Chapter 19

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Melissa

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We were all sitting in on the meeting. Dad was seated behind me with Tristan and Train and Krystal.

Mom and Der were sitting to my left and my brothers to my right, besides my brothers say Leo and Damien.

I didn't know why, but having them here was giving me anxiety, at first I thought it would be nice to have back up if needed, now however I was skeptical.

I didn't know what was going to happen, my anxiety doubling as the mayor spoke about town events and such.

It was like a bottomless pit was forming in my stomach, my hands were clammy, I was buying my nails off and I couldn't seem to concentrate.

I was nervously tapping my foot against the floor, and I knew it was obvious to my family that I was nervous.

They looked confused by it, mostly because I hadn't told anyone about the stares, and whispers always seemingly directed at me.

All the condemning looks I was given.

But I hadn't wanted to make a mountain over a hill.

Now I was reevaluating that decision.

And before I could talk myself down the mayor asked "is there anything the townspeople people would like to add?"

And i knew, when his eyes had searched the crowd and landed on me, that he already knew what the next topic was going to be.

Me.

A woman I didn't recognize stood up, she looked prim and proper in her pastel colored pencil skirt and white button up blouse. Her hair down but comes to look perfect.

"I would like to address the issue of the town's newest members" she spoke confidently.

I felt my brothers tense. I took a quick glance to my mother's pale face and Der's obvious glare.

I couldn't however being myself to look back at the others reaction as I faced forward.

"What about them?" The mayor asked.

"I think they're a danger to our town especially the daughter" the woman spoke.

She didn't beat around the bush.

"I did see them arguing with Derrick's wife the other day, I couldn't hear the commotion but Carly looked devastated" a woman who I assumes was part of our neighborhood chipped in.

I took hold of moms hand, noticing the visible anger making her body shake. Mom looked down toward me a question in her eyes but I just shook my head.

"Yes, the other day that girl was downright disrespectful towards me at the park" the woman I recognizes as the one judges Baker that day in the park.

Eh still don't feel bad about that.

"But she looks close to Tristan and Train" a random guy defends me.

My body tensed, I didn't want anyone bringing anyone else but me into this.

I sure as hell didn't want them bringing Tristan And Train into this.

"She could be deceiving them, they have been deceived in the past" another guy called out.

Before anything more could be said about anyone I stood up "maybe instead of talking about me behind my back, you should say what you want to my face"

Gasps could be heard from the crowd as they looked at me, but then they turned pale when they gazed behind me.

No doubt having spotted two brothers, seething in rage.

The woman who had first started all this turned to face me, a cruel smile on her face.

"Maybe it's not us who needs to say seething but you" she said critically

Only further irritating me.

"Oh, and what's that?" I asked mockingly

She gritted her teeth, knowing she wasn't going to get under my skin.

"Why don't you start by telling the town why you fled to our town?" She challenges.

And I stiffen,. She couldn't possibly know why we moved.

No one but dad did and even he only knew parts of the story.

"Say what you want to say!" I spat. Aggravated.

"You're a murderer!" She accused angrily "you stabbed a boy in an alley way, left him for dead! You're heartless and cold and now you want to do the same here! Who are you going to hurt first huh? Train? Tristan? Leo? Damien? Huh? We don't want the likes of you in our town! So just get out!" She spat every word out, but I couldn't care.

I was frozen in shock, trembling.

Memories of that night played on my head over and over.

My blood covered hands.

His cold eyes.

The fear, the hopelessness, the absolute fucking terror when I saw them waiting for me in that alley.

I didn't want to remember, my dreams were already consumed by that night.

I stumbled back, hitting my chair and almost falling over.

"What? Aren't you going to deny it? Or can't you because you know it's the truth"

Shut up!

I screamed in my head but no words came up.

"Do you even feel guilty? That boys in a coma because of you!" She continued.

Shut up!

"He most likely won't even wake up because of you!" She was shouting now.

Shut up!

"And even if he does he will never walk again, and that all on you"

"SHUT UP!" a man's voice shouted furiously and I felt arms wrap themselves around me, reminding me I was no longer in that situation, no longer in that alley.

"How dare you?!" My father continued to shout.

He was there, in the hospital after everything happened.

He knew, he knew what they did.

Knew I was still recovering from it all.

He was protecting me.

And that gave me courage, courage to face this. To face the pastel bitch in front of me.

That bitch was going down.

So I left the warmth of my father's arms, tears having unknowingly streaked down my cheeks and I faced her.

With so much hate she flinched back at the sight of it.

"Where did you get that story from?" I asked coldly "Mrs. Robertson?"

By the way the pastel bitch froze I knew I was right.

I chuckled "she probably told you that her son was an angel, trying to help a fucked up kid like me"

Her face paled.

"Probably told you I got her baby hooked on drugs, her own sob little story, and you believed her.

Instead of asking around because you had what you wanted right?"

She shook her head no "your wro-"

But I cut her off "Because if you had asked around you would have known, that alley way was right next to where I worked part time,

If you had asked you would have known that there where security footage of that boy and not one but four other people waiting for me to come off shift.

If you asked around you would have known they beat me within an inch of my life having cut me with the very knife used to stabbed the boy.

If you had asked around you would have known that when his friends fled the scene he stayed.

Because he wasn't done with me" my voice cracked then, as a cold shiver made its way down my spine

"If you had asked around you would Ave found out I tried to fight back, that during our struggle I accidently pushed the knife into him, that I crawled away from him trying to protect myself, that a college found us and called 911, that I wasn't charged with anything because it was self defense" I finished sobbing.

I couldn't look at my family, I didn't want to see their reaction. Or the townspeople.

I kept my eyes solely on the pastel bitch who looked at me with tears running down her own face. She looked horrified.

"You disgust me" I said softly but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You all do, maybe instead of point your disgusting fingers at me you should look in the mirror. Your all disgraceful. I'm fucking eighteen and you all thought it was okay to gang up on me, your all shameful. Hope your happy with yourselves" I spat with hate filling my voice.

And then I ran out, because I was a coward. I didn't want to see my mother's face. The hate that must be sparkling in her honey eyes. Or the look of disgust my brothers surly had written all over their faces.

I didn't want to see what must be disgust in Train and Tristan's eyes.

Or the disappointment in Leo's and Damien's.

What would they think of me now?

Monster!

Murderer!

Those words only made me run faster, even when I heard the voice calling for me to stop.

Because I was afraid.

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