The Gang

Chapter 12*

My heart was hammering in my chest, I swear it was going to fly out and land right into my breakfast. I just kind of sat there staring at her not knowing how to explain my horrible life in a way that would justify it. I didn’t want to be permanently taken away from my father because he’s all I have left now.

"I-" I only got that much out before Mikaela interrupted me,

" Don't you dare even think about lying to me! I know a bruise from a punch when I see one." By the look on her face me lying wouldn't even be possible because she was one of those people who could see a lie from a mile away.

" My father...has been hitting me...since my mom died...it’s awful and…for some reason I only feel safe around your family….it terrifies me." I broke down as soon as I got out the first word, I could barely breathe. Honestly I don’t know why I told that I felt like I was safe here.

Just saying that sentence threw me into the memory of the first beating.

I was sitting down on the couch in the living eating dinner when I heard the car door shut so I knew dad was home. I ran over to him to ask how mom was doing because she had been in the hospital for a while now. Being fourteen at the time nobody had told me what was happening with her and I wasn't allowed to go visit her which made me worry, but I was a bit glad because if she died I wouldn’t have to see her go.

Thinking that the update was going to be good, I jumped in his arms. This was different than everyday though, dad had usually picked me up and swung me around, laughing as he told me how the doctors were saying that she was getting better and would be home in no time. Now he just pushed me away without a word or even looking at me.

I stood back with tears on my face as I looked up at him. His face was void of emotion, I knew that something bad had happened with mom today. All of a sudden his face changed into one of fury as he saw the tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.

"HOW DARE YOU CRY! YOU'RE THE REASON SHE'S DEAD!" He said getting close enough for me to stumble back and fall onto the ground. My mind was in a full panic but I still believed that he would never hurt me so I tried to reach up and calm him down, but he just slapped my hand away from him with a look of disgust on his face.

The tears were coming full force now. I couldn't understand why he was doing this to me, blaming me. I hadn’t even been allowed to see her in three weeks while she was in the hospital. Most of all I couldn't believe that my mother was gone. She was always the person I could go to for anything.

My thoughts were cut off as I was lifted into the air. My father had grabbed me by the shirt and thrusted me up against the wall. My neck snapped back and my head slammed against the wall. The hit vibrated through my whole body. He took me off the wall and slammed me down again but this time it was harder.

He through me to the ground and wiped his hands like he thought that I would kill him just by touching me. He knelt down by my body and I thought that he would apologize and say that he lost himself, but that's when the real beating began.

He punched me everywhere that night. It didn't matter if it was in a visible spot or not. Most punches were aimed for me face and throat,I guessed that he wanted to kill me because he thought I was the reason for mom's death. Eventually I blacked out from the amount of pain ransacking my body.

A hand flew in front of my face and I jerked back expecting to be hit. As I snapped back into reality I looked up and saw I was safe that my father was not here and in fact was no where even close to being near me. Mikaela was sitting across from me with wide eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks which I wondered why because it wasn’t her fault my father had been hitting me.

I heard a noise coming from the hall and I looked over to see Markus standing in the hall with a murderous look on his face. He stormed towards my in the kitchen coming over to me, but instead of feeling safe like I had earlier, I flinched away from him fearing him.

A look passed through his eyes only to be replaced with another one I couldn't decipher.

He looked straight into my eyes and whispered to me,"You will never have to worry about him or anyone else hurting you ever again."

He walked into the wall with his phone pressed up against his ear and I heard him angrily mutter three words.

"GANG MEETING NOW!!”