CHAPTER EIGHT
BROKEN BONES

Only thirty minutes later did Kimmy's steps come to a stop, a sense of dread seeping deep into her stomach as her heart strings tugged.

For a moment she was frozen, the sight of the old beat up car just up the street from her old beat up house.

It was her fathers car, no doubt. Which meant nothing but that he was back- sooner than Kimmy had expected.

Sooner than she had hoped.

If Kimmy knew one thing, it was that she was completely fucked. Worst case scenario, and there she was living in it.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to move forward - one foot infront of the other slowly until she reached the heavy door.

Pushing it open slowly, a shiver ran up her spine at what she heard. Or, perhaps what she hadn't heard. The young girl was greeted by silence.

Utter silence.

The two adults weren't arguing, that's what scared her.

Cautiously, she shuffled into the living room tilting her head from side to side in hope of catching a glimpse of someone.

And nothing.

For a second Kimmy felt relived, perhaps no one was home.

Carefully, she creeped over the living room at an alarming rate before beginning to tip-toe up the stairs in hope of locking herself in her room.

"Where have you been, Kimberley?" The drunken slurs came so abruptly that Kimmy flinched violently and snapped her head up from her feet to meet the pissed off glare she was receiving at the head of the stairs.

She froze, her eyes widening as she debated on whether or not to take a step back, though it were as if her feet would not let her.

For a moment a horrifying thought pushed its way into her mind.  Had he known she'd skipped school?

The second Kimmy as much as acknowledged that thought, one that made her heart drop.

What if he had known she'd skipped school - with a boy?

Sure, Kimmy and Aaron were only friends - but her father hadn't known that. And Kimmy knew he wouldn't let her explain herself, he never would.

Kimmy soon forced herself to push those thoughts down, there was no way he knew about her skipping school - he couldn't have.

Kimmy went to reply, but she couldn't. She had no idea what to do. All she knew was that she felt incredibly panicked, as well as scared- no scratch that. She felt absolutely terrified.

"Well," her father pressed. His voice much more hostile than it had been the first time he had asked. "Where have you been?"

"I-" Kimmy hesitated before swallowing and meeting his stare. "I'm just home from school."

"D-don't lie to me, Kimberley." He slurred and stumbled as he began to make his way down the stairs due to his drunken state. "I am your father. You will not lie to me."

If it had been anyone else, Kimmy would have scoffed and laughed in their faces. But this was her father. And she knew better than to speak back, she'd done it before and couldn't say she was exactly thrilled over the black eye she had gotten for it.

"I'm not lying." She responded as calmly as she could with a blank expression. "I was just-"

The events which followed - anyone could have predicted. Kimmy was a fool to have been taken by surprise.

A harsh hit to the side of the face caused the girl to pause as her head snapped to the left.

Kimmy didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. All she knew was that she didn't want to walk into school the next day with her face coated in black and blue splurges which she couldn't explain.

Kimmy stayed silent and cowardly etched back, her shoulders slumping into a defeated position.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time, Kim-Kimberley." He slurred, almost sounding drunker than he had been moment prior - if that was possible. "Where the fuck have you been."

"I haven't done anything wrong, I swear!" Kimmy pleaded desperately, near tears.  "I'm sorry-"

She was cut off by a repeat of her fathers previous action. Only this time, his hand had curled into a fist and his hit had been much harsher.

Kimmy squeezed her eyes shut, physically preparing herself for the worst, but it never came.

Cautiously, she opened her eyes, watching as her father creeped towards her slowly with a sour look on his face, his pointer finger sticking out in her direction.

"Go to your room." He mumbled, pushing past her as he clumsily descended down the remaining stairs. However he paused upon noticing that she hadn't moved an inch, and turned to face her, his face practically red with built up fury. "Now!"

Kimmy simply looked at his retreating figure for a moment, before slowly turning around and making her way to her room with a deep feeling of fear lacing her stomach.

"You shouldn't challenge everything I say, Kimberley." The man muttered as he continued in the opposite direction, though still making sure he was loud enough for the girl to hear. "I am the man of the household,"

Well, with the next five words which spilled from her fathers lips; fear soon turned to anger.

"And I deserve your respect."

Kimmy's steps came to an abrupt hault and she scoffed, still facing away from the man. It wasn't until he spoke up did she turn to face him.

"What was that?" He sneered in an obnoxious tone.

"Respect?" Kimmy questioned, almost in a whisper before collecting herself and repeating the question much harsher. "Respect?" She preactically shouted. "Do enlighten me, what the hell have you done with your life which could deserve my respect?"

Kimmy was well aware from the way her father began climbing the stairs again that she was very much over stepping, but it was like she couldn't stop. Once she had started, her mouth wouldn't allow her to drop it.

"Oh wait, maybe it's the because you can never hold a job for more than a few months," she exclaimed, a faux look of thought playing on her features. Her voice rising as more and more anger slipped through with each syllable spoken. "Or maybe it's because you're never sober- or maybe it's because you beat your kid senseless whenever you decide I have to be taught a lesson! Or show you some fucking respect!"

She shouldn't have opened her mouth, he had given her an out with a single slap and she didn't take it.

And she should have, because now instead of a singular red mark on her check, she'd now have to explain all the purple bruises which would surely coat each square inch of her pale skin.

...

Furious wasn't the word to describe how Kimmy felt, no, she was way past furious. Practically shaking with anger as she stared back at herself in the dirty bathroom mirror.

When possible, Kimmy did her best to avoid looking in the bathroom mirror. Or looking in any mirror really. For the simple reason that she had to stare back at herself.

At least when she didn't catch a glimpse of her reflection, she could pretend to be whoever she wanted.

Not mentally of course. No, she was always the usual skittish, lonely and overall bizzare Kimberley Jenkins. But at least when she couldn't psychically see herself she could pretend she was something she felt she wasn't, she could pretend to be pretty - beautiful even.

Kimmy harshly shook her head, heading out of the bathroom and towards her room with quiet steps, in hope she wouldn't attract any attention to herself.

Slumping down or her bed, she reached out and grabbed her small bunny stuffed animal which she had had for as long as she could remember.

She held the bunny close to her and burried her face in his head as she unwillingly thought herself into oblivion. Going over each thought that popped into her head with intensive detail.

Kimmy found that she couldn't help but feel guilty for befriending Aaron Harrington. Especially after he'd helped her out that night the previous Sunday, she'd never forget about that. She wouldn't allow herself to.

It wasn't that she felt guilty for accepting his offer to be her friend, or listening to his nervous rambles whenever he spoke to her, or watching how he'd freak out and send himself into a panic whenever he got the faintest idea he could have possibly come anywhere near a germ.

No, she didn't feel guilty for befriending him.

What she did feel guilty for was stringing him along, for giving him hope. Deep down Kimmy feared she'd soon mess up the days long friendship one day, and she'd be back where she started; with no one. However, Kimmy quickly decided she'd rather that, because then it wouldn't hurt the boy so much when she was gone.

And she would be gone, sooner or later. It was going to happen one day. And that day would come much sooner than it should because she'd be the one to do it.

She was aware that it wasn't fair to the boy, especially if the twos friendship actually ended up working out. She knew it wasn't fair to him, not after how concerned he was that day he had unknowingly stopped her from cutting her own life short, not after how worked up he was making himself over her well being or how worried he was about her trying to end it all for herself again.

He was only twelve, that sort of pressure was not fair to put on a twelve year old. Kimmy knew that, but what she also knew was that she couldn't hold on forever, she couldn't just push her feelings to the side. She was in far to deep now.

As long as she lived under the same roof as her family, she had no hope.

Which was why whenever Aaron asked - and he would, she knew he would - she'd lie. She'd lie, and tell him that everything was fine, that she'd never felt better and that she couldn't believe she had even thought of harming herself in such a way in the first place.

Sniffling, she wiped the tears which now left streaks on her cheeks. However, not without flinching violently as her fingers made contact with her cheek.

She groaned slightly and cursed incoherently under her breath, that would definitely leave a mark.

There was nothing on this earth that Kimmy wished for more than a regular family, but of course life had to go a screw her over. She scoffed again shaking her head sourly.

But a quiet tap brought Kimmy from her thoughts.

Kimmy flinched, curious as to what on earth could possibly be going on outside of her window before she brushed it off. The woods weren't far, people were always outside with their friends by her house. Sometimes their shouts keeping Kimmy up all hours of the night.

But it came again, and Kimmy caught sight of something small hurling towards her window before falling to the ground once again.

With a curious expression on her face, she made her way towards the window, slowly and carefully pushing it open as she peered outside. Literally doing a double take at what she saw.

She looked down to the grass in horror as she watched Aaron Harrington wave up frantically at her with a panicked expression on his face.

Immediately Kimmy's heart rate picked up as we went to call out to her in fear her father would hear the pair.

"What?" She whispered, her face too morphing into a matching look of panic as she began to fear something really wrong had happened to the boy. "What's the matter?"

"I totally-" Aaron began in a loud voice, obviously fearing Kimmy wouldn't be able to hear him. Instantly, she shut him down.

"Be quiet!" Kimmy whisper-shouted, scolding the boy as she waved her hands frantically and her eyes grew two times in size. "I'm not supposed to be out-"

"Oh, sorry," Aaron interupted in a mumbled, guilt flushing his face. "Can you come down here and talk for a minute? I-"

"Yeah, yeah," Kimmy brushed off frantically. Glancing over her shoulder out of fear before she turned back to the window and closed it shut firmly as quietly as she could.

Kimmy took a deep breath before rushing to put her jacket and shoes on, her hands trembling the entire time from the built up nerves.

She opened her bedroom door, prepared to step out, before she stopped herself. With extreme caution she closed the door with both hands pressing against the gap to stop the closing of the door making a noise.

She couldn't go out the front door, and not for the reasons one might think. She had to go through the window and down the tree - she absolutely had to.

She also had to make sure she'd fall.

It was actually a blessing in disguise that Aaron had come by, because now she actually had an excuse about the bruises that would no doubt paint her face tomorrow morning.

With a shaky breath, she walked back over to the window, pushing it open once more and peered out. Catching sight of Aaron constantly checking his watch while mumbling frantically to himself.

However the boy must have heard the creaking of the window because his head snapped up at the noise.

Kimmy didn't meet his gaze. Too focused on mastering her plan.

She climbed out the window, and began creeping over the window ledge until she was a safe distance away from the tree.

"Kimmy, what the fuck?" She heard Aaron shout at her from the ground, his voice cracking as the sense of nerves fought itself into his sentence. "Stop, you're going to fall!"

Kimmy ignored him and reached out towards the tree, following the same routine as she usually would, only this time making sure to let go of the trunk before her feet had actually touched the ground.

She made sure to dramatise her fall, making sure Aaron would believe her come the next day.

"Kimberley!" Aaron exclaimed frantically as he rushed over to her. "What the hell did you do that for? Do you want me to have a stress related heart attack?"

Kimmy groaned dramatically as Aaron helped her up, gripping onto her right arm while clutching tightly onto the tree. Though the second Kimmy was standing, he dropped his hold on her arm as well as the tree, his face flushed red out of embarrassment before quickly recovering. The realisation of the situation obviously only hitting him then.

"Do you always climb that tree to get in and out of your room?" He asked quietly, his expression blank.

"Yes," Kimmy shrugged, unsure of where he was going with it.

"Well please don't!" He burst out in panic, his hands waving swiftly as he continued to rant. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What if you slip from your window before you even get to the tree? You could break a bone- or die!"

"Aaron, relax I've mastered it-" Kimmy began before cutting herself off, realising that in Aaron's eyes, she had in fact not mastered it. Seeing as she had just slipped down the tree seconds before.

"Obviously you haven't, Kimmy!" Aaron stressed, his features pulled down in complete horror. "Have you ever broken a bone? It hurts, okay? You do not want to break a bone especially from that height!"

Kimmy held back a laugh at his words, suddenly curious as to if he had ever broken a bone.

"Actually, Aaron," she began teasingly, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she stared at him with her eyes squinted. "I've never broken a bone. Have you?"

He looked taken aback for a moment, the look of panic slipping as he registered what she had asked him.

"Uh, yeah I have." He answered in a cautious tone, his head tilting curiously as he thought over her sarcastic tone. " That's why I know it hurts-"

"Everyone knows it hurts when you break a bone-"

"Yeah, but they don't realise how much." Aaron retorted with an eyeroll. "If you had landed on wrong I would have had to barge into your house and get your parents to drive us to the hospital!"

Kimmy froze at the thought, her smile slipping as her heart rate picked up, though she was determined not to let it show.

"Okay," she mumbled in the best unbothered tone she could muster, before her brows knitted together out of curiousity. "What bones have you broken?"

"My arm," he answered simply, before nervously elaborating without being asked to. "It was when I was really little though, maybe four or five. I mean, technically it was Steve who did it- no actually, it was Steve."

Kimmy sent him a puzzled look, as if to tell him he had no choice but to elaborate after what he had just dropped on her.

"It was an accident," he stressed out of fear he had just accidentally made his older brother look like an utter monster. "Steve and my dad were trying to teach me how to play football- which is ridiculous because I wasn't even in first grade yet. But Steve got me down and he was too rough or something and broke my arm. Dad said it was good though. Says I needed to toughen up a bit, but dad still says that, so I guess it didn't really work."

Kimmy furrowed her brows at that last part but didn't say anything about it. She didn't want to press on the matter, with the way Aaron had spoken previously it was clear he and his parents didn't have the best relationship. And it wasn't her place to comment on it.

However Aaron must have noticed the look on her face and mistook it as her reaction to his injury.

"Yeah, I know, it was broken in two places." Aaron huffed in a small voice, his face scrunching up in disgust. "But I was more upset that I was covered in dirt. I remember crying the entire ride to the hospital because my mom wouldn't change my clothes before we left. Took my mind off the pain though."

Kimmy let out an airy laugh at his choice of wording, finding that it was probably in her best interest to believe the boys story about the dirt. It wouldn't be the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard considering his dislike for germs and everything related.

Her laugh was cut short as the lead up to that very conversation dawned on her.

"So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Kimmy asked softly as she hugged her arms around herself, shivering slightly from the cold.

"Oh, right," he nodded, readjusting the black hat on his head. "We need to go to Mike's"

Kimmy's eyes went wide as her brows knitted closer together. "What, me too?"

"Well, obviously." Aaron muttered with an exasperated expression.

Kimmy sent him a disbelieving look, "does the party know that you've invited me along?"

Aaron sent her an embarrassed look, his cheeks tinting pink once again. "Well, no." He replied in a small voice, before speaking up again sounding much more confident. "But I'm sure they wouldn't mind, I think it's about the girl we found yesterday. And I mean it's only fair that you're invited, technically it was you who found her."

Kimmy couldn't really argue with him. It was her fault Mike was now stuck with the small girl.

"Are you sure I should come with you?" Kimmy asked with much hesitation in her voice. "I mean, I don't want to force my way into your friend group or something."

"No it's fine!" Aaron assured while waving his hands. "I swear. Besides we want you there."

Kimmy did not look convinced, and she guessed Aaron must have noticed because he was instantly talking again.

"Well I want you there," he continued at a rapid pace, hoping to convince the girl. "And Lucas thinks you're cool, and I'm sure Dustin wouldn't have a problem with-"

"What about Mike?" She injected, sounding anything but confident. Her shoulders slumping when she was met with no answer from the boy. "It's his house Aaron. I'm not showing up uninvited. And anyway, I don't want to intrude if you're all going looking for Will. That's really not my business-"

"Kimmy please, we're friends," he interrupted desperately, his face crumbling into a look of sadness. "I don't want you to miss out or feel like you can't hang out with us. Especially because we're looking for Will. We'll find him soon enough, and when we do, you'll be left with no one if you're so stuck on sticking by yourself."

Kimmy hesitated for a long minute, thinking over all they had spoken about. Although, just as she went to reject his offer she caught sight of how worried he appeared to be about hearing her answer.

So instead of gently suggesting she should get home, she huffed and reluctantly nodded her head.

"Fine, what time do we need to be at Mike's for?" She asked in a dragged out voice, hiding her own small smile as she saw how a toothy smile spread out over Aaron's lips in a matter of seconds before he checked his watch.

"Um, we need to be there in about twenty minutes," he replied thoughtfully in a hushed tone. "We should really leave now."

Kimmy was nodding before he'd even finished his sentence. "Yeah, I wasn't kidding earlier when I said I wasn't supposed to come down to see you."

"Oh, yeah," Aaron mumbled in realisation. "You're parents worried about you since Will's gone missing? I know Mike's parents are."

Kimmy very nearly scoffed. "Yeah, something like that."

...

OMG 3K READS?!?!??! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!

Sorry this chapter is a little late!

Voting and comments are appreciated!! <3

-AJ :)