Used To Be My Girl

Dance Little Liar

Miles was welcomed home from the party with numerous beatings from both of his parents. He took it all with a straight face, of course. Just like he'd been taught. Never. Show. Weakness. Yet what had he done that day? He'd lost it and shown a side of him no one needed to see.

"You think we all don't miss Ramiro?!"

Miles was brought back to reality as his Father screamed at him about his behavior.

"There is NO EXCUSE-"

His mother interrupted, voice equally as angry and ear piercing. Miles' eyes drifted blankly over to where his other siblings stood and watched the scene unfold. His older brother looked incredibly annoyed to have to be watching yet another scolding but Miles' sister looked like she wished she could turn him invisible so he could get away. She always had been the more sympathetic one.

"ARE YOU LISTENING?!"

Miles' father screamed at him again. He didn't bother looking in the man's direction, big mistake. A solid fist connected with the side of his face and he could already feel the blood dripping down from his nose and splattering onto his chest. His gold chain now glinted a deep, ruby red. Miles slowly looked up, catching his father's cold gaze.

"Don't you think that's enough?!"

It was his sister. She looked terrified to have stood up to their father like that but nonetheless she was still determined to hold her ground. Miles decided to interrupt before things got too nasty and his father decided to turn his hand on her.

"I understand, Dad. I won't-"

His father brought up his arm, threatening to swing again. Miles flinched away from him instinctively, shutting his eyes.

"Did I tell you to speak?"

Miles was silent, only shaking his head in response. His father turned to his mother, sneering at her in his rage.

"You need to teach your children some fucking manners. They're developing some filthy habits."

She narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing as he stormed out of the room. Slowly, Miles rose to his feet. He swiped a hand beneath his nose and touched his eye tenderly, already noticing he'd most likely gotten another black eye again.

"Christ, Miles. Is it that hard to stick with one family? Not like they've got any hot girls with the Turners anyhow, so just what were you doing talking to one of them?"

Miles shouldered past his older brother to instead walk up the stairs, Alex's gloomy complexion flashing in his mind again. It made his stomach lurch as he thought of that same man cocking the gun that had killed Ramiro.

"Oi! So you're just ignoring all of us now?! Cheeky fucker!"

His older brother yelled after him but Miles was already at his room, running inside and shutting the door behind him. He slowly slid down to the floor, his entire body weight against the back of the door. Sinking into his knees, Miles hunched over and tugged at the hair on the back of his head.

Alex had had the gall to come up to him at his weakest moment, act like he would listen to all of his problems. To be a friend. Miles scoffed at that notion, trying to push the man out of his head. A knock on his door made him jump and he turned around, not reaching for the doorknob.

He was afraid it would be his mother waiting on the other side, ready to give him a beating of her own.

"Miles, come on... Open up, it's just me."

Instead, it was his sister. Miles breathed out in relief and slowly got up, reaching for the door knob and twisting it.

"Elizabeth...."

He breathed out in exhaustion as she walked into his room with that familiar look on her face. With her was her makeup bag, something she usually brought after he'd gotten visible bruises from beatings.

"Shush. That black eye looks something horrible. You don't want Father getting reminded of it, it'll only make him angrier. He'll just go on and on about-"

"-how the family needs to keep up appearances. Yeah, yeah, I bloody well know. Don't you think I would've shaved this all off by now if that wasn't the case?"

Miles finished her sentence before gesturing towards his long hair. She gave him a little knowing smile and pulled out some makeup brushes. Patting the chair she'd pulled in front of a full length mirror, Elizabeth gestures for him to come and sit. Miles ponders for a moment before walking over and sitting down in the chair.

As he turns forwards, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror and winces. Miles looked terrible. His hair was mussed up, not to mention the dark shadowy bruise already forming over one of his eyes and the mess of dried blood running from his nose all the way down his chest and into his dress shirt.

"Christ..."

Miles grumbled to himself, closing his eyes and shaking his head. It shouldn't be surprising at this point. Suddenly, there was a warm rag on his chest and he realized that his sister was wiping away most of the blood. She handed him the rag with a pained smile, trying to ignore the blood on her hands.

"Here. I don't know whether he broke your nose or not, so it's best if you take it from here."

Miles nodded and took the rag to finish cleaning his face up.

"Now do you mind if I ask you a question...?"

She asked slowly, not meeting her eyes but instead rustling around in her makeup bag. Miles finished gingerly wiping the blood from his face and looked at her with a sigh.

"Is it about Alex?"

Elizabeth paused for a moment, thinking on what she wanted to say before turning around and tilting Miles' face towards her. She began applying the makeup to his black eye.

"I don't think it was him."

Miles made a move to pull back but she kept an iron grip on his chin, giving him a stone cold glare and shaking her head in disapproval. He rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance, relaxing in her grip.

"I know he did it. That boy had guilt written all over his fucking features."

Miles hissed. Elizabeth shook her head again.

"Miles, I was there. Don't you remember? I watched-"

"Don't."

Miles' shaky voice interrupted. He met his sister's eyes and bit the inside of his cheek to stop the tears he so desperately wanted to let loose.

"I've had enough emotional outbursts for one day, thank you. And Alex is..."

Alex's face flashed in his mind again and he closed his eyes and clenched his fists to steady himself.

"Alex is a liar."