Upheaval ✔️

2- Nightmares

I opened the front door to see my mom and stepdad sitting on the couch snuggling and my brother in the kitchen doing his homework.

"I'm home!" I said as Julian followed behind me I made my way to my room when my stepdad jumped up from the couch

"You aren't going to introduce us to your friend?!" He yelled back I rolled my eyes at his words.

"No thanks dad" I heard him scoff from the living room as he sat back down yelling back to us.

"Alright...kept the door open" I groaned and flung the door back open as Julian walked around looking at my room.

"I don't know why I expected your room to be a lot more...girly" he said picking up a photo of me and my brother.

I shrugged my shoulders and sat down on my bed watching him look around my room he finally came to a stop once he saw me starring at him.

"Ooh...sorry am I making you uncomfortable" he said scratching the bad of his neck "no no..um we should start" I said taking out the black poster board from behind my bed.

I sat down at one end and he sat at the other and we brought out a computer searching up facts on the project.

"Isn't this suppose to be what we know not what google knows" he said looking back at me.

"Well I know nothing...how about you?" I said he started naming things off as I started writing each thing down we later printed out pictures and we finished about an hour later.

"Well that was easy" he said stretching out his arms I smiled over at him getting off the floor.

"Are you hungry?" He shook his head yes  and we walked out to the kitchen and I made us a pizza while my stepdad talked him to death"

Julian's POV
"H-Hello sir" I said as her father approached me.

He smiled at me "what's your name young man?" I looked at him he was probably eye level with me since I am 5'11 "Julian sir"

Please call me Mr.Cowin he said extending his hand to mine. I quickly took it as Lia pulled the pizza out the oven
"it's done" she said pulling me towards the stove.

I heard her whisper "dad don't scare him" he reached for her head and she slightly jumped then relaxed once she realized who it was.

I took a piece of pizza off the pan placing it on the plate and Lia came walking back over "if you don't have to be anywhere..we can watch a movie your pick" I agreed and we walked back the room plates in hand.

Lia's POV
I sat down on my bed and handed Julian the remote as he came to sit as well he started flicking through the movies "how about to is one?"

"Absolutely not!" I said clinging to his arm "but you said my choice" he whined "b-but I hate scary movies if you make me watch that I'll be sleeping in my parents bed for a month"

He laughed at me and kept flipping through the movies "ooh...I meant to ask why do you and your dad have different last names isn't yours like a Carr a not Cowin right?"

"Ooh yeah he's my stepdad but I call him dad because he's the only person that's acted as a father to me.."

He hummed in response as he finally found a movie that was a teen romance. "This is more my type" I said situating myself on the bed.

I could feel him staring at me and I sighed "go ahead ask.." I-I'm sorry I don't want to be invasive but...what happened to your biological father? He said lowly.

"I prefer to not speak about it..if that's ok.."I said looking down remembering all the things that happened I didn't even realize a tear escaped my eye until he interrupted.

"No no I'm sorry did I invade you privacy I won't ask again l-let's watch the movie" he said turning it on and looking back at me I wiped my tears away and giggled at his attempt to cheer me up.

It's fine let's just watch it he smiled and we watched the movie and ate our pizza.

2 hours later the movie ended and I yawned it's already 7 o'clock I should get going Julian said sitting up.

"And Lia...if you don't mind can we be friends?" Of course I said smiling up at him again.

A couple minutes later an Uber pulled up and he waved me on and I walked back into the house.

I did my nightly routine and then sat on my phone for a couple of hours it finally hit 10 o'clock at night and I decided it was time to go to sleep since I had school the next day.

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Your pathetic you can't do anything right I asked you to get me my cigarettes off the counter and you come back with nothing!
He said kicking the little girl.

You keep this up and I'll make sure you end up dead. He taking his belt off the loop and started beating the little girl as she scrunched into the corner of her room.

Next time I tell you to do something what do you do? He said grabbing her by the chin "I-I'll get it for y-you" she said blood gushing from her open wounds.

"Remember what happens when you disobey your father..now where is your mother?"

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I woke up from the nightmare breathing heavily as my mother sat beside my bed moving the hair from my face as she cried.

"Sweetheart are you ok?" She said wiping the tears from her face "I heard you yelling in your sleep again...are the nightmares back?" She asked tucking hair behind my ear.

"Why is it back again" I said crying as I held my mothers hand to my face.

"I wish I could help you honey..I really do"

You could help mom..but you refuse to tell dad about the things we've been through it wasn't your fault nor was it mine why are you so ashamed.

She sighed and kissed me on the forehead "you have an hour until it's time to get up..go back to sleep Lia" she said leaving the room completely ignoring what I said.

Instead of going back to sleep I laid there for an hour too scared to go back to sleep because I knew that the nightmares would hit me again if I went back under.