*Picture of Blake above*

Hidden pains

November 5, 2015

    Keep your head down, walk fast, and don't make eye contact with anyone. I repeat these words to myself in the morning as I made breakfast for Dave. Today was the day I had been anticipating for weeks, my first day at West Cedarcrest High School. We'd just moved because the teachers were becoming suspicious at my old school, but no one can know. If anyone finds out, it would just get worse.

    Once I finished making Dave his usual breakfast, I quickly darted out the door and started the five minute journey to school.When I arrived, there are several bunches of kids on the front lawn, some of them gave me weird looks but I just ignored them and continued walking to the office to get my schedule, then hurried to my first class of the day. I was able to go four periods without anyone noticing me, but as I scurrying down the hallway to go to my next class, I was rammed into a wall by an unsuspected shoulder.

    "I'm so sorry," the person that crashed into me exclaimed. She had straight as a pin honey brown shoulder length hair,  green eyes, and freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks.

    "It's ok, I should have been looking where I was going," I stated.

She nodded, " I'm Brooklyn by the way."

    "Blake."

    "I've never seen you here before, are you new?" Brooklyn questioned.

    "Yeah,I just moved here."I told her, secretly hoping she wouldn't ask why I moved here.

    "That's cool," she said. "What class do you have next?"

Glad that she didn't pry, I checked my schedule.

    "I have biology with Mr.Williams."

    "I do too!" she celebrated, "I can show you where it is."

    We continued down the hallway chatting like excited squirrels as we go. Then after class Brooklyn invited me to sit we her at lunch. Following her to the buzzing, fungi smelling cafeteria, she came to a halt in front of a table where two people were sitting.

    "Blake meet my siblings Austin and London McFlurry, guys this is Blake she just moved here." Brooklyn introduced. London looked like Brooklyn but Austin's appearance was completely different. He had dark brown almost black hair, amber eyes and a mole on his right cheekbone.

"Its nice to meet you." London replied, "I love your hair by the way." Austin just waved, then went back to reading his book. He must be shy.

    We talked the rest of lunch. The triplets seemed really nice. I can tell this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

November 27,2015

    It'd been weeks since I first met the triplets and our friendship has flourished. Surprisingly I grew closer to London than the other two triplets. Everything was going well, I still got actional bruises but they were considerable less painful. Austin, Brooklyn and London were kind of suspicious but I would always brush them off with some off hand excuse and change the subject so they weren't able to question me further. Things were looking up for me. Or so I thought.

    "Sam told me there's going to be a party today," London hinted as we sat down at our lunch table. "Maybe we could check it out?" Before I could shut down the idea because I know I wouldn't be able to go without him getting in the way, Austin stepped in.   

    "Where is it?" he queried.

    "Nick Berkeley's house." I glanced nervously around the room.

    "I don't think i can go," I stated, "my step dad won't allow it." I don't know how but they somehow convinced me to go.

    "You can come to our house after school so we can get ready together." Brooklyn suggested as we head to the courtyard at the end of the day.

"Ok I'll tell my step dad," I answered then said goodbye and sprinted home.

When I got home, I bolted to my room and locked the door. Finally taking a breath of pumpkin scented air freshener, I looked around the teal and gray room until my eyes settle on white oak door that leads to my closet. Going in, I pick out a pair of black skinny jeans with slits at the knee, a loose gray v-necked blouse, a jeans jacket, a black sling body purse and white adidas's to wear to the party. I write Dave a note telling him where I'm going and that I would be back at 12:00, put it on the fridge, and exited the house.

"You look great!" Brooklyn told me as I arrive at their house.

"Thanks, so do you," I compliment.

"Let's go!" Austin screamed as he rushed out the door to the silver Tesla in the driveway. We all piled in the car and off we went.

    As we pulled up to the house, you could hear the music from a block away. There were teengarers all over the front lawn, on the porch and sidewalk. The house was blaring with the sound of screaming, talking, and rock music. Red solo cups, cigars, and what appears to be the school's fijiats from yesterday littered the lawn. The air was tinged with the scent smoke, cologne, febreeze, and rotten tomatoes. We all split up and I ended up talking to a girl from my language arts class. Excusing myself from the conversion, I went to the kitchen to get myself a drink. Peering at clock, I noticed it was 1:46! Frantically searching for Austin, Brooklyn, and London I gather my things and herd them towards the car.

    "Woah, slow down," London halted. "Why in such a rush?"

    " I told my step-dad I would be home by 12:00 and its 1:50," I practically scream at them as I shove Brooklyn's foot in the car. Not bothering to wait for an answer, I hope into the driver's seat, drive them to their house, then power walk home. Just as I'm about to open the door Dave opens it for me

    "Where have you been?!?" he screeched. His breath reeked of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot.  You could feel the anger rolling off of him and practically see the smoke escaping out of his ears.

    "I'm sorry," I whimpered, "I lost track of time" He harshly grabs my arm where a previously bruise was, and thrusted me into the house. Clutching my arm, I shriek in pain. Dave bends down, seized my hair and slammed my face into his fist. He continued beating and spitting hatefully comments at me until Austin came in the room.

"What the fudge!" he shilled. Rushing to me and throwing Dave off of me in the process, he checks my pulse. I must look really bad for him to think I'm dead.

"Come on Blake,"Austin begged, "stay with me." That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out. So many bright lights. Slowly coming out of darkness, I groan as I awaken from my slumber. Three figures loom over my bed.When did I have a sleep over? What did Dave say about this? As I laid there, the memories come rushing back to me.

    "Brooklyn, go tell the nurse she woke up nurse," someone who I'm guessing was London commanded. I heard feet scoffing on the floor but refused to open my eyes yet in the fear the light would burn my retinas. Finally working up the courage to open my seeing holes, I gingerly survey the room. It was the typical hospital room that smelled of alcohol wipes, sterilizers, and pain. It had two awkward chairs on one of the white walls, a tv hanging in a corner, facing the bed and two doors that I'm assuming lead to the hallway and a bathroom. My eyes slowly drift to Austin and London staring at me with tear filled eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us you were being abused?" were the first words that came out of London's mouth, "we could of helped."

"If I did it would've gotten worse and he would have forced us to move," I try not to break down as I tell them the truth.

"How long has it been going on for?" Austin inquires with a deathly calm face.

Taking a sharp intake I replied, "I tell you guys the full story when they release me." They nod and after the hospital releases me,we go to their house, where I begin spilling my guts as promised.

"When I was 12, my dad died in a car crash. Me and my mom were devastated for weeks on end until she met Dave. I never really liked him but as long as he made my mom happy, I was willing to put aside my feeling of unease.  My mom wasn't as mentally stable as we thought and ended up committing suicide, leaving only a note that said 'I couldn't take it without him'. Since my mom was married to Dave at the time, he gained legal custody of me.

The first week after her funeral Dave just seemed depressed. He rarely came out of his room, but when he did he looked like a total wreck with bags big enough to hold a gallon of milk under his eyes, messed up hair, wrinkled shirt, and the same pj pants from last week. Then the second week he started going to bars and coming home extremely drunk. One night he came back home without a single sober muscle in his body, I was at the dining table finishing up some homework when he came up behind me and yanked my to the floor by my hair and started slapping me. He kept telling me that it was my fault that my mom killed herself and calling me awful names.

That night was the first of many. It began to become a daily thing. My old school was becoming suspicious because I would show up every day with a new bruise on my face and limped everywhere. We moved here for a fresh start. This time every time he decided to beat me, he'd try to cause pain in unnoticeable places like my back and chest, so no one would notice that I was being abused. It would have continued if Austin hadn't walked in. By the way you never told why were you there in the first place?" I ask at the end of ramble about my life.

Quickly wiping a stray tear from his flushed cheeks he replied, "You left your phone in my car so I was returning it. I rung the doorbell but no one opened the door and I could see lights and hear voices so I took the spare key from under the welcome, which is a incredibly original place to hide keys by the way." I gave him a small smile before turning my attention to Brooklyn who looked like she had something to share.

"You can stay with us," she offered, " until they put Dave in jail and you feel ready to move out."

Debating for awhile I reply" If it's okay with your parents, I think I'll do that." Maybe there really was a rainbow waiting for me after the thunderstorm.

April 26, 2023

    It's been years since Austin walked in on me being abused by Dave and I moved in with the McFlurrys'. Dave was sentenced to 15 years in jail without probation. Since then life has become considerably better. I got a bachelor's degree in public speaking and became a motivational speaker for people that were or are being abused. As I look into the eyes of the audience, I can feel the fear, anxiety, depression, and nervousness rolling off them in waves. Remembering how it felt to be like them, afraid of going home and having to face Dave, scared for my life, I taking a deep breath I begin my speech.

"Keep your head down, walk fast, don't make eye contact with anyone. I repeat these words to myself in the morning as I made breakfast for Dave."

***********************************************************************************************A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm thinking of making a spin off of this where Blake has a werewolf mate named..... idk. A typical boy???? Tell me if you think I should in the comments section.

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