Breaking The Mould

All Too Well

Steph was lying on the sofa with Stephen watching a film when someone started to bang on their front door. Grumbling, she got up from Stephen's grip and walked to the front door.

"Ellen. Georgia. Gemma. It's our day off, why are you here?" Steph tilted her head, confused as to why the three girls looked so panic stricken.

"Steph, we need to talk to you." Georgia started and Steph noticed she had her phone and a newspaper in her hand, as did Gemma and Ellen. Steph invited the girls in and shut the door behind her, Stephen sat up in his chair and Steph turned to face them expectantly.

"You better have a good reason—-"

Gemma interrupted her quickly, "Someone went to a newspaper and told them about what happened to Abi before she came to live with Jill. Someone leaked...everything. It's not something she'll want anyone to read from a newspaper. They also leaked Abi and Ellie's relationship."

Steph leaned against the wall and ran a hand through her hair, "Shit."

"Why would someone do that?" A voice came from the living room door and Steph turned around.

"Ab—"

It didn't take a second for Abi to burst into tears, pushing past Ellie, Ellen, Gemma and Georgia and ran straight out the door.

"Why can't they give her a fucking break?!" Ellie sighed and followed her girlfriend out the back door.

"Babe?" Ellie wondered out into the garden were Abi was sat on the swing.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to talk to me." Ellie whispered, wrapping her arms around Abi's waist.

Abi tensed at the skin to skin contact and she shuffled away from Ellie again.

"You know, they didn't just do it once."

Ellie was taken aback by her sudden confession. "...what?"

"They didn't rape me once, it happened over and over again. It started when I was living with my dads dad and he'd beat me if I was like a minute late home from school..."

"Abi...."

"You said you wanted to know." Abi muttered.

"I know, but I don't want you to feel forced into telling me just because someone leaked it to the newspapers..."

"I want to tell you, but I'm scared. There isn't really much to say other than they raped me. My parents died and my grandpa was the only one who offered to take me in otherwise I would've went into the system. Some days I didn't go to school because I was in so much agony...I was so alone, I didn't have anyone...I tried to commit suicide the week before my 15th birthday and I got a beating for that too...I was too scared to report it so I just kept it all to myself...."

Ellie watched, tears streaming down her face as she listened to what Abi was telling her. "Baby...."

Abi finally looked up at her, leaning forward again to rest their foreheads together. "Hmm..."

"I'm so proud of you." Ellie whispered.

"I want to do this..."

Ellie breathed in again, running her fingers through Abi's hair. "Are you sure?"

"No...but if I don't someone else is going to get hurt." She muttered, wrapping her arms around Ellie and resting her head in the crook of her neck.