Help Me Not Hurt

Truth

Tara's POV

I woke up on Monday morning next to Alyssa. She was curled up next to me and sucking her thumb. I smiled down at her and gently shook her awake.

"Alyssa, time to get up."

She rolled over onto her stomach and groaned.

"I don't wanna go to school." She groaned out.

"Well too bad. I'll be back in five minutes with a glass of cold water. If you're not up by then then you're going to be very wet." I threatened. She sat up straight and looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'm getting up!" She yelled then hurriedly got up to get dressed.

I chuckled and got ready for school.

Alec's POV

I was standing at the entrance of the school early on Monday morning looking for Tara. I needed to know what was going on with her. I saw her walking up the stairs. I noticed a bruise on her cheek. Anger flashed through me. I walked up to them and grabbed her by the arm and started to walk away with her.

"Let go of me!" She yelled,"It hurts!" I let go and looked at her arm. Shit! That's the one with the stab wound.

"I'm sorry, listen I need to talk to you." I said.

"Why?" She asked.

"I have a right to know what happened to you." I said, turning to look directly into her eyes. Her eyes hardened and she stepped away from me.

"No." She said and she started to walk away. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me so that she wouldn't walk away. I heard her gasp in surprise.

"I need to know," I said, then I leaned down so that my mouth was near her ear, "please." I whispered. I slowly pulled back so that I could see her face. She had her eyes closed and tears ran down her cheeks.

"I can't." She gasped in between sobs. I held her face in my hands so that she'd look directly into my eyes. She looked up at me with teary, broken eyes.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because, then she won't be protected." My eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Who's 'she'?" I asked. Tara shook her head and pulled away from me.

"I gotta go." She said then ran into the school.

I didn't miss the tears that ran down her cheeks as she ran away.

Those tears somehow caused me to have a pain deep in my chest, right where my heart is.

Tara's POV

I ran inside the school and into the girls bathroom. I leaned against the sink and looked at my reflection. I saw the bruise on my cheek that my mom left on me. Sadness took over me like a virus. Suddenly it was like I was being suffocated. I couldn't breathe. I sank to the floor. The pain in my chest hurt so much.

It hurt too much.

Sobs started to rack my body and I let out a loud gasp, then I started to sob on the floor.  

By the time I was done first period was already over with. I decided to take the rest of the day off. I couldn't handle seeing Alec again. He asked too many questions.

I went outside and unlocked my bike. I rode it to the park that my mom and dad took me too before everything fell apart. I sat underneath a tree and I started to get flashbacks.

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*PAST*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I giggled as I ran wildly away from Daddy.

"I'm gonna get you!" He yelled behind me.

I squealed as he captured me in his arms. He picked me up and threw me in the air as my laughter erupted from me. He set me down and pinched my cheeks

I saw my Mommy sneaking up behind my Daddy and she put her finger up to her mouth in a motion to be quiet. She covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?" She said, laughter in her voice.

Daddy's face broke out in a smile.

"I don't know, let me think....... Could it be my wonderful wife?" He asked, taking her hands in his and turning around.

"Hey! That's cheating!" She laughed and poked his tummy. He laughed with her and spun her around.

"No it's not, it's called improvising." He said, then he leaned down and kissed her.

"Ewwwwwwww! Daddy you're giving Mommy cooties!" I said and got in between them and started to push him away from Mommy.

They started laughing and Mommy picked me up and kissed me on the cheek.

"There, now you have cooties, too."

"Nooo!" I screamed and started to rub my cheek furiously.

                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PRESENT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I smiled as that certain memory came back to me, Then another memory came back to me. The day everything changed.

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PAST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was in ten and in the fourth grade. I came home and I saw Dad packing a bag.

"Dad? What are you doing?"

He spun around and looked at me with wide eyes. He cleared his throat.

"Tara, I'm going away for a while. Listen to me, it's not your fault, I just need to do this." He said.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

He sighed then he took his bag and went to the door. He turned back to look at me.

"Tara, I love you."

"I love you, too." I said, very confused. He smiled a sad smile and walked out the door. Little did I know that he was leaving, for good.

When my mom got home she read a letter my dad left for her and she started cryng. She looked at me.

"This is your fault! If you weren't here he'd still be here!" She yelled at me. She slapped me, hard. I fell to the ground cupped my cheek. I was in shock. She never hit me before. Never.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PRESENT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cried as I remembered that. Why did he have to leave? Why? Did I do something wrong? Was there something wrong with me?