hired girl with mocha latte skin and a pretty smile, ran over with a washcloth clasped in her hands. She used it to started wiping at my lip before moving it elsewhere across my face, taking my makeup with it. "The same thing that happened here," Sasha answered Jenna, pointing to my bruised cheek. "Kymber, you are too pretty for this," Her British accent slipped out to mix with her words and form a sentence that made me turn pink.

"No," I objected, denying her statement. "Not like you or Jenna,"

"You are," Jenna insisted. "Kymberlin, you have so much potential, honey. You could be whatever you wanted to be, but you let that TJ guy push you around and tear away at your self-esteem." She told me. "You're too good for that; too good for him."

"That's why you left that one day, isn't it? You're terrified of him," Kaysie mumbled.

"Because he hits you," Shelby concluded.

"Look, honey, I've been where you are. I allowed a man to abuse me because I thought I had no one else. You do, though," Sasha sighed.

"That's right," Kaysie smiled. "You have us!"

Lauren turned to me. "Do you have any family you could call?"

"I haven't talked to my family in years." I admitted, ashamed. "I wasn't allowed to,"

"Do you remember your parents' number, maybe?" Jenna asked me.

"I, uh, maybe . . . ?" I murmured, worriedly. I didn't know if I could call them. Would I even be able to? It seems like a lifetime ago that I spoke to them. Even longer was it that I spoke to my brother or sister. Would they even speak to me, after three years of no contact?

Lauren grabbed the cordless phone from its charging base and handed it to me. Looking at the five girls around me, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I hadn't talked to any of my friends or family members in so long; what would they say? How would they react? Would they be happy? Upset . . . ? Mad . . . ? I didn't know the answer to any of the questions running through my mind, and that worried me. I didn't know what I would say when they answered, if they even did. What do you say to your loved ones in this situation?

"Go ahead, Kymmie," Jenna encouraged. "We're here for you."

I dialed the familiar number on the dial pad, praying this wasn't for nothing. I heard the typical ringing and then a soft voice picked up on the other end. "Sanders' residence," They spoke. "This is Kim speaking,"

". . . Mom," I whispered. "It's Kymberlin."

She was quiet for a few minutes, letting my words sink in. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad you called me." She sighed. "It hasn't been the same without you here. Your father and I have been so worried about you." She told me. "Are you okay? Do you need us to come get you? You sound upset, Kymmie."

"I haven't been so good, mom." I admitted on the verge of tears. "I need a place to stay for a while. Do . . . do you think I can, um, come home for a couple days?"