Down For The Count

Wait For It

"He's gonna what?" Phillipa asked, but I couldn't answer her back. I could only cry pathetically, my heart pounding.

I saw Phillipa walk over to me, sitting down in front of me.

"Paisley, has Lin...has Lin been hurting you?"

My eyes widened and I quickly shook my head, not wanting to get that rumor spread around. And if that rumor got back to Lin then I would really be dead.

That's when the hitting really starts. When they figure out that you're onto them.

"No...but...but it's gonna happen. I know it is and...and he's gonna be so angry, Pippa, please don't get him." I begged, looking up at her through my blurred vision.

Pippa sighed, giving me a small smile. "Lin and Vanessa aren't going to hurt you, P. They love you."

"I know that Vanessa won't." I whispered to myself, furrowing my eyebrows as I stared at the floor. "Moms don't hit. But...but dads do."

"Oh, sweetheart." Phillipa frowned, moving to sit beside me as she rubbed my back. "That's not at all how it works. Moms and dads aren't supposed to hit. Some parents are just awful, and...and some parents just hurt their kids."

"Most parents hurt their kids." I corrected her, my eyes brimming with tears again. "And...and all dads do. That's just how it is."

"No, Paisley." Phillipa said gently. "You just have had awful luck in the father department. But...but Lin's good, P. Lin's not going to hurt you."

Lin's not going to hurt you.

Unless you do something bad.

Which I have been doing all day.

I know that the second we're alone, he's gonna break. He's gonna hit me for being so stupid, for being such a nuisance, for causing such a mess.

I let out a loud sob at my thoughts, Phillipa gently pulling me into her and embracing me.

I don't even know what I'll do when he does hit me. Do I...do I see if I can stay with Pippa, or Alex, or...or Jazz and Anthony? Do I just forget all of them and run again?

Maybe I run again. Maybe I forget about everything and everyone like I did with Dustin and just run. Maybe I'll have good luck like I did last time, maybe I'll run into a group of nice people.

But then when they hurt me too...what do I do?

Is that what my life becomes from there? Just an endless cycle of getting hurt and running away from everything?

My cries hadn't stopped, and they intensified when there was a knock on the door, Lin's voice on the other side calling my name and asking if I was okay.

Phillipa got up, making her way over to the door and cracking it, sticking her head out to talk to Lin.

I heard both of them talking in whispers, but I couldn't hear what was being said over my own sobs as I panicked even more.

If Pippa tells Lin that I threw up, he'll hit me for not eating this morning.

If Pippa tells Lin that I think he's going to hit me, he'll just hit me because I'm onto him.