Run | H.S

One

~One year later~

A knock on my door awakes me from sleeping on the couch. I stand up with the blanket wrapped around me, trudging over to the front door from the living room.

"Who is it?" I call out, looking through the peephole.

"Um. Maddy!" The voice calls out and I throw the door open, anger infuriating me.

"What're you doing out so late, Madison?" I yell to her, throwing her inside the house and slamming the door shut.

"I was bored!" She claims.

"Were you messing around with that guy again?" I shout, grabbing her arm so she can't run off anywhere. "You are way too young for-"

"I wasn't!" She cries.

"Where. Were. You?" I growl. "Do you understand what would happen if they found you? If they found all of us?"

"I understand!" She says.

"No, you clearly aren't! You're not listening to me, Madison! That's just it!" I say. "You're putting all of us in danger because you like to sneak off at night!"

"Stop it, Darcy!" She cries. "You're not mom!"

She escapes my grip and runs off upstairs. I fight with myself to chase after her but decide against it.

Of course I'm not mom.

But I try my best to protect my brother and sister. But Madison is so damn defiant of everything! She probably got locked out of her bedroom due to the window locking.

Mason is so quiet, it's hard to get him to even say good morning to me when he wakes up. I practically give them everything they could ask for! I may yell at them, but I have never grounded them. And I'm thinking maybe that's a mistake.

Maddy just can't get it through her mind that it's dangerous out there. Especially without me.

And especially after dark.

I terribly miss mom and dad, we all do. And Maddy knows that it upsets me when they get brought up.

I was busy being the strongest I could be while they got to sit back and relax. They have a chance at going to college, I don't!

I was constantly busy. I'd come home, go to sleep and wake up the next morning, go to school, cook dinner, and we'd all go to bed! That's it! An everyday routine, just so social services didn't come and drag them out of my care, never to be seen again! I rarely even go out anymore. And if I do, Mason and Maddy go with me.

I find myself crying as I make my way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and chugging it.

When I'm done, only more tears flow down as I sit at the island.

"Darcy?" Maddy's voice startles me as I look up and see her standing in the doorway.

"Maddy, go back to bed." I say, trying to sober up my tears.

"I'm sorry for what I said." She apologizes, stepping into the kitchen more.

I turn my head away from her, raising my hand to dry my tears.

"Whatever I do, it's not enough." I whisper, turning back to look at her. "I know I'll never replace mom or dad, Maddy. But you don't get it. I try so hard!" The tears are coming back as I look to the ground.

"I know-"

"I try so hard to be there for you, Maddy! For you AND Mason." I cry.

"I'm sorry, Darcy!" She says, standing beside me now.

I look down at her, seeing the tears forming in her eyes. I stare into her eyes, realizing that once again, she's sorry. Like she always is. Then she gets off the hook, does the same things to get in trouble.

I stand up, starting to walk out of the room.

"I'm going to bed." I announce to her before walking up the stairs.

When I shut my bedroom door, I hear her soft sobs carry to her bedroom across the hall and I can't help but feel bad. But what else am I supposed to do? It seems like this is the only way to make her learn..

She needs to see the stress she's causing me and the danger that she is putting everyone in.

When I lay down and look to the clock, it's nearing 3AM.

I find the will power to go to sleep at some point and when I wake up, my phone has a few texts.

Darcy, we need to speak right away! -Lily

I call Lily's number and she picks up immediately.

"What'd you need to talk to me about?" I ask her, sitting up in bed whilst glancing to the clock.

11am.

"Darcy, Maddy needs to stop sneaking out." She instantly says. "She's been fooling around with one of the guys. He's gotten to know some pretty personal stuff, Darcy."

"What guy?" I ask, standing up, getting ready to march over to Maddy's room.

"James. He works for the guys that killed your parents." She explains.

Anger infuriates me once more as I drop the phone from my ear, marching across the hall to her room.

"Maddy!" I shout.

I slam her bedroom door open and don't see her, so I go downstairs and find her in the living room, watching TV.

"Maddy!" I yell, causing her head to jerk towards me. "Why did you lie to me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She says, staying frozen.

She's lying.

"Stop lying, Maddy! Do you think I'm fucking stupid?" I practically scream.

I look beside her to see Mason sitting on the floor, where he was watching TV, but is now staring up at me.

I grab ahold of Maddy's arm, dragging her to the kitchen.

"And you wonder why I can't trust you!" I continue and I see her roll her eyes as I let go of her. "Tell me everything, Madison. And so help me if you leave a damn thing out, your butt is marching straight up to your room for days!"

"So what I've been seeing this guy." She brushes it off like it's nothing. "Why do you care?"

"Because, the guy you're seeing is one of the guys who killed dad," I say and see her face turn regretful fast. "Now, first off. God dammit, you're only 13."

"I'm not a baby!" She says. "Just because you've never had a boyfriend doesn't mean I can't."

"You're 13 and have already lost your virginity, Madison. That's not something to gloat about." I roll my eyes. "What would mom say? Heck, what would DAD say if he were still here?"

"Yeah, but they aren't here-"

"Don't pull that with me!" I say. "The only reason I've never had time for a relationship is because I'm too busy chasing you all over town!"

"Well, stop chasing after me, then." She says.

Her smartass isn't going to get her anywhere. The hole just got dug a whole lot deeper for this girl.

"Go to your room!" I shout, slamming my fist on the counter, causing her to jump back in shock. "I am done with this nonsense!"

Her eyes are wide as she stands there in fear, scared out of her mind. She brushes past me and stomps upstairs.