Misunderstood

Chapter 9

Tw: abuse

~~~

I looked over at Sakura and her eyes were wide with terror. "What's wrong!? Who is that?"

"M-my step-dad." Why did she look so afraid of him? It was as if he were a hungry wolf and she was frozen, waiting for him to pounce. I had no idea what to do so I sat awkwardly, staring at the floor.

"Sakura, why is there someone else here?" The same gruff voice asked. "She's just my friend." She answered. "Did I give you permission to speak rat? I was talking to my step-daughter."

"H-Hey! Don't speak to her like that." As I said that, my voice cracked. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" I stayed silent. "That's what I thought. Anyway, come over here, I wanna talk to you. Alone."

He emphasised the word alone. Shaking, I got up off the floor and I saw Sakura panicking as I began to walk away from her and towards this unknown man who was supposed to be my step-father.

I walked into the room in which the voice came from and I jumped as I heard the door slam shut behind me. "What did I tell you about bringing people over!?" He said, gritting his teeth.

Well I wouldn't know what he said because I wasn't there to hear it. "Disobeying the rules results in punishment." I felt a wave of pain on the side of my face and I realised that he had just hit me.

I grew even more tense as I realised how serious the situation I was in was. Next, he pushed me onto the floor and kicked me several times before leaving the room and storming downstairs.

Sakura rushed over to me and I tried to get up to look at her but pain shot through me and I fell back down. "I'm s-so sorry, I don't- I- it was a mistake coming here." She said through sobs. I tried to reassure her but I was still in shock.

She picked me up and carried me swiftly downstairs and ran out into the streets. "I'm going to your house. We can both stay there. I'm not gonna let you go back there now." She said while panting heavily.

All I could do was give a small hum. My face felt swollen and I wondered if she was used to this. I felt so angry. How dare he hit her. Well- me, but I presumed that he did it on a regular basis- when he was actually home of course.

Everything started to make sense in my brain. Why her house was so small and messy. Why she mostly lived by herself. But what didn't make sense was why she looked so happy all the time. And of course, the whole situation we were in.

Once we were back home (luckily my mum wasn't there or things would have gotten even more confusing), she put me in bed and cleaned me up. I was so focused on her and what she was doing that the pain had started to subside and I was able to ignore it completely.

I felt myself blush slightly as she wiped the blood off my face with a wet cloth. I winced however as she went to touch my arm. A large bruise had appeared on my arm and another on my forehead.

All I wanted to do was fall asleep in her arms. Or maybe even die in her arms. I thought about how it would be kind of cute to die in her arms tonight. (Totally not a mother mother reference 👀)

I felt like I was about to do just that, like she was an angel, sending me to heaven. She looked at me with concerned eyes and held my face in her hands. After a few seconds, she left and switched the light off, leaving me on my own.

I woke up a few hours later to a tray of snacks beside me. I was happily munching on a snack bar when the door opened. It was her.

"Hey, you feeling better?"
"Mhm!" I nodded with the snack bar in my mouth.
"Good!" She said, giggling slightly. Her laugh was so soft and gentle. I don't think I've ever laughed like that before.

She sat beside me for a while and we talked and laughed for a while. It felt nice. I'd never had many friends before as everyone seemed so horrible. But she was different. At least I hoped she was.

I guess I had finally learnt to trust her.