To Be a Broken Smile (sequel to Tumbling Down - DM Fanfic)

Can't, Don't, Won't (Ch.18)

I'm up here for 5 hours alone. I hear the front door open at some point, it's probably Greg, but he thinks I'm at dance still.

When 8:30 rolls around, I know Mom and Maddie will be home. But what I don't expect is Chloe and Paige and Clara.

There's a lot of pounding footsteps up the stairs and down them. But nobody remembers this attic.

Thank god.

When - I think - everyone is upstairs, I hear someone go "What about up there?"

Up there? Meaning where I am? Nope. I'm out.

Well, I can't really go out, so I quietly move stacks of boxes just enough to slide between them and the wall, the best hiding place I can come up with.

And just in time too. I hear the sound of wood against wood, the ladder coming down to let everyone up here.

"I'll go," someone says. Sounds like Chloe.

"Me too." Paige.

"Can I go too?" That's Clara.

Paige: You stay down here. There might be nails or something up here.

They climb up, calling my name. I scoot down farther, curling smaller and smaller until I can't.

Paige: Go close the thing. Maybe she doesn't want anyone to hear it.

No, I don't want to hear it from anyone. Or tell anyone.

Nobody cares anyways.

Chloe: Mackenzie, this is the last place you could be. Unless you really ran off somewhere. We need to talk to you. Come out. Cuz we aren't going down.

Paige starts moving boxes on the other side of the attic. Chloe does the same by me.

Eventually, she finds me.

Chloe: I found her!!

I can hear Paige run up.

Paige: What the hell are you doing up here?
Me: Leave me alone!!
Chloe: What's the matter with you? You made Abby have a freak attack. Abby had a freak attack!
Me: So what?!
Chloe: Come out here.
Me: No!

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Paige and Chloe look at each other. That's not good.

They push the boxes completely out of the way, then grab at my limbs to pull me into the open.

I fight, but Chloe hits me so hard in the back I know to behave. Chloe never does that. Never. Unless she is really upset.

Chloe: I am not in the mood to get into another fight. So listen.
Me(quietly): Another?
Paige: She may have given Kayla a bloody nose in the process. Don't mess with her. Okay? Do what she says.

I don't nod or say yes or anything. I just stare.

Paige: Chloe, go tell them she's up here. Go get some air.
Chloe: No, Im-
Paige: If you know what's good for both of you guys, go.

Chloe looks so pissed off right now, and stubborn. But she listens to Paige.

Paige sits next to me.

Paige: He didn't do anything, if that's what you think.
Me: But he did!
Paige: How long did you stick around after you saw her?
Me: I don't know. I just ran.
Paige: And you've been up here all day?
Me: After about an hour of being in my room. And nobody came to find me.
Paige: We were waiting to see if you would show up.
Me: I'm never going to go back.
Paige: You have to. Everyone in that studio needs you on that team.
Me: You guys need Maddie on that team. Not me.
Paige: No we don't. Whenever she comes back on the team, whatever, but no. We need you. And Rock needs you too.
Me: No he doesn't.