Caught In The Midst

Chapter 2. Home.

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry this chapter is boring, but it's kind of needed to establish what's going on & her home life. okay byeee. <3

Chapter 2. Joy. 

It was 3 am. The morning after the interrogation. My bed was up against the window do I had a clear view of the star scattered sky. The moon wad half full and dimly lit the street. I could make out a cat crossing the road, I watched it as it pounced on something smaller, then it climbed up a tree across the street. I crossed my arms under my head and stared at the stars. I thought of the events of the prior day. Why did Lily lie. We could be safe now. Why the hell did she lie. Tears started to form in my under my lids and I cursed myself for crying. You have to be strong, I told myself. I am strong, I answered. I've come this far for God's sake. 

"Thea, are you okay?" I heard Lily's voice from across the room. Her bed was on the other side. Our room was in the attic so it had a steeple ceiling. It was big and lofty and I felt safe up here. 

"Lily, leave me alone."

"Okay Sassy." Lily scoffed I rolled over and stared out the window again. A tear fell from my face and I dug myself under the various multicolored pillows on my bed. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the heat of my own breath surround me. I calmed my thoughts and eventually fell into the bliss of my dreams. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sunlight warmed my face and woke me up, I squinted and rubbed the morning off my eyes.  I sat up in my bed and glanced around the room, the wooden walls were full of pictures and posters. Lily's bed was empty, no surprise to me. I checked my phone. It was 9:42. I stretched out the stiffness of my arms and walked into the bathroom Lily and I shared. Lily was looking in the mirror applying mascara. 

"I'm taking a shower." I said as I took off my sweatshirt.

"Uhm, Congratulations?" She stood unphased in the mirror, continuing her makeup with a nude colored eyeshadow. 

"I'm telling you to get out." 

"No." she further applied her eyes shadow. 

"That wasn't a question." 

"Well that's my answer." She started on her eyeliner.

"Brat" I threw my sweatshirt at her. 

"THEA! What the hell you messed me up!" 

"Oops." I said. I got in the shower, stripped down and threw the rest of my clothes over    the top of the curtain. 

"Thea you hit me again." "

Awh sorry." I said sarcastically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I dressed in light washed jeans and a button up, my hair had dried in the past hour and I braided it, it was about the length of my elbows in the braid, even longer without. I had already put on makeup so I left the bathroom and opened the trapdoor and let down the rope-latter to the middle floor where my Dad and Joy's room was, along with my half brothers, Tosh is 11, Wren is 8, Vincent is 4. My feet found the last notch in the latter and I pulled the rope that raised the latter back into the trapdoor of our room. I tied the rope to the nail in the hall and turned to go downstairs. The smell of bacon met my nose. What's the occasion? I wondered. I walked into the kitchen to find Joy and my father in the middle of a kiss. I felt my stomach churn and I turned around to leave, 

"Goodmorning Thea." I heard Joy's cheery voice from behind me. 

"Hi."

"The kids are in the diningroom, I made a nice breakfast." she boasted. Joy was my fathers girlfriend. They've been together since she got knocked up with Tosh. She wasn't so bad, I liked having her around. She was a good mother figure and picked up the slack for both my mom and my dad.  "Thanks Joy" I weakly smiled at her as I made my way to the dining room,  I made eye contact with my dad and he nodded at me, I tugged at the sleeves on my shirt, he knew what they were hiding. I walked into the dining room and sat next to Vincent and kissed him on the head. 

"Hi Fea" he smiled. 

"Hey baby." 

"Hey loser." Tosh yelled at me. Lily laughed. 

"Cute Tosh." I retorted. I ate my breakfast in silence and cleared me and Vincent's plates. I walked back upstairs and untied the rope from the nail. The latter fell from the trapdoor and I climbed up. Lily followed me up. I turned around and she met my eyes.

"We have to talk about last night." She said.

"Oh we do?" I crossed my arms and stared at her.  "

Yeah" she copied my stance. 

"How bout I talk and you listen." I said. 

"Woah woah woah Thea calm down." 

"It wasn't your place to say anything!"

"Says who?" she turned her nose up at me. 

"SAYS ME LILY! I'm always the one with the bruises, the cuts, the pain. You get nothing. Ever. So shut up, it wasn't your place it was mine. You're not protecting anyone." I sat on my bed and hid my face in my hands.

"Sorry." she muttered. 

"Whatever" I said. 

Bzzt Bzzt Bzzt. 

"Is that mine?" Lily asked. 

"Check." I said.  She picked up her phone. And scoffed. She turned it around and showed me the screen. The screen said "Marty".  

"ANSWER IT!" I yelled. 

"YOU!!" she threw the iPhone my way. I answered the call. 

"Hello?"

"Hello Lily this is Officer Torres."

"I know" 

"We need to see you and your sister at 4 o'clock please."

"K" I answered and hung up. 

"Damn Sassy." Lily snorted.

"I was pretending to be you wasn't I?"

 "Lovely." 

"You better not mess things up this time. They need the truth, and not your version."

"I don't even know the truth" she said. 

"If I tell you..."

"It's not a big deal Thea, spit it out."

"Lily. You don't even know."