The mute witness

Chapter Two

Avalon (Harley)'s POV

Shock, it's something that seems like it isn't real until it happens to you, and I should have felt it multiple times in my life, but I've been able to at least fake it, so I don't know why a positive pregnancy test, a stupid little line, is what makes shock be a part of my life, but Zsolt hasn't forced me to answer questions or anything and I appreciate it, but I don't know why he's not forcing answers out of me. This feels like something any normal person would be curious and just asking question after question. 

I give him the test and he read it and doesn't say anything and just pulls me closer and we fall asleep.

Then the nightmare came, the one day I have tried to forget about so many times. 

I was walking to school, and it was normal, I was on my phone, music at a volume that I could hear it, but also my surroundings, my hair was in a ponytail, I had on non-loose clothes. I did all of this because I knew what people look for in girls if they wanted to do something bad. 

but it didn't work. there were these footsteps not that far from me, they were heavy, they kept on getting closer, so I picked up my pace, but that didn't work either, he closed the space, grabbing my ponytail and covering my mouth and taking me down the alleyway, I was 3 blocks from school, I was almost there, I was running late, so no one was around but me and this dude. 

I try to fight him off, I'm not helpless, but he is holding me in a position that I can't move, he has something over my mouth, I'm starting to pass out, I'm telling myself not to, to bite his hand, to do anything, but I don't listen, everything is black.

I make myself wake up before I have to see the bad part again, I'm crying and Zsolt is jolting awake too... because of me, because I woke up crying.

breathe, Harley, breathe my mom said the first time I had a panic attack. It wasn't because of anything like this though, I had had a solo in my choir's winter concert, and I was really nervous, this was so much more. breathe Harley, breath! Zsolt takes my hand and rubs my knuckles, I focus on breathing, and it takes a minute, but I'm okay. 

"Hey, hey, it's ok, it was just a dream" But it wasn't, it was based on my reality, my past. but I still calm down at his words nonetheless, he grabs his phone "Shit, it's 7:30, I was supposed to have your home a half hour ago."

I jolt up and start climbing down, when he gets down, we grab hands and we walk to my "Home", I honestly don't know if I should call it "home" right now. Maybe given time.

The walk to the foster home is quiet though, and he just holds my hand. the trees and bushes and plants all beautiful to look at as we walk in the almost night. 

"Ok, here you are, safe and sound, I know it didn't go as planned, but maybe we can do something better tomorrow, and, uh, shoot me a text if you need anything, ok?" He says when we get to the porch and he slips me a small slip of paper, I nod.

I give him a hug, it's not a lovey, affectionate hug, but a grateful hug, and he understands and says, "Your welcome, Av, see you tomorrow."

I nod and go into the house, and I feel sick, so I run to the bathroom and throw up.

"Wow, A, you've thrown up twice in the time you've gotten here, are you sure you're good?" Harper comments when I get out of the bathroom.

Why is she always around when I'm throwing up?

I nod.

When I get into my room, I grab the school laptop that they gave me and I lo ok at jobs, I'm not going to apply or anything now, but I'm going to see some options for later when I need to start getting money to support myself.

Then I see the perfect job for me: Boxing trainer and manager.

when I was 14, my best friend died of cancer, I convinced my mom and dad to let me resort to boxing to get my mind off it, even though it seems so little now, that is what made me go mute, so I expressed everything on the bag and in the ring. it always helped. 

And again, I won't think about this for another month or two, so I get off that and go to put on a random movie until Hadley calls us for dinner.

Hadley cooked us all spaghetti and it was the best thing I've ever tasted, or I might just be starving since I barely ate anything last night and didn't have any lunch.

Tonight, made me miss my family even more because there was nothing normal about it, so I finished my food and went back upstairs to grab my pajamas and 2 towels.

The hot water felt so nice, but then I just had to look down at my body that only disgusts me anymore, so I just close my eyes and rush through the rest of the hell that I put myself in and finally go back to normal when I get a towel over my ivory-white skin, I don't know why, but I've never been able to keep a tan for long, resulting in the ivory color that my skin is.

Then I dry off and take off the towel I have on my hair, I wash it in the shower like I should for my curls, but I do the product and everything when I get out.

Then I grab my phone that had a random song playing during my shower and go back to my room to play with Jax as I promised him I would.

We ended up playing one of my childhood favorites, hungry hungry hippos.

Then right before Jax had to go to bed, I got a text from the officer that is making sure nothing will happen to me.

it pretty much says that he understands what I have gone through, and that it wasn't his idea, but one of the other officers he works with told him that my cover would be better kept if I talked since there weren't many selective mutes from my hometown. 

Then I hear a huge knock on the window, and I jump to my feet, but I see it's Zsolt, so I let him in

I still have my hand on my chest because it's beating so fast and then I see them, their bruises, and not "I fell out of a tree bruises, but the bruises an abusive parent would ensue, and I can tell there's more on his face because the makeup is starting to wear off. I just know.

"I'm so sorry, but there was nowhere else I could go," he said finally when I got him to sit down on my bed by me.

I just stroke his hair and I remember the text. He is the only one that Iknow that I can trust, so I finally say, "It's ok," In the raspiest voice I've ever heard.

He almost jumps up.