Grim

As soon as I walk in the door I know I should've stayed the night at a hotel again.

The air inside my home stinks of alchohol and cigarettes litter the floor I take a shuddering breath before tiptoeing across the living room and into the cramped crawlspace I call my room. Just as I open  the door to my room my dad thunders into the room cussing like sailor. I  duck into my crawlspace but before I shut the door I feel my his meaty hands wrap around my wrist and throw me to the ground. I hit the floor with an impact the knocks my breath out of me but before I have even a chance to recover I feel the punches begin. 

It starts out angry, and with a passionate hate for me but as my dad gets slowly tireder and tireder he slows to a stop. I try to avoid looking down at my now bruising body and up to see my little sister standing in the doorway crying. 

I pull myself up until I'm standing, and trying not to wince or grimace with every step I take pull her into a light hug. She slowly picks up my purplish arm and when I quickly pull back she starts to cry again. I softly stroke her blond hair and whisper in her ear. "Oh Emma if I could bring mom back and end this I would." She nods her head before I continue with, "I'm 18 now too, all I need to do is find a flat and were out of here darling."

She sniffles a bit  and I pull her with me into the crawlspace. I pick up a butter knife and shove it into the wall so my dad can't open it while we sleep. Emma watches my nightly ritual of double-checking everything to be sure I'm safe at night as she wraps the countless number of blankets that serve as my bed around herself. 

I look back at her and manage to smile, nights when Emma stays in my room are the nights where I can actually sleep almost worry free.

Then something pops into my mind. I crawl into the mountain of blankets and next to Emma's curled body. "I met a boy today." Emma turns to me an excited glow in her icy blue eyes. I feel a little bit of regret and a lot a bit of excitement when she starts with the questions.

"Whats his name? Where does he live? Did you get his number? How'd you two meet? Is he cute? Is he really nice or just kinda nice? Did you tell him about me? Oh my gosh this is so cool!" She manages to practically shout in one breath. Laughing a bit I reply.

"His name is Harry, I got his number, we met when he spilt his tea on me and he's really nice." I reply with smooth ease. "Oh! And I may or may not be invited to stay at his house tomorrow night." Emma bites her lip at the last part. I know what she's thinking, she couldn't stand a chance a night alone with dad, he'd take his anger and grief out on her instead of me. I try to comfort her, "Maybe you can spend the night at one of your friends houses?" 

Emma shakes her head he silky blond hair whipping my slightly bruised face. "All my friends are going to that concert tomorrow night." She says softly, obviously sad that we couldn't afford tickets. She looks at me with an expression of true fright filling her whole face. Her lip trembles slightly imagining the horrors that could very well happen.

"Just stay in the crawlspace." I say finally breaking the fearful silence. "I have water and some saltine crackers under the loose floorboard and you know how to keep the door locked shut." I say trying to encourage Emma in anyway possible. She tries not to look disappointed  knowing the boredom that kind've day will bring her.  

"At least I'll stay safe?" She says with fake cheerfulness. I pull her closer to me and muster up enough energy to reply, "Mmhmm..." I trail off. 

We fall asleep together with me holding her tight, and more importantly safe.

***

Morning rises and my phone alarm wakes me up. I leave Emma sleeping but write her a quick note. 

Emma! I've gone to work, stay in the crawlspace. xx -Scarlett

I grab my laptop and bag before sneaking out of the house quieter than a mouse and catching the bus to the record shop where I work. On the bus I pull out my phone and finally text Harry back.

We still hanging tonight? -S

My phone buzzes with a reply only a minute later. 

Hell yeah! Meet you at the coffee shop at 5:30 and then we walk to my flat? xx Harry. 

I smile a little bit and reminisce on how Harry and I met for the rest of the bus ride. When I walk into Randy's Records the place is empty except for a few hipsters browsing our selection of Bon Iver and Mitchell who's working the counter. I take up a stack of CD's from the backroom and take them out to place them on the endless rows of racks. I start at the top and work my way down.

My shift is almost over when someone runs down the aisle and trips into me. We both go crashing to the ground. I struggle to get up but I know there's no easy way to get up since the guy above me has my arms pinned, "Um hello?" I awkwardly say, 

The guy on top of me pulls himself off of me and grabs my hand to help me up. I can help but notice the color of his eyes. His carribean blue orbs stare into my own and I notice the little golden flecks. I would die for eyes like his to replace my boring hazel ones. He smiles a bit and brushes some of his blonde locks out of his face, picks up a blue beanie from the ground and puts it on his perfectly formed face. 

"Sorry doll! I wasn't looking where I was going." He looks at me with a dash of wanting glazed over his features. "I'm Niall by the way... and you?" He says it so smoothly I feel like he's been rehearsing the scene for ages while I've been thrust onto the stage and forced to improvise along with him. I blush a bit and look down to the ugly shag carpet beneath my red converse covered feet.

"Scarlett." I reply blushing a deeper red color. My coppery hair falls into my eyes and before I can brush it out of my face Niall reaches forward and tucks it behind my ear. 

"I can see why they call you Scarlett." He comments forcing me to blush to a deep ruby color. I feel the heat rising off my face. He reaches into my back pocket and pulls out my phone in one swift motion.

"Hey!" I shout reaching for my white iPhone with a sudden burst of speed. "Give that back!"

"Relax love, I'm just adding my number." He says chuckling as he enters his number and sends himself a text. I hear his own phone buzz and I sigh with annoyance. 

"Well I better go." His accent makes me want to drool. Then I remember Harry and shake myself out of it. "See you around love!" Niall calls before waltzing out of the dusty store and into an updated verson of a 1984 Cadillac De'Ville. I can hear Mitchell hiss, "Fucking rich kids." Under his breath from the counter. 

I sigh and unlock my phone to see what Niall put in his contact name as. "Niall is a Babe, heart." I read aloud. Sure is cocky I muse before walking to the back of the store and grab my bag trying to distract myself on the walk to the coffee shop with thoughts of Harry.