WARNING: There is abuse in this chapter

Chapter Three: Cuts and Bruises

Cigarette Daydreams - Cage the Elephant

Millie's P.O.V

School finally ended causing the schools' exit to be packed with students. I walked through the school hallways seeing several people staring at me in disgust or worry some.

What are they all looking at?

I head to the schools parking lot that was filled with traffic starting from the entrance toward the exit. I found Sadie's car but didn't see her or Noah. As I walk up to Sadie's car I hear a loud scream of frustration. I stop in my tracks and turned my head to see who it was. It was Iris arguing with Finn. Anger was boiling on her red face.

Finn was trying to calm her down but it wasn't working very well. He rolls his eyes because of her reaction and turns toward my direction. Iris noticed who Finn was looking at and pulled his face toward hers and gave him a passionate kiss. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Sadie's car with her and Noah finally in the front seats.

"What took you so long?" Sadie asks.

"I got distracted," I said while hoping in her car.

"By Finn Wolfhard?" Noah asks with a singing voice, I rolled my eyes.

"Did you see Iris?" I asked as I got into Sadie's car.

"I think the whole school saw what Iris just did," Sadie said as she backs away from the parking lot.

"Millie, I really think he likes you!" Noah says as he turns on the radio.

"Because?"

"Because he actually talked to you!"

"Okay, technically he's only talked to me once or maybe twice but I didn't say a word to him!" I said while slouching on my seat. I look out the window and see Finn still looking straight at me.

"He rarely ever pays attention to other girls you know," Noah says.

"Maybe because he has a girlfriend?" I asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Stop fighting you two or else I'll do another break check!" Sadie threatened. Noah tends to forget to wear his seat belt so Sadie would hit the breaks to cause Noah to almost fall off his seat.

"Okay, okay!" He says as he buckles up his seat belt.

"Are we dropping you off home or can you stay over at my place?"

"Just take me home," I said as I check the time on my phone.

"Why can't you ever come to my house, it's a Friday?" Sadie asks.

"It's just my dad," I said hoping that someone would change the subject. Sadie and Noah know about my mother's death but I never told them about how my dad treats me. There was an awkward pass in the car for about a minute.

"You could just drop me off, Sadie," I said finally breaking the silence. She nods her head yes and was quiet for the whole ride. We finally made it to my house. I hopped out of her car and went straight to my front door waving bye.

I walk into my house suddenly hearing a beer bottle shatter to the ground. I lock the front door ready to face my father.

"MILLIE!!" My father yells. I turn around to face him with my hands shaking with fear? I can hear his wobbly steps, he's drunk again.

"Did you get the cigarettes?" he asks eagerly. I nod my head no with my eyes looking at my feet. He was standing there quietly, not making a sound. I'm not old enough to buy cigarettes myself so I go to someone in school and buy it from them since my father easily loses him money from drinking.

"Why?" He asks while taking another sip of his beer.

"He wasn't here today," I said quietly. He stays quiet again causing my hands to shake even more. His cold hard hand hits my left cheek causing me to lose my balance and fall to the ground. The feeling of his slap was like a swarm of bees stung my cheek. I curled up into a ball ready for what he's going to do next. A strong pressure was hit against my stomach causing me to grown in pain with tears running down my cheek. He kicked me over and over again until he got tired.

"I don't wanna see you anymore, go upstairs!" He yells while wobbling toward the living room couch.

I struggled to get up from the floor. I felt a sharp feeling in my stomach, I couldn't get up it hurts too much. More tears ran down my cheek. I got up to my feet with my arms wrapped around my stomach. I bit my lip trying my best to not yell out in pain. Best way to start a weekend right? I hope you can hear my sarcasm bleed through me.

<<>>

It was Saturday morning and I'm pretty sure my dad's still asleep. I decided to get out of this hell hole so I took a quick shower and got dressed. I checked my wounds and noticed that it isn't as bad as yesterday but were still visible. I looked out of my bedroom window and saw a cloudy sky, it's probably gonna rain soon. 

I slipped on a pair of black skinny jeans, a plain grey t-shirt with a warm teal sweatshirt, with my worn out vans which are my only pair of shoes. I slipped a couple of dollars in my back pocket and my phone in the other. I grabbed the stereo that Billy let me borrow and walked out of the house.

Once the cold air hit my skin I realized that a sweatshirt isn't enough. I went back inside and grabbed a yellow raincoat and went back outside. I really have no idea where the hell I wanted to go so I just let my feet lead the way. I put on the headset that was attached to the stereo and continued listening to Calpurnia stuffing the stereo in my raincoat pocket.

The wind was pretty strong causing my short hair to blow in the wind. It rained last night making several puddles on the ground. I stepped in each and every single puddle that I saw making my shoes soaked but I really didn't care. The song ended causing me to stop in my tracks.

I look around and notice that I'm no longer in my neighborhood but instead was across the street from a liquor store. Several teenagers were surrounding that place with skateboards in their hands, trying to do fancy tricks on the sidewalk. I haven't eaten breakfast yet so might as well eat something. I quickly crossed the street and entering the liquor store. 

A couple of teenagers was inside. I pulled the headset out of my ears and let them hang around my neck and started roaming around every aisle passing by chips and snacks but mainly liquor. I made it to the last aisle and spotted Finn grabbing a liquor bottle with a skateboard in his other hands. I stopped in my tracks surprised to see him causing my shoes to squeak on the ground. Finn turns to me. A smirk grew on his freckled face.

"Hey," Finn says in a raspy tone.

"Hi," I said while giving him an awkward wave. I turned around and started to walk the other way.

"Hey wait!" He said while quickly catching up to me.

"What is a girl like you shopping at a place like this?" He asks while dragged his skateboard on the ground.

What the hell does he mean by a girl like me?

"Because I can," I stated bitterly while grabbing two granola bars. I started walking to the drink aisle with Finn still following after me.

"But why this store?" He asks while leaning against the glass where the drinks were. I found the drink that I wanted but Finn was in the way for me to grab it. this boy is getting on my nerves.

"Because it's the one store closest to my area," I said while shoving him lightly for me to grab the drink I wanted. He nods his head with approval still standing next to me.

"Why are you here?" I asked him finally giving him eye contact.

"Because I wanted to hang out with my frie-"

"No, I meant why are you still talking to me?" I ask while cutting him off.

"Because I'm curious to meet you, we've been constantly bumping into each other might as well get to know you," He said while giving me a smirk that apparently every girl has fallen for. I nod my head understanding his reason. That's true, we have been bumping into each other lately but that doesn't mean we have to socialize.

"What did you mean when you said a girl like me?" I asked while walking up to the cashier handing him the granola bar and the drink I wanted.

"Well you seem too innocent for a place like this to be on your own," He says while leaning against the counter. I rolled my eyes as I hand the cashier the money. "I'm not innocent, and I'm just fine being on my own," I said with my chin held high. Him leaning against the counter caused me to look like I'm ahead taller than him.

"Prove It," He said while pushing himself off the counter making him a head taller. He takes a few steps closer to me. His face was only an inch away from mine. I felt his minty breath bounce against my cheeks causing them to feel extremely warm. I took a couple of steps back finally having my self-conscience back.

"Fine," I said while grabbing my food and walking to the exit. I felt someone grab my hood and pull me back.

"You have to prove it to me before you can leave, you promised?" Finn asks still holding onto my hood. I stayed quiet for a minute and later nodded my head yes.

"I will just let go of my hood," I said while tugging on my hood making him let go. He places the liquor bottle on the counter and grabs a pack of cigarettes that was on the counter and gave me a mischevious smirk.

Is he even old enough to buy that? he pulls out some cash and an ID and shows it to the cashier. The cashier nods in approval and hands him the bottle of liquor and the pack of cigarettes.

"Come on," He says while grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the store. The sky was still pretty grey but not grey enough to rain. He led me to a group of kids on the side of the store that was doing those fancy tricks on the sidewalk with there skateboards. My eyes scan the group of Finn's friends hoping to not see Iris around.

"Hey what's your name again?" Now that I think about it he never knew my name.

"It's Millie, Millie Bobby Brown," I said while following his footsteps.

"Attention gentlemen!" The boys stopped what they were doing and turned to Finn's direction with me hiding behind Finn.

"I have a guest that I'd like to introduce to you," Finn steps out of my way making sure the boys are able to see me with his hand still holding onto my wrist.

"Gentleman meet Millie, Millie meet these gentlemen." All boys gave me a friendly wave as I gave an awkward one.

"She has promised me today that she will prove us all that she isn't an innocent little girl that she was," Finn says as if he was announcing to the king a proclamation.

"Take a sip of this," He said as he unscrews the liquor in his hand.

"What? Why?" I asked. I don't think I'm ever planning on drinking in my life.

"Because you promised," He said while opening the pack of cigarettes and pulling out a lighter out of his pocket still managing to hold onto my wrist.

"Are you even old enough to buy that?" I asked while taking a step back with his hand still locked on my wrist.

"It's called a fake ID sweetheart," I hear snickering from the boys behind me. He pulls out one cigarette and lights it up with the lighter.

"No, I'm not drinking that!" I said as I crossed my arms like an angry child. He chuckles again.

"How 'bout this, you take a few puffs from my cigarette, is that okay?" More snickering came from the boys making Finn smirk.

"If I do this can I leave?" I asked while tugging on my wrist. He nods his head yes.

"Can you let go of my wrist now?" I asked annoyingly.

"How do I know you're not going to run away?" He asks with the cigarette between his fingers.

"Because I won't" Finn nods in agreement.

"I'll let go of your wrist only if you stand right here." He says as pulls me closer to him quickly making me stand an inch away from him. he places the cigarette between his lips and inhales deeply and pulls the cigarette out of his lips. A couple seconds later he exhales the smoke letting it hit my face giving me the scent of smoke. I started coughing from the amount of smoke in the air while hearing more snickering from the boys and Finn. I'm used to the scent of smoke because of my dad but actually being so close to it makes me feel a little dizzy.

"Your turn," He says as he hands me the cigarette out for me. I only stared at the cigarette in his hand.

"What, you scared?" I was still quiet and didn't answer.

"What? No," I said hoping he wouldn't see the fear rolling through me. I take the cigarette out of his hand and try to position it in my hand just like how Finn did it. I open my mouth a little and place the cigarette between my lips with the cigarette between my fingers. As I take a puff from the cigarette I tighten my hands into a fist placing them against my chest. The feeling of the smoke going through my body was unbearable. 

I kept the smoke inside of me and quickly exhaling the smoke causing me to cough several times making me feel even dizzier. Finn and his friends laughed at my reaction and applauded at my success. I was still coughing by the time they all stopped applauding.

"Let me guess, that was your first time." Finn states. I only glare at him as I continue coughing my lungs out making Finn laugh even more. I finally stopped coughing until I was able to hand the pain in my lungs. 

Why did I agree to do that?

<<>>

I honestly feel like this chapter doesn't make any sence but I'm just gonna keep it the way it is.

- Abby