The day bleeds

.11.

"Fuck." I say when the towel hits my back, I throw my head up trying to focus on the ceiling. A knock comes from the door, making all three of us jump.

"Yeah." Jughead calls out while FP continues to clean my back.

"What are you doing in there?" a women asks making FP and Jughead look at each other.

"cleaning," he answers.

"Veronica is here, she said she needed to talk to you." the women says making Jughead roll his eyes. I cover my mouth trying not to make a sound letting the tears roll down my face.

"I'll be out in a minute.." he calls out.

"Betty you don't have to hold in your pain, let it out." FP says moving the towel to another part of my back making me tense up. The door opens reveling a woman I've never seen before with Veronica by her side. They stare at me wide eyed watching FP clean my back.

"Mother fff!" I yell as he drags the towel down my back.

"What happened?" The woman asks stepping into the bathroom grabbing a first aid kit from under the sink. "lean forward against the counter." the women instructs opening the kit while I follow her instructions.

"Long story." FP responds stopping with the towel and switching with peroxide instead of water placing the towel back on the surface of my back. I scream hiding my face in my arms which hurts too so I grip onto the counter top. Jughead comes to stand next to me he looks at me sad then back to his parents who are working on my back. I reach for his arm holding onto that instead of the counter looking down at the floor of the bathroom. He doesn't pull away just continues to watch, I look in the door way seeing Veronica looking at the whole situation stunned. I pull on Jughead's arm making him look at me, he follows my gaze to see Veronica watching the whole thing.

He looks at me while I look at him, then look back down when they move on my back. "Holy shit, whoa okay." I mumble loudly making them chuckle slightly. "He really went at it this time." I add holding onto his arm tighter then before leaning further into the counter.

"Can someone tell me what happened?" The women I'm assuming is Jughead's mother asks. FP goes to explain it but I stop him pointing to the door with Veronica in the doorway. He shuts his mouth looking at her making the women look in the doorway. "I think you should come back later." The women tells Veronica making Veronica become angry while she struts out of the house. FP explains the entire situation to the women while they finish up my back. When they finish I stand up straight looking at my bruises. I touch my arm wincing at the contact. Someone pulls a shirt over my head making me turn around seeing that FP and Jughead are the only ones left with me.

"Thank you" I tell them making them smile as they bring me to the living room where the others are watching TV.

"Betty, sit with me!" Jellybean exclaims getting up and pulling me to the couch. She pushes me into the chair then sitting on top of me. Watching what ever is playing on the TV. I grab my bag which is on the ground under us pulling out my journal and a pen opening up to the next clean page and writing about my day off to the side while Jellybean starts to slowly fall asleep in my lap. After I finish the entry I get curious about when this all started, I remember the first night I wrote it down in the same book I just wrote in. I turn to the first page looking at the date. November 24 2015. 4 years, I've put up with this shit for 4 years. I close the book putting it in my bag staring at the wall thinking about my life, 4 fucking years.

"You okay?" Jughead asks me sitting next to the two of us.

"4 years, he always abused me but I've dealt with being raped as a punishment for 4 years." I whisper not looking away from the wall. "no one figured it out, for 4 years and if they knew they held it against me." I add feeling tears falling down my face. "maybe it is my fault, I mean why else someone assault someone else for years." I whisper letting my thoughts and emotions out.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Jughead whispers looking at me staring at nothing.

"Then tell me why it was only me, never my sister, never my brother, never my mother... why is it me that he targets." I choke out now with a full stream of tears falling out of my eyes. "am I weak, am I just an easy target because after a while I tired of fighting back, am I..."

"Stop... It's not your fault, you are not weak. You are one of the strongest people I know, You are extremely brave, smart, kind." He says sitting in front of me making me look at him.

"I destroy everything, make the people around me resent me because I'm shattered and I don't know how to pick up the pieces... everyone leaves me alone in the dark, and when I think light as come it disappears." I cry feeling him grab my hands.

"You need help picking up the pieces, someone to let the light in. And that's okay because you are not alone. We're all here to help you, I promise." He assures me making me calm down. "I'm not leaving." he adds holding my hands tighter looking up into my eyes. I look down at him staring back. "Do you believe me?" he asks seeing I'm looking back at him.

I nod my head slowly, "yeah." I respond just before FP comes into the room taking the sleeping child away from me.