Just a warning, this chapter has scenes that might be sensitive or upsetting to some. Please proceed with caution. And thank you for reading my story. - Reshell xoxo
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"Shelby, I'm going to the store to get your dad cigarettes. Will you just keep an eye on him for me?" Mom said standing at my door.
It had been almost a month since dad's accident, he broke two ribs, his arm and his leg were badly bruised. He had been drinking heavily that night and decided to go for a spin on his buddies motorcycle, he lost control when he took a sharp turn. I remember the night we went to the hospital with mom, she waited patiently and when the doctor informed us, he would recover she went to his bed side and told him it was the final straw. She would move in with Mike and take her children with her, because he didn't want to change. Suffice to say that was a wakeup call for dad, he broke up with his girlfriend, stopped drinking and begged mom to give him another chance. I didn't think she would give him another chance at all, but I guess her love for him was something she couldn't ignore. She broke up with Mike and took care of dad and us; she didn't give up her apartment though she would sleep over some nights taking it slow. The drama with Jessica and Chase was still a never-ending story, they continued their torment, spreading even worse rumors. I made Mandy promise not to say anything to my parents, I had to threaten to never speak to her if she even mentioned anything. My parents knew about my breakup with Chase, I made up a lie about wanting to focus on my school. I got pretty good at hiding things from those around me, it scared me sometimes.
"Shelby, did you hear what I said?"
I looked at her and smiled. "Yeah mom, sorry. I'll go to the shop, you stay." I needed some fresh air and I'm not joking when I say dad is like a helpless child, he was recovering well, he still had cast on his arm. But he was very needy, I would rather go to the shop then stay and look after him.
"Okay sure, thanks I'll stay and start dinner. I need some things, that I'll put on a list for you." mom smiled and went to the kitchen, writing down what she needed.
I got up and put on some jeans, I pulled a white hoodie over my shirt that was more like my pajama top. I tried to tame my wild hair, failing terribly I just put it in a bun.
As I was walking back with two grocery bags in my hand, I noticed Chase, Jessica and some of their friends (who was I kidding Jessica only had Natasha as a friend, it was probably his friends) in front of the apartment building next to Chase's car. They saw me and immediately started pointing and laughing, I mentally cursed myself for volunteering to go to the shop. I kept my head down and didn't look at them, bit it was Chase who deliberately pushed; causing me to fall onto the hard cement pavement and the content of the bags were scattered everywhere. I felt my knee burning, my jeans were torn and I could see my knee was bruised.
"Watch where you're going bitch. I hear business is booming, a lot of guys from my school gave you high reviews. Too bad you held out on me." Chase had a smirk on his face, he kicked me on my side and his audience started laughing.
I flinched in pain; I could feel the pain in my side. I got up straightened my clothes and bent down collected the scattered groceries. I felt tears falling down my cheeks, but I didn't look at them. I kept thinking over and over that I just needed to get everything and go upstairs to my house where it was safe.
I felt Jessica's breath on my neck as she was slouching over me. "Aww shame Chase, I think you hurt the little sluts feelings, now she will have another excuse to feel sorry for herself and whore herself out some more."
When I stepped into the living room, I put the groceries on the sofa, mom saw my face and got up. "Shelby what happened?" She came over to me and inspected me, when she put her hands on my side I cried out in pain. She looked terrified. "Did you get robbed?" Both dad and Steven paid close attention to us.
"No mom, I tripped that's all." I looked at their concerned faces. "Really I'm fine, I just need to go straighten up."
Amanda knocked on the door, she didn't wait to be invited she walked in. "Hello Mr and Mrs Becks." she looked at me, scanning me from top to bottom. "Shelby are you alright, my mom said she saw you being ambushed by Jessica and some kids outside. She parked and when she got to where you were, you were already gone. She yelled at them that she was calling the cops when they disappeared. What happened?"
"What! I'll kill them." dad said in a furious tone. My mom cursed and followed dad to the door.
I blocked him. "Dad, look at me. Please don't do this, it was an accident." I looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Shelby if it was an accident, you wouldn't feel the need to lie about it! Tell me what happened, don't lie to me please."
I started crying, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Steven spoke first. "Sis, please tell mommy and daddy the truth."
"Okay fine, after Chase broke up with me, he and Jessica started dating and things haven't been good between the three of us." I tried explaining the incident earlier the best way I possibly could. Amanda looked at me knowing full well I left gaps in my story, and it made me feel bad for lying, but I couldn't tell my parents everything.
My dad nodded his head. "Right, let's go get to the bottom of this."
I pleaded with him, but he wouldn't have it. Before I knew we were in front of Uncle Ben's apartment door, Amanda took my hand and squeezed it tightly.
When dad knocked on the door, my uncle opened it. "Hello Frank, what can I do for you?"
"Ben, I need to speak to Chase he just attacked Shelby outside. Please send him out." The safety gate was locked; Chase, Jessica, uncle Ben and aunt Liza was standing on the other side of the gate.
"No Frank, I think you got it all wrong Jessica told me how Shelby has been stalking them and making their lives hell. She needs to move on and leave them alone."
Hearing my uncle say this shocked me.
"Ben that's a lie, Chase come and face me you little bastard!" My dad sounded angry.
Chase just stood there looking too smug, he didn't say a word. It was my uncle who talked again. "Listen Frank it's not my fault your daughter learnt her ways from her garbage alcoholic father. You leave Chase alone you hear me!"
My dad tried to keep calm. "Ben I'm going to forget you just said that we are brothers don't let this little shit come between us, just send him out to come and talk to me."
"No, I will do no such thing, you and your childish daughter along with everyone else leave now or I will call the cops!"
My uncle was always so nice, he invited me and Steven over a lot to have supper with them. He was my dad's older brother and I always looked up to him. But the way he handled things made me wonder if he even had a brain in the first place, could he not even listen to my dad or tell Chase to face up to what he had caused. Mom was yelling now too and so was my aunt and Jessica. I ran into our apartment and went to my room, falling onto my bed. Amanda was at my side and tried to comfort me.
Dad lost it and went bat shit crazy, mom and Steven had to drag him into our apartment and dad was a big guy.
"I'm going to kill him and that fucking little shit Nicole! You need to take Shelby to the Police station to press charges for what they did to her." Mom assured him she would talk me into it and that she would only talk to him if he tried to calm himself down.
Mom came in and sat on the bed, she stroked my head and asked Amanda to give us some privacy to talk, she waited for Amanda to leave. "Love I'm so sorry about what you had to go through, I wish I could take away your pain, don't let this get you down. You are strong and you have always been my rock... the only one who kept this family afloat."
Tears fell down my face, I wanted to tell her that I was anything but strong, I was weak. That I hated looking at myself in the mirror, because I saw exactly what Chase and Jessica made sure I'd never forget... a stupid pathetic human who didn't have a purpose in life. And I was slowly dying in the inside with the insults, rumors, repulsing glares I got from people and girls who'd joke about disinfecting something I'd touch not wanting to get whatever STD I was carrying around; making me skip school. And having to deactivate all my social media accounts, because it was apparently not enough to harass me in actual life but having a blast on social media; sending around pictures of me they photo shopped. The last picture they made said I was better off dead in a ditch somewhere, I started to believe I'd be better off dead for sure. I can't even count the times I'd sit at the bathtub with a razor blade wanting to putting an end to all this. But then when I started pushing the blade down, I kept seeing Steven's innocent little face, he was so young, and I couldn't put him through the pain of losing someone. I was a crying mess when mom pulled me into a hug.
"We need to go open a harassment case against them."
"No mom, I don't want to. Please don't make me do anything I don't want to." I looked at her with a pleading expression on my face, still crying.
"Then what can I do sweetheart, please tell me." She took my face in her hands and wiped my tears away.
"Can we move please mom, can we just live anywhere but here."
She kept quiet for a while and finely nodded. "Okay sweetheart, if this is what you want. I will see what I can do!"
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Mom worked so fast, within a week we moved into our new home. She found a house a bit further from our school, which meant we would have to take the bus but as long as it meant I'd never have to walk past Jessica's apartment anymore I'd walk or even run a marathon on my way to school every day. Mom found out about me skipping school and because I tried to keep my work up to date, she let me off the hook this time. My friends came over afternoons and weekends helping me catch up on the schoolwork I didn't get to. We grew so much closer; I could feel myself feeling a little more dare I say normal. The tormenting subsided somewhat, and I had the SMAK squad (Shelby, Mandy, Amanda and Kazelynn) a name we made up one day when we were bored, at my side. They always had my back at school and made sure I was rarely left alone.
As for my family, we were becoming a real family. Dad didn't have a drop of alcohol since his accident, you wouldn't say looking at the way he and mom acted like love birds that they ever had problems. Steven was a kid again, laughing more and still being a genius when it came to computers. Our rooms were separated by a bathroom in the middle which we had to share, it led to a few sibling fights. But I wouldn't exchange those silly fights for anything. We ate dinner as a family, had movie nights and even played board games. We weren't perfect, but I love my family.