Chapter Four

Abigail

After spending the rest of the day with more classes with Colleen and Scott, the day finally ended and I was packing my things in my backpack. I had to walk home, which seemed like a mile or two away. I didn't know for sure, but I was pretty sure I was wrong. I was never good with miles. But I knew it would take at least fifteen minutes by walking. I had to get home, do my homework, do the laundry, make dinner, and take care of Tyler. It was all so hard. Really, I just wanted to go home and take a nap. I want one so bad.

I closed my locker and made my way down the hallway. I was pushed and shoved as I dodged my way out of the hallway. Stupid teenagers, I thought. Once I made it out of the building in one piece, I sighed in relief. The cool wind hit my face and my ears were quickly starting to feel cold. I decided that since I was out already, I could let my hair down. I loosened the braid and let my wavy hair down. I pulled the hood of my jacket up and crossed my arms over my chest as I made my journey to the hell hole I called home.

I kept my head down as I walked. This day had been so long and, yes, awkward. I've been asked so many times today about why I don’t talk much and having people look at me like I’m some side show freak! Which is one of the many reasons why I hate school.

"Just because I don’t talk to them doesn't mean I’m a freak!" I grumbled out loud. Jeez.

I saw a car pull up next to me and I hesitated, but turned to my side. I saw the door open and Scott stepped out. He looked at my jacket and raised an eyebrow. “You do realize it’s like…thirty degrees out?” I just shrugged and pushed my hair out of my face. I’ve lived in places much colder than this. Like Maine. It’s freezing there in the winter time. I was just happy I had three blankets to keep me warm at night. This weather I can handle. He pointed at the Jeep.

“Why don’t we give you a ride?” I raised and shook my head. He gave me a smile—making my legs suddenly feel weak. God, his smile was to kill for. “Come on, Abigail. It’s not like we’re going to kidnap you or something.”

I rolled my eyes and gave him a ‘whatever’ look. I turned around, but I felt his hand touch my upper arm.

“Wait, please. You shouldn’t be out in this cold anyways,” he said, his voice sounding worried and pleading. I wanted to yell at him, asking why he cares so much and telling him just to leave me alone. But instead, I turned around, looked at him in boredom, and shook my head seriously. If my dad ever saw me talk to him, do you know what he’d do? It wouldn’t be a little smack, that’s for sure. I cringed at the thought. Looked down at his pocket and saw his phone hanging out. I pointed at it and he took it out, giving it to me quickly.

I typed in, No, I’m fine. I could use the exercise.

He snorted once he read it and looked over me. “Abigail, you don’t need the exercise, you’re beautiful.” My eyes widened slightly, jerking at the comment. I was just thankful my cheeks were already red from the winter coldness or he, and his buddies in the Jeep, I'm sure, would laugh at me.

“Look, I’m not going to leave you alone until you get in the car,” he said, putting his hands in his pocket.

“I’ll walk with you if you prefer,” he said. I gave him a look of complete disbelief and he just grinned at me.

He’s impossible! Why is he trying this hard? Is ‘scoring’ with the mute girl supposed to be this huge deal to him or something? Why can’t he just get it in his big head that I’m not interested! I thought wildly to myself. Knowing I wasn’t going to get rid of him, I took my backpack off my right shoulder and shoved it against his chest.

He chuckled and opened the Jeep door for me. I was about to jump in before I saw two guys—no, twins, sitting in the back. It looked like only three people could fit.

“It’s okay, there’s room,” Scott said. I looked at him unsure about this. It’s stupid to just get in someone’s car that you don’t know, right? I thought it’d only be him and the driver, but no, there was the driver, the passenger, and two guys in the back. Scott gave me a small smile and held his arm towards inside the car. If I do get kidnapped…well…I wonder if anyone would believe it was really these handsome boys.

I would say this would be a dream come true, but really, it wasn't. It was kind of weird. Sighing, I crawled in and the two guys moved over so I could slide over more so Scott could get in. Whoever was in the passenger seat turned and I realized it was Haley. She smiled at me.

“I like your hair down, Abigail. It’s so long. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten that stupid haircut,” she said, her voice bummed out. Her hair went past her shoulders by an inch.

"I love it, Hal,” the boy in the front said, smiling at her.

She smiled back, “Thanks, but I miss my long hair, Sky.”

As he drove away from the curb, he said, “It’s just hair. It’ll grow back."

One of the guys leaned forward, “Unless it falls out first from all that hairspray,” he teased and she scowled at him.

“I like you the least, Shay. You're officially the evil twin,” she said and she stuck out her tongue.

Shay just chuckled. “Well, you’re stuck with me from now on,” he said. He turned in his seat to me and smiled. “I'm Shay, Scotty here brother,” he said, holding out his hand. I hesitated, looking at his hand. I then shook his big, rough hand. Surprisingly, it was warm at the same time.

The other guy leaned over Shay and held out his hand. “And I’m Tristan. Colleen's wonderful boyfriend and Scott's loving—”

“Annoying,” Scott cut in.

“Brother,” he finished anyways.

“And I’m Skyler,” the driver said, “his oldest brother.”

“Or as I like to call them all,” Haley said, “the Barbarian Brothers.”

“That hurts, Haley,” Shay said and Tristan nodded in agreement.

Skyler chuckled, “So, where to Abigail?” He asked with a smile in his voice.

Feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable now that, somehow, all the eyes were on me, my cheeks burned red. I leaned forward and pointed to where he needed to go. The whole time, I swear, Scott was looking at me. I kept turning my eyes to look, but I could see far enough out of the corner of my eye to actually see. What's weirder is…I felt so warm in the jeep. The heater wasn’t even on and I felt toasty as an oven.

When he was a block away from my house, I patted Skyler on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.

“Here?” he asked and I nodded. I didn’t want to be caught by my mom. If she saw me getting out of an unknown Jeep she would start to question me and I didn’t need that right now. Scott got out of the Jeep and I crawled out behind him, but before I could jump out, everyone said ‘bye’ to me. I turned and gave them stiff smile, raising my hand in goodbye. I just wanted to get out of there so badly, though. I have never been that close to people in my life before. I felt so crowded and little compared to them.

I gave Scott a closed smile for ‘thank you’, but before I turned around, he put his hands on my waist. I felt my face burn up when his head leaned down closer to mine. My eyes widened when he was a nose touch away, but when I thought he was aiming for my lips, he turned and kissed my cheek instead.

Have you ever rubbed your slipper against the carpet really fast, and when you touched someone, you shocked them? And they feel the shock the same time you do and jerk back? Well, that’s how I felt right now. When Scott’s lips touched my cheek, I don’t know, I felt just like that- and amazed.

Now the only question running through my mind is—why’d he kiss my cheek? He stepped back, taking the warmth of his body with him. Saving myself from embarrassment, I just gave him a thumps up, a stiff smile, and grabbed my backpack from him before quickly turning around the corner.

I quickly walked up to my house. Once I was in, I closed the door and leaned against it, finding it hard to breath. Whoa, I couldn’t help but think and somehow, a small smile appeared on my face as I brought my hand up to my cheek where he kissed.

“Waa! Waa! Waa!” I heard Tyler cry from upstairs and my mom groaning in annoyance. I dropped my backpack and jogged up the stairs to my little brother's room. I went in to see my mom trying to change his diaper, but he was fussing. She had a cigarette in her mouth, hanging from one side, and I saw a glass of wine next to Tyler.

 I walked over to my mom. “Here, let me do it.”

She quickly stopped trying and stepped back. I smiled down at Tyler and tickled his tummy. His fussing stopped and he reached out for me. I smiled and shook one of his hands before finishing what my mom didn’t finish. Once I got a new diaper on and put his pants back on, I lifted him up and placed him on my hip.

“Damn thing wouldn’t stop crying all day,” my mom said, taking a drag from her cigarette. “Thank God you got here soon enough.”

I just nodded once before walking out to get Tyler a snack. It was true, because, come to think of it, if I didn’t, the more he cried, the more she’d get frustrated. She'd eventually slap him to be quite. My dad doesn’t abuse Tyler, but I can’t lie and say my mom would never lay her hand on him. But it’s never often.

After getting Tyler a bowl with some honey Cheerio’s, I went back into the living room and placed him on the floor in front of the coffee table. I helped him sit up and placed the bowl in front him. He doesn’t walk yet, but he can stand and sit up on his own. I grabbed my backpack and started on my homework as Tyler ate and watched TV.

*

Scott.

Idiot, I thought as I slapped my forehead before climbing back into the Jeep. Now she probably thinks I’m some weirdo. I forgot I had only just met her and I went in to kiss her. I’m just lucky I realized what I was doing and kissed her on the cheek instead. I ignored all the looks I got from the guys and took my headphone off from around the back of my neck and placed them in my ears, turning my iPod on, and listened to music.

I heard over the music as Skyler said, “Well, he did better than Tristan. He kissed her the moment she bumped into him. Remember how freaked out she was and actually punched him?” I couldn’t help but grin at that. Tristan was the funniest when it came to his mate. He would tease and play around with her like they were five years old. He was in eighth grade when Colleen moved here and she wasn’t watching where she was going because she was reading this book and she bumped into Tristan.

He turned around and looked her over for a second, and then he kissed her right then and there. So, she punched him and freaked out after. I laughed quietly to myself and then zoned back out.

*

Abigail.

I pretended I was a monster in front of Tyler and he clapped his hands together and giggled, reaching out. I smiled and ruffled his light blond hair. He needed a haircut since his hair went to his shoulders. I moved from the high chair and stirred the pot of noodles right when the front door opened and the Devil walked in. I didn’t look away from the noodles as he walked in and in the corner of my eye; I saw him ruffle Tyler's hair like I did and walked over to me, kissing the back of my head.

“Where’s you mom?” he asked, taking off his suit coat.

“In the bedroom, sleeping.” I told him. He walked over to the sink and leaned against it.

I could feel his eyes on the back of my head. “So, how was school?” he asked.

“Fine,” was all I replied.

“Get done with your homework?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said.

“Hey, Abby, do you know who Calvin Klein is?”

My eyebrows furrowed together. “I don’t know. He’s some famous designer or something.”

“Yes, he is. He designs clothes, but also…he has cologne,” he said.

Just growing more confused by what he was trying to get out, I turned around. But his hand came across my face and my face smacked to the side as I cried out in pain. My cheek stung as I brought my hand up to my face. I didn’t dare look at him.

“Who were you with?” he questioned, his voice calm, but threatening. “Who is he?” he questioned

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, daddy,” I said, turning to look at him, fear in my eyes.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Abigail. I can smell the cologne on you,” he said. I thought back to when I was in the car and, indeed all of them were wearing cologne, but I could mostly smell Scott’s. Crap. It must have caught on my clothes. He gripped my upper arms and turned me to look at him. “Answer me!” he yelled and Tyler started crying. “Who was so much more important to fuck with than to be in class?”

“No one,” I told him quickly. The look he gave me scared me and I just wanted to hide in my closet like I used to do when I was little and he would come to look for me when he come home drunk on weekends. “Daddy, you have to believe me.”

He snorted and smacked me again. “You are such a little slut. What are you planning, huh? Trying to get pregnant and go live at the bastard’s house, leaving us here? Your family? You want to leave your family?”

“Of course not!” I said. “I love it here!”

I lied of course.

I wanted to yell at him that if I was to ever plan anything, it would be to run away in the middle of the night, take Tyler with me, and somehow live on our own. But I couldn’t survive out there on my own and I really couldn’t survive with a child who’s only one.

“Then whose cologne is that?” he asked. “If you dare lie to me, I swear to god, if you lie to me, Abigail, you don’t even want to know.”

I looked at him, my hands shaking since I didn’t know what to tell him. He would flip if I told him I was in a Jeep filled with boys

I licked my lips nervously, “I—I don’t know whose.”

He shook his head, reaching out and I cringed. He grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled, pulling me out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Daddy, please!” I yelled and Tyler's crying grew. He dragged me up stairs and went into the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” I asked. He turned on the hot water all the way and I tried to get his grip off my shirt. I finally did, but when I went to run, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back.

“Daddy, please!” I yelled.

Threw me in the tub of the shower and I was quickly drenched with hot burning water. I tried to get out, but he just pushed me back in. I cried when my mind registered how hot the water was and I tried to fight me way out, but he wouldn’t let me. I cried out in pain and my pale skin was turning pink and, soon, an angry red. It felt like when you turn on the water from a sink after someone uses it and when you touch the water, it’s burning hot and you pull your hand back. Only I couldn't pull back.

Tears escaped my eyes and my skin was soon feeling numb. I just stopped fighting him now and my whole body was shaking, but I couldn’t feel it since I was so numb all over. After what felt like hours, but was only a minute and a half, my father turned off the shower and my whole body was hot.

“If you end up pregnant, you won’t have a place to call home,” he said. “Put some new clothes on and go finish dinner.”

I looked up at him and he gave me a serious look. I nodded quickly.

“Y-yes, daddy.”

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