B A E T H A N

After what happened last week, I didn't see Amaris since that night. Sitting in my usual spot in English, I fidget in my chair as I nervously watched the clock. If Amaris misses another unexcused day in school, she is going to get herself suspended. Tapping my notebook with my pencil, a couple of my classmates give me ugly looks, but I ignored them. Come on, Amaris. Five more minutes until doors close...

Walking outside, I walk in the opposite direction of my house. After 30 minutes, my feet had unconsciously taken me to Amaris' house. The sun was setting since it was winter time and the weather was extremely cold. Picking up a nearby pebble, I throw it at Amaris' bedroom window. After a couple of tries, I finally make contact with the actual window. I had been doing this ever since Amaris missed her first day of school. So far, I haven't had any luck though. Seeing that she wasn't going to open her door, I gather up my courage and approach the front door. Ringing the doorbell, I wait for a response. Hearing approaching footsteps, the door is opened to reveal a man who looked to be in his late forties. Balding, a beer belly, and muscles to match his intimidating appearance. Standing at about 7 feet, I had to tilt my head in order to look him in the eye.
"What do you want!" The man said roughly. I could smell alcohol on his breath as he leaned closer to me with his beady little eyes. Not to be intimidated by this bully, I calmly stated that I was looking for Amaris.

"Amaris?"

"Yes, does she live here? She has dark hair and violet eyes."

"Oh yeah. She's my stepdaughter. That little wretch hasn't left her room in a week. I would have kicked her out by now if she wasn't under-aged."

Balling my hands into fists, I try to calm my anger before I answered this jerk.

"May I see her?" My voice wobbled from trying too hard to control my voice.

Staring at me suspiciously, the man looks me up and down.
"What do you want with her? You don't happen to be her boyfriend? You're too good looking for that scrawny girl."

My face turned a red hue as my anger spiked into fury. How dare he! She is the most beautiful girl in the world. Maybe not her temperament, but no one is perfect. And now that I see what kind of people she has to live with, I can understand why she acts the way she does.

Thinking that the reason my face was red was because I was blushing, the man rolls his eyes at me and motions for me to enter. When I walked inside the house, a pungent stench hit me. The t.v. was on at a loud volume and I could hear raucous laughter from other men coming from the other room. Pointing to a set of stairs, I run up them to escape both the stench and the lewd remarks I could hear. Finding only one room upstairs, I quietly knock on it.

"For the 10th time, you are not allowed in! You're drunk and so are your friends! If you come in, I warn you, I will call the police on you!

"Amaris, it's me. Baethan."

Silence. Then a sudden rush of feet and the sound of multiply locks being removed. When she opened the door, I gasped. Her beautiful white skin was marked with blue and black bruises and one of her eyes was swollen. Before I could react, Amaris runs and embraces me. With tears in her eyes she said, "Baethan! I missed you so much."

Rubbing her back while mumbling words of comfort, I lead her back into the room and lock the door again. Setting her down on her bed, I try not to stare at her shabby looking room. Sitting on the ugly grayish green carpet, I look at Amaris in the eyes. Her eyes are still beautiful. "What happened to you?!"

Laughing nervously, Amaris rubbed her arms as if to hide them but ended up wincing in pain. "Its nothing, this always happens during football week." She wouldn't look me in the eye. "When the bruises heal up, I'll return to school." She gave me a wobbly smile.

Still trying to keep eye contact with her, I ask "How long as this," I motion to her injuries, "been happening?"

"Its all I've ever known."

Silence.

"Please don't look down on me, Baethan. I'll be okay, football season is almost ending."

"That's no excuse!"

Silence.

"Where's your mom?"

"She's on a business trip. She'll be back by the end of the weekend."

"Does this happen when she's here?"

Amaris shakes her head. "No, Frank is sober when Mom is home."

Heaving a heavy sigh, I attempt to look at her room. The wall had holes, the carpet smelled like cat pee, and her bed was just a mattress and a bed sheet with one pillow.

"Gather all your necessities, you're going to stay with me for the weekend."

Shocked, Amaris shakes her head.

"No excuses. Come on. I expect you to meet me outside of your room in," I check my watch, "5 minutes."

Leaving the room, I wait outside. After 4 minutes, Amaris opens her door with her school uniform on and her backpack. Giving her a questioning look, she explains "If we say we are going out to study, Frank will let me leave." Nodding my head in agreement, we walk down the stair together. But in order to get from the stairway to the front door, we had to walk pass the living room where the men were.

My ear were red when we made it pass the room. I won't even dare mention the things I head that was directed towards Amaris. Opening the door, I felt like I was freeing a princess from a dungeon. Now how do I keep her out of the dungeon...

Walking in silence under the night sky, we could see our breathes in the winter air.

"My Aunt is really nice. You'll like her."

Amaris smiles. "I'm sure I will love her."

Silence again. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I asked.

"Must be nothing, I've been getting this feeling like someone has been watching me lately."

"Don't worry, I will protect you."

We arrive at my house at a reasonable time. I explain to my Aunt the situation after we got Amaris situated in her room. My Aunt has always been understanding of my weird quirks and habits. So she wasn't surprised when she saw Amaris.

"I'll see you in the morning, Baethan" My Aunt said as she headed for bed. Figuring that I should head to bed as well, I walk down the dark hallway to my room. Feeling a presence behind me, I let out a gasp. "Shhh, it's just me Baethan."

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Even though it was dark, I could see her smile. I want to see Amaris smile more.
"Can I sleep with you? I thought I heard something in my room and I got scared."

Shaking bad images from my mind, I vow from my heart that I would act like a gentleman. Slowly nodding my head, I lead her into my room. Putting new sheets on my bed I motion for her to lay on it. Once she was settled, I placed my old sheets on the floor and laid down.

Silence.

"Baethan?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"What are boyfriends for?"

Amaris playfully hits me with one of the pillows on my bed and we laugh.

For some strange reason, I wake up from my deep slumber and look at the neon lights of my clock.

2:53 a.m.

I glance over at my bed only to notice that Amaris is gone. I quickly get up from the floor only to be relieved when I hear the sound of running water. Returning to my makeshift bed, I pretend to still be asleep. After a couple of minutes, I hear the creaking of my bedroom door and a small shadow enter my room. When she gets back in bed, I slowly drift off to sleep again......

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@RedmoonBluestar

@XiaoJoeun