Breaking

Chapter 2.

A few days later...
I pull my headphones off my head as I approach my door and fish out my keys from my bag's pocket. "Momma?!" I call, stepping into our apartment. There's no answer. She must be sleeping or at her new lover's place. I kick off my boots, remove my coat and place it on the coat rack, along with my headphones. My phone is still broken and there's no money to repair it or get a new one, but I wear the headphones so people won't talk to me on the school bus.

I emerge from the small corridor then gasp and jump when I see my mother sitting at the kitchen table.

"You scared me," I breathe. "Why didn't you answer when I called?"

There's a lit cigarette in her hand, a glass of wine in the other. She takes a long drag of her cigarette then puts it out on the wooden table.

"Momma! Where's your astray?!" She rises to her feet. There's something eerie about the way she moves and her grim expression doesn't help. "Momma?" I whisper.

"What the fuck did you do?!" She screams, throwing her glass at my head. I dock at the last second, smacking hard against the floor on my side while the glass shatters into a thousand pieces against the wall, almost exploding. I feel a sharp pain above my eye and cry out in pain.

"Momma-"

"Tobias went completely dry!" She yells as she towers over me. My eye hurts. I can feel it bleeding, the thick liquid quickly sliding down the side of my face. "He barely texted me before completely ignoring me! Then he finally caved in and told me he doesn't want to hurt my daughter!" There's suddenly a broom in her hand. "What did you say to him?!" She smacks me with the wooden sticking, aiming for my head, but I blocked it with my arm, and it snaps in two.

"Ow, momma!" I cry out. She throws what's left of the broom at me then grabs the bottle of wine. "Oh, fuck!" I stumble to my feet, cutting my hands and knees on the glass. She throws the bottle at my feet. More glass. More blood. It slides into my eye and I wince, shutting it tight. I somehow manage to grab my boots while I run out of the apartment.

I run downstairs and out into the streets with nothing but my socks on. I don't stop running until my one good eye nearly gets me hit by a bus. I know momma won't follow me out of the apartment but that doesn't stop me from running. I put on my boots and run. I run to the person who started this.

I swallow the urge to scream Tobias' name as I bang on his door. He's probably at work and won't be back for hours, but the way I'm feeling, I can't wait and I'll still be boiling with rage. I just ran four miles.

But the door opens and Tobias is standing in front of me and I lose my shit all over again just looking at him and I shove my hands against his chest. He stumbles back and I step closer, hitting him again and again.

"I told you not to say anything to her!" I scream at him. "I begged you!"

"Arabella!" He yells, grabbing my wrists. My first thought of defense is to knee him, but my legs hurt after running for what feels like forever. Everything hurts, emotionally and physically. I feel a break down approaching and I refuse to let anyone see me like that. I yank my wrists free from his grip and turn for the door. "No, Arabella, wait!" He grabs me by my upper arms and forces me to face him again. I bow my head, my hair blocking my face. "Who did this to you?"

"Who do you think?" I growl. "Let me go!"

"Your mom did this to you?"

"Let me go!" I try to fight his hold but it's too strong. Every attempt makes me weaker inside and I start to cry.

"It's okay," he says in a soothing voice as he pulls me to his chest. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry. It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not!" I cry. My tears and blood soak his blank shirt. "She never hesitates to pick some random guy over me!"