Adopted by Rilex (Jalex)

29

TW: Mentions of sexual assault. Proceed with caution.

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I was crying. I wanted to sleep but I could not sleep. So instead I cried.

My emotions just suddenly overwhelmed me. I was crying, a little too loudly.

"Stella?" I hear Zack ask softly from the other side of my privacy curtain.

I do not respond.

"Stella, are you okay?" His voice was quiet.

I do not want to talk about it right now so I say nothing. He doesn't say anything else, I hear his foot steps retreat and the door to the kitchenette area open and close.

The arguing stops.

"You two need to get it together." Zack's voice was hushed but loud enough for me to hear, "not only can Stella probably hear you two right now, but I know for a fact she really wants you both right now." He explains in a scolding tone.

"Why, what's wrong?" I hear dad asked in a concerned tone.

"I don't know, she won't talk to me, she kept asking for you fuckers, and neither of you can keep your shit together long enough for her, right now." Zack was angry.

There was silence.

"Resolve your marital issues some other time, and preferably somewhere out of ear shot." Zack informs them before leaving.

Zack comes back into the back lounge. He pauses for a minute outside my bunk, "I'm always here if you need me." He tells me.

I still stay silent, although I appreciate everything Zack has done for me.

Zack then leaves the bunk area, entering the back lounge. Presumably to give my family some privacy.

After a few minutes dad and papa enter the bunk area. I become dead silent as I listen for them.

"Stella?" This was dad's concerned voice.

"Are you awake sweetie?" Papa asks.

I sit up and pull back my privacy curtain. I need them right now, even if I am not ready to talk about it.

"Honey, what happened?" Dad asks as he sees my tear stained face.

I don't speak, I just get out of my bunk and pull them both into a tight hug. I missed them. I wish it was them I could have come to last night.

I start crying again. I got dumped, assaulted, and had to spend the night in a strangers bus, only to come back to my parents fighting.

I do not want to bother them with my problems right now. They seem to have a lot on their plate at the moment.

I wish I knew why they were fighting, but at the same time I think it is really better that I do not know. I hope everything is okay.

"What's wrong?" Dad reiterates his question.

"Nothing."  I refused to speak of my issues.

"Will you talk to us when you're ready?" Dad asks.

I take a minute to think.

"Yes." I reply.

I climb back into my bunk and lay down.

"We love you, we will always be here for you if you need us." Papa adds.

"I just don't want to talk right now." I explain. I do not even know how to talk about what happened. I do not even know if I want them to know.

"We'll let you rest then." Dad says before they both leave the bunk area.