Stolen time.

[15] Close call.

"Everything alright sweetie?" Dianna asked as she stood up and went over to Demi. "Yeah Momma, I just need to talk to y'all quickly." I looked at Demi but she ignored my gaze as Dianna, Eddie, Dallas and herself walked into the kitchen. 

You're fucked. was all that was going through my head. 

If you're fucked and you know it clap your hands! If I knew it wouldn't bring attention to me if I randomly started clapping, I would do it. 

I heard a gasp and Maddie immediately looked at me. "What have you done?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I couldn't look at her. How was I meant to? "Oh nothing Mads, I just hid my blade in a shampoo bottle because I self harm and I thought no one would find it, but then Demi used my Shampoo and well, here we are now." I mentally answered. But in reality I just shook my head and kept it down. 

This could change everything. 

"You okay Leigh?" Bea asked me. "You seem a little pale." I nodded. I wanted to vomit up everything in my stomach, including my stomach. I felt like I was outside a class room, waiting for the biggest yelling at I'll receive in my ,hopeful long enough, life.

  "Leigh?" I heard Eddie call me. But I couldn't move, I was glued to the couch, and I couldn't get up, and even if I did I felt like I'd just collapse back down again. 

"Leigh?" He was now kneeling down in front of me and his large fingers were lifting up my chin so I had to look at him. 

"Can we talk to you in the kitchen?" He asked. I shook my head. No way in hell was I going in there. 

"Please?" He tried. But I shook my head again. "I'm not ready." I whispered as I looked down in my lap, but before I could even try and protest once more, I was being taken into the kitchen and being seated on the counter. 

"Rob?" Dallas called. 

"Yeah babe?" 

"Can you take Bea and Maddie out?" Dallas asked. I assumed he nodded because after a small string of complaints the front door opened and shut, signalling that they were gone. 

"Leigh..." Dianna started. I refused to look up from my lap again. I wasn't going to confess to them. I wasn't ready enough to confess to them about my fucked up self, and that I had to cut in order to stay sane. Fine Demi went through this, but that's Demi. The daughter they've raised all her life. Me? I haven't been in the house since I was barely 2 months old. I wasn't there daughter until two weeks ago. Why would they support me? Why should I trust them? 

"Are you listening?" Dianna snapped. I looked at her. She seemed so stressed out, and worried. But then so did everyone in the kitchen. "Sorry...No..." I replied before lookin down again. 

"Can you take off your bracelets?" Dallas asked. 

NO.

"Why?" I retorted. "My bracelets aren't doing anything wrong. So they can stay on." I added. My walls were raising higher and higher. No way in hell was I taking off my bracelets, and not that easily.

Demi sighed. "Please..." She asked. I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head again. "No. Not until you give me a real reason." I snapped. 

Demi ran her hands through her hair and looked at Dianna, almost like she was begging for help. Dianna and Demi seemed to be able to communicate silently, making me feel 10000 times more uncomfortable as I shifted a little on the counter.

"We need to check your wrists." Dianna said delicately. My stomach dropped. It was most likely about the blade. Or, Demi was just worried about earlier and the whole pulled wrist situation. 

"Why? What are you planning to find?" I asked. I tried to sound more confident than I was, but on the inside I was crying. I was shrinking into nothing.

Dallas nodded to Demi. "I found this...In your shampoo bottle." Demi held out her hand to reveal that small blade. It took everything in me not to snatch it from her. Because honestly, I knew making six more scars was the only way to make me feel a little more sane. 

"Leigh, did you frame Maddie?" Eddie asked. I looked up at him. "What?" 

"Did you frame her. Was that really your sharpener?" Dianna asked. 

"Why would I have a sharpener and take the blade out?" I snapped. I had no idea where this was going, but I refused to break so easily. Screw that. 

My comment though made them all stop and think. "Why was this in your shampoo bottle?" Demi asked. 

"I don't know, why don't you ask Maddie?" I snapped once more. That seemed to make them stop in there tracks.

"What?" Dallas asked. 

"Why do you assume it was me huh? Why wouldn't you think Maddie hid it?" I asked. They probably knew I knew about Maddie. 

They all looked at each other. And then it hit me. I just blamed Maddie. She was going to be put through hell and back now. 

I sighed. 

"I found in Maddie's flannel that I borrowed. I was going to ask her about it and so I thought if I put it in my shampoo bottle, she wouldn't find it, no one else would find it, and I could talk to her about it. That's why it was in there." I lied. But they didn't need to know that.

They looked at each other. "Why didn't you come straight to us?" Demi asked. "Because, would you of liked it if someone told your parents about your self harm?" I asked her. She looked down at her feet. 

I'd won.

But my cocky thought was quickly deflated. 

"Well, if that's the truth. You can show us your wrists." Dallas said. 

"No." I snapped. 

"Why not?" Dianna asked. 

"Because." Was all I could say. 

"Because why?" Eddie tried. 

The room was spinning. I had to lie, I didn't want them to see. But they might tell again if I lie...

"Sweetheart you can tell us." Demi tried. I shook my head. 

"I can tell you why I won't show you my wrists. But I'm not taking my bracelets off. Okay?" I asked them all. They nodded. 

"I...I used to self harm. And I'm still not ready to let you guys see my scars." I sighed. It wasn't a full lie. 

I felt a pair of arms around me, but I didn't hug back. I couldn't hug back. "Sweetie why didn't you tell me?" Demi asked. She actually seemed hurt about that. I shrugged. "It's hard." She nodded and hugged me like Dianna was. "I know." She whispered. Soon everyone was hugging me.

I won.

It took everything in me not to start laughing out of pure relief. I'd wormed out of the situation like a pro. Ha, just like Craig and Sonia managed to worm out of jail over the years. 

Craig. Sonia.

Strange thinking about them now. They were turning into a memory and for some reason that thought didn't overly upset me. 

"What do you want for dinner?" Dianna asked, pulling me away from my thoughts. I shrugged. Just because I got off the hook didn't mean my stomach was in any good state to deal with food. "Not hungry." I replied. She nodded and let go of me. 

"Why don't you go freshen up and we'll think of something?" Dianna offered. I nodded and got off the counter before making my way upstairs into my room. 

Free at last.