Till I Die - Liza Koshy & David Dobrik

Chapter 4: My Savior

LIZA'S POV
It's been a week after the dance and I can't go near Alex anymore. He knows that. No apology can make me forget that night. The past week has been hell. I'm failing my classes, but I don't care. I don't go to them anymore. I peer through the steps of the bleaches, watching David during his soccer practise. His hair waving in the wind as he sprints down the field, following the ball. He looks so cute in his red soccer uniform, it's refreshing to see him in some colour. He tackles Scotty and wins over the ball before racing down the rest of the field, dribbling past everyone to the goal where Toddy stood. Now it's just David and Toddy. David approaches the goal and seamlessly kicks the ball into the netting. A smile spreads across my face. Mrs Greenwood blows her whistle as practise is over. David celebrates with Scott and Toddy with a couple of high fives before grabbing their towels and drink bottles from their bags. I watch David as he wipes the sweat off his face and drink some water. As he brings his head back down from taking a sip of water something catches his eye. He smiles and waves. My eyes widen as I realise that he's looking at me! I quickly turn away and sit down. My shirt bulging from food I stole earlier and a bandage roughly tied around my upper right arm. I hear them laughing as the whistle blows again. I look at the side of my leg and see that my jeans are wet and gooey. Crap! I carefully roll up my jeans up to my knee on my right leg. I sigh as I look at the mess. I go to touch it but it hurts too much! It's a burn from a frying pan after I accidently burnt my dad's sausages. It hurt too much to wrap up in a bandage so I just left it, but I didn't want anyone to see. "Hey" I hear a soft voice say. I quickly look up and see David standing there, obviously haven't showered, holding his sports bag, and his towel wrapped around his neck. I pull down my jeans and turn away, hoping he didn't see, but I know he did. I hear him dump his stuff down and feel him brush against my back as he sits down next to me. I keep looking away. I feel a sharp pain as he touches the bandage on my arm. I flinch and turn around "What do you want David?!" I snap. He looks at me, shocked "I want you to go to a doctor" he says calmly "about your arm, and your leg" I look down "you saw that?" I ask ashamed of it. Out of the corner of my eye I see him nodding his head, I slouch my shoulders. He places his hand on my shoulder "Liza, something's up with you. You're ignoring everyone who loves you, you haven't been to classes, and you have a freaking bandage on your arm and a nasty and painful looking wound on your leg! This isn't nothing anymore Liza!" confronts David in a very stern tone. I rub my fingers together before wiping my sweat on my thigh. David watches and puts his hand on my stomach "what's with your top?!" he asks. I wrestle with him as food spills onto the ground "What's all this Liza?" he asks as I quickly collect the fruit and packets of chips and stuff them into my bag. "Is this all stolen?!" he exclaims, I quickly cover his mouth with my hand "Sh!!" I can tell he's mad but his face softens and I take back my hand. He takes a deep breath "Liza you have no choice. You have to tell me what's going on with you." He says sternly but calmly as he takes my hand, holding it tight. I can't hide it from him for any longer. I knew this was going to happen one day. I sigh and place my hand on top of his as my throat closes-up but I push through. "It started when I was 10. My Mom worked in my school and I would do homework in her office before we'd go home. It was afterschool one day when Mom was getting ready to leave work and she had some candles she let me blow out at the end of the day, and I was running down the hall with one of them and I tripped at the door of her office and I dropped the candle and the whole office went up in flames. My Mom was still inside. I killed her. I didn't mean too!" Tears were streaming down my face. I've never told anyone this story in a long time. "After that my Dad has never forgiven me. He was never like he is now before the accident. He was sweet, affectionate, and he loved my Mom and I so much, but after he started drinking more often, he got aggressive towards me. I couldn't do anything about it. He enrolled me in another school and I ran away from home multiple times. I stole food from the cafeteria when I forbidden by my Dad to eat, he was practically starving me. I was always alone, I had no friends. However, I did meet this guy called Kyle. He was my boyfriend. I was only with him because Dad thought he'd be good for me. I never loved him. He's now in jail for what he did." David squeezes my hands as he wipes a few tears away from my cheeks. "I left that school after I broke in at night and spray painted over the school logo. The police caught me and when my Dad came to the station to pick me up, the officers were suspicious of his actions in the environment, his interaction with other officers, and how different my behaviour was around him. He's committed other crimes before. Then he basically just said that we were moving here to LA and here I am. Nothing has changed. He still drinks, still steals, and still loses his temper and" I roll up my jeans carefully. I wince as I pull back the fabric around the burn "takes them out on me" I let David look at the burn in shock. "I burnt his sausages and so he burnt me with the frying pan" I say for clarification. David looks at me straight in the eyes "Liza. This is abuse." He states. I shake my head in denial. "All these injuries, your behaviour, and your stories are all symptoms of Child Abuse! Denial is another very common symptom. Liza your Dad is abusing you. You need help!" the thought of Alex pops into my mind. I quickly push it away. My lip starts quivering and I can see David's expression change "David. I just don't know what to do! I'm Sorry!" I cry as I cover my face in my hands, having a break down. David wraps his arms around me and brings me closer into his chest. I cling onto his shirt as my tears seep into the fabric. He starts stroking my hair "it's not your fault Liza. You're a beautiful, funny, and super talented girl. You don't deserve to be treated like this" He kisses my head "I love you Liza, and I am going to help you". I continue to cry into him as he just holds me tighter, but I like it.

After I calm down, David moves so my head is resting on his lap, and I'm lying on my back, looking up at him. "Liza, can I ask you something?" he asks with a smile, I nod. "Do you want to be my girlfriend? We'll keep it private from your Dad" I smile and nod "I'd love that". David is nothing like Kyle. He'll take care of me, I know it. He leans down close to my face and kisses me quickly.

Weeks have passed and David and I are so happy together. He stays with me after school so I'm not alone and so I don't have to go home until later. During our free period's, we just go and be alone together and enjoy each other's company. And mostly so I can have a break from life, where I can be honest and comfortable. That night I'm lying on my bed and I'm texting David. I smile at all the cute emoji's he sends. I quickly type "I love you Babe" and send it. I bite my nails while I wait for a response. I see him typing and he responds, "Love you more". I giggle like a moron and type back "Love you most!" I send him a kissy face and he quickly responds with "I don't think that's possible!". David makes me so happy. I don't know what I did to deserve him. I hear my door creak open and it's my Dad "dinner's ready downstairs". I put my phone on my duvet and walk past him as I head downstairs for dinner. While I plate up my dinner, my Dad is about to leave my room but my phone buzzes. He picks up the phone and starts scrolling through our conversation. He scrolls through all our flirty remarks and reads our messages about hiding our relationship from him. He growls to himself as anger builds up inside. "LIZA!" I hear my Dad yell as he thumps down the stairs. I'm on my way back to my room, already eating my dinner. My Dad stops me at the bottom of the stairs and knocks my plate out of my hand, the plate smashing, and food everywhere. I look down at the mess and see he's holding my phone. My muscles tense up as I start backing up slowly. He holds out the conversation "You have a boyfriend huh? And you didn't tell me HUH?!" he yells as my back hits the wall. "You went behind my back and got a boyfriend without my permission!" he shouts at me. "You disobeyed me! You went talking to boys when I told you not to! I did not approve of this Liza!" He shoves my phone into my face. I grab it and rip it out of his hands but as I do he pushes me against the wall "tomorrow, in person, you are going to break up with him. Do you hear me?!" "No!" I exclaim "Dad please! I can't do that!" I plead as tears fill my eyes "NO!" he yells "But Daddy I love him!" I scream. He raises his hand and slaps me hard across the face "Love is a joke! It's all Lies!" I'm scared, I'm broken, nothing matters anymore "Didn't you love my Mother?!" I blurt out. I cover my mouth. Why did I say that?!?! Liza! You, stupid idiot! His face turns bright red. "Elizabeth Shaila Koshy! I forbid you to see that boy ever again!" In anger, I start struggling against him. He can't do this! He slaps me again. "Or I'll bail Kyle out of jail!" I gasp and stop struggling. "You wouldn't" I whisper in shock. He just laughs "Oh I would. Tomorrow you break up with him or you'll be with Kyle for the rest of your life! I'll make sure of it. This David boy..." He draws a line across his neck. My eyes widen. He releases me and I just stare at him in disbelief. I shake my head as tears fall down my cheeks, like starter rain before the storm. "I hate you!" I say in disgust. I run up the stairs and slam my door shut. I throw my duvet off my bed, I take a draw out of my wardrobe and throw it across the room. SMASH! I hear china break behind the box. I gasp and run over quickly. As I lift off the box I see all the broken pieces of a china doll that my Mom gave me. I stare at the destruction I have caused in silence. What have I done?!

(Hey guys! Shorter chapter today!

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