The Peters

Who Knows

[Evan's POV]

I was in the middle of making breakfast for Taissa when she rushes downstairs, looking tired but panicked. "Where's Tessa?" She asks, holding a hand to her forehead.

"She went to school." I chuckle, sifting a spoon through he pan full of scrambled eggs.

"The school called, she's not there." Taissa whines, shaking her head and looking for an answer within me.

"Did you try her cell?" I ask, reaching to turn off the burner. Back when Devin and Taissa had their thing he took Quinton for a few hours and it was terrifying. Her head nods while she wraps her arms around herself.

"Last night she was really upset about something Ev." She says quietly watching as I scratch my chin and then pull her against me. Her head drops to my chest where she breaths deeply.

"What was she upset about?" I ask, resting my head on hers as I lean against the counter.

"She wouldn't tell me! She just kept crying." Taissa groans. There was no other way to contact her other than her phone. We had maybe two of her friends numbers but not her boyfriends. "What do we do?"

"I don't know, there's not much we can right now. She'll probably show up after school if she thinks we think she's there."

"I'm gonna kill her." Taissa breaths, squirming from my hold to go get dressed and then plop down on the couch for a bit.

******************

Quinton came home on the bus, as always he slams the door - kicks of his shoes and makes his way into the kitchen for a snack whistling some tune I'd never heard of. Olivia was already upstairs before we could try and talk to her, she was probably eager to go draw or play.

"Quinn?" I shout before he makes it to the kitchen, he trots in head cocked sideways confused. "Was your sister on the bus this morning?"

"Yeah." He nods, curls bouncing on his head. "She wasn't after school though."

"Well, she didn't even go to school." Taissa pulls her knees up to her chest and rests her head on them. Quinton's eyes go wide, being the caring person he is.

"What? Where is she?" He asks, sitting himself down on an chair, gripping the arms of it tightly. I shrug, sighing. Taissa was on the verge of loosing it even though for all we knew she was perfectly fine. "I say you give her until 6. Last time mom scared her about not coming home on time so if she doesn't show up for supper then you should worry."

*****************

Quinton was right. Tessa learned her lesson when Taissa flipped at her for not being home on time. As soon at dinner time rolled around, I heard the door open up. Taissa sat up as soon as she heard, and when I heard footsteps coming toward us I held my finger to her, to tell her to wait to say anything. A head poked through the hallway, smiling as she saw us and dropping her bookbag in the hall.

"Come sit down, and tell us about your day!" I say enthusiastically, Scooting over closer to Tai so she could sit. "How was school?" I ask, ruffling her long light brown hair.

"It was," She pauses. "It was alright, nothing special. Math was pretty hard today, I actually have quite a bit of homework to do." The lies just kept pouring out of her mouth. What happened to my sweet innocent little girl? Taissa's head dropped onto my shoulder, shaking slowly with disappointment. "Mom, what's wrong?" Her head lifts up at the sound of that, her teeth clenched together.

"Can I see your homework?" She hisses trying to contain herself. Tessa's eyes widen but she gets up grabs her bookbag and sits back down, looking through it as if there was anything there.

"Crap," She groans. "I must have forgotten it."

"Where? Because you never went to school today!" Taissa sounded hurt but still angry. It was crazy how fast her expression changed to being terrified.

"Y- Yes I was." She stutters, setting her bookbag back down.

"Tess, stop lying. The school called, you never showed up." I huff, trying to think of a way to punish her.

"Great." She whispers, getting up to run off but I grab her arm which makes her yelp. I wasn't even holding on to her hard. "Let go Dad."

"Sit down." I Raise my voice and then she listens.
Taissa reached over my taking hold of her hand, this look of panic in her eye.With her free hand she pulled Tessa's bright pink sweater up her arm. There's were four bruises in the shapes of fingers and a thumb on the opposite side. "That wasn't me." I blurt, anger ranging inside of me. Who the hell did that to her. Tessa pulled away, slinking to the corner of the couch where she couldn't help but start to cry. Taissa's mouth was dropped open, her own eyes shining. "Tessa?" I whisper, gently reaching over to her. She doesn't reply but I knew she was listening. "Do you wanna go up to your room for a bit?" She nods, shaking, with her face covered by her hands. I stand up and pick her up, still as light as a feather just more awkward to carry since she was taller than when she little. She breaths against my chest, unable to catch it in an even rhythm.

"What's wrong with Tessa?" Olivia squeaks from her doorway and I shake my head at her so she wouldn't ask again. I kick open her bedroom, setting her on her bed which she instantly curls up against, bawling. I kiss her head before leaving, my head swarming with different thoughts. Taissa was still on the couch stunned, looking as if she was going to cry.

"Who did that to her?" She croaked, turning to me. I didn't know.

Her boyfriend? A stranger? Who knows?