I stared at the envelope, trying to open it, but I couldn't. Fear gripped me and I needed reinforcements to gather courage. I picked up my phone and called Jake and Jenny for a group chat.

Once they both answered, I held up the envelope in front of the screen. From the looks of it, they were as excited as I was. With the people that meant the most to me, I opened the letter with shaking hands. They remained quiet in anticipation. The news had the potential to change my life forever. With an unsteady voice, I read the first paragraph:

Dear Sky,

My sincerest congratulations to you! It is my pleasure to inform you that your outstanding academic record has earned your admission.

As the last word escaped my lips, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I screamed with joy, "I got in, I got in, I got in!" In the background, my cheerleaders were cheering. They were as happy for me as I was for myself.

Once we finally stopped screaming, so loud the neighbors probably heard us, I cried. They were tears of joy. I would make it out. All the years of sadness and pain would be behind me. I could make a fresh start. It seemed unbelievable, like something that amazing couldn't happen to me. I had the letter in my hand, so it had to be a reality. Jake broke me from my thoughts, being the first to congratulate me.

"Congrats baby, I am so proud of you. We are going to Savannah this weekend to celebrate and I am planning everything."

"Thank you, Jake," I replied, attempting to dry my tears.

Jenny followed right behind him, "Sky, I knew you would do it, I am so proud of you."

"Thanks so much, Jenny, I couldn't have done it without you."

At that moment, everything was right in my world. I spent the rest of the week walking on air, praying that it wasn't all a dream that I would wake up from. Jake and I talked every single night. He was super excited about getting away for the weekend again. During the day, while we were in school, things were tense.

Jenny and Tag walked together in the halls, between every class, before class, and after class. They were an adorable couple. He was so kind to her and seemed to want to show her off to anyone who would let him. He was falling hard for her, and it was easy to see.

Since Jake and I were their respective best friends, we were constantly around them. By default, we were constantly in each other's presence. This was all while we kept up the facade we didn't know each other and it wasn't easy.

So many times Jake would try to grab my hand and then catch himself, pulling it back. Or he would almost slip up and mention something that would have given us away. It was hard enough for us to look at each other without revealing our secret. We were both certain that anyone willing to look would see the connection in our eyes.

Jake was growing increasingly angry with himself for how it was all playing out. Seeing Tag and how free he was with Jenny made him feel like he was the cruelest person in the world. He would apologize every single night. I could hear the pain in his voice, and it crushed me.

I had somehow made peace with our situation. Every time, I tried to convince him that when he was ready it would all work out. But I could tell he was growing more agitated with himself by the day.

Despite all the tension, the week passed quickly. Before I knew it Jenny was dropping me off at the house to get ready to head out of town with Jake. When we pulled up, I noticed dad's truck was home and so was mom's car. I froze, looking at Jenny. She shot me a look of sympathy and I forced myself to get out of the car and head inside.

I could hear the shouting before I even reached the door and as usual, it was one-sided. Entering cautiously, I tried to assess the situation. They were standing at the entrance to the kitchen. I tried to maneuver my way down the hall without creating a distraction. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful. Mom glimpsed me and it all started like I knew it would.

"There's my little Susie Homemaker," she began.

"High mom," I replied, looking down, trying not to make eye contact.

She walked toward me, "What do you think, you can run this house better than I can?" I shook my head, continuing to look down. She grabbed my face in her hand, pinching my jaws until it felt like she might crush them. Still holding my face, she shoved my head backward, and it smashed against the wall. In a daze, I looked to dad, hoping he would help. He watched but never interjected. I am not even sure why I ever even thought he would.

Next, she grabbed my upper arm and drug me into the kitchen. Still grasping me with one hand, she opened the cabinet with the other. "Aren't you just Martha Stewart, you even took time to arrange the cabinets."

"What do you want momma?" I asked as softly as possible.

"What do I want? Who do you think you are to question me, you little bitch?" she shouted, slamming the cabinet door shut with force. She was still holding on to me when I looked at my dad again, pleading with my eyes for him to help me. He shook his head and walked toward the door, and I shivered when I heard it shut behind him. I was all alone with her, no-one would help me.

"I'm nobody," I replied.

"Oh, you finally figured that out, smart girl. I am grabbing the things I left behind. Then I am done with you and that loser for good," she screamed at me like she was spewing venom. I am not sure what came over me next, but the years of abuse finally reached a boiling point.

The words escaped my lips before I even knew I would say them, "Good, we are better off without you."

A fierceness burned in her eyes when she heard those words. She drew her arm back and with as much force as she could muster; she hit me backhanded across my mouth. I could feel the blood instantly trickle down my lip. The force of the hit knocked me back, and I fell square on my butt, bracing myself with my arms as I hit the ground. My anger burned even deeper. She could do her worst to me, it didn't matter anymore.

I stood up and glared at her in the eyes, "Leave mom!"

Willing my legs to move, I started walking away and toward my room. I felt like I had finally found the courage to stand up for myself. As I was walking, I heard a loud, almost primal grunt escape her. I turned in time to see a thin glass bowl hurling towards my head with amazing force. I threw my arm up to protect myself. Feeling the impact as the glass crashed into my skin, I turned and ran to my room.

Little did I know she was already aiming her next object at my head. It hit me so hard that it felt like my skull split open. I didn't stop. I ran faster, beating her to my room and locking the door behind me. Pushing the dresser in front of it for more protection, I grabbed my phone to call Jake.

"Jake, please come get me, get here as quick as you can," I whispered trying to catch my breath. He could hear the desperation in my voice. He knew something was wrong.

"Sky, what's wrong, you are scaring me."

"Just get here, I will meet you on the main road. Don't come to my house no matter what you do," I instructed him and then hung up the phone.

I had packed my bag the night before, so I threw some last-minute items in as quickly as I could. My mom was yelling outside my door the entire time. She sounded like a raving lunatic. Once my bag was together, I raised my window as quietly as possible and jumped out of it. I ran along the backside of my house and our neighbors until I reached the road. My heart was still racing when I got there.

If she had caught me, she might have killed me for all I knew. I stayed in the tree line until I saw Jake's truck come into view. I wasn't sure how long it would take her to discover I was gone and come looking for me.

As soon as he was close enough, I stepped out, and he pulled over to meet me. He jumped out of the truck, as frantic as I was, never even shutting his door. The look on his face once he got a good look at me was one of pure shock.

"Sky, what the hell happened to you, you are bleeding everywhere?"

"My mom happened," I replied as I watched the anger inflame him.

I was in such a frenzy trying to escape her, I never stopped to access the damage she had inflicted. With Jake in front of me though, I could finally breathe, I was safe. I threw my arms around him and he pulled me into him, nestling his hands in my hair. As soon as he put pressure on my head, I let out a scream. He whipped me around to get a closer look and was shocked to find my head split open.

I was frantic when he first told me but calmed once he determined that it wasn't bad enough to require stitches. After he was confident my head would be ok, he picked me up and placed me in the seat of his truck, taking my hands in his.

"Sky, this one is bad," he said while he examined them.

It was then that I realized the first thing she threw must have shattered and cut my hand and arm. The second one cut my head. He was right, the one on my hand was bad. After he cleaned me up, I persuaded him to stop at a pharmacy and pick up some butterfly strips for my hand. The last thing I needed was to go to the hospital.

Next, I persuaded him to take me to the hotel he had booked so I could clean myself up. I would not let her break me or ruin the weekend. Jake had worked so hard on it and it was nothing a hot shower and a little determination wouldn't get me through.

All the determination in the world couldn't stop me from crying all the way to Savannah. I needed to get those tears out and he let me, driving while I sobbed on his shoulder.

******

A/N

My heart aches for Sky, this girl seems to have everything against her. What do you guys think about her mom and how her dad treats her?