I Am the Philharmonic

Confrontation

A/n there's going to be minor descriptions of abuse in this chapter.

There was a bang as the front door shut and both Ender and her mother flinched.  "Ender, darling, go upstairs and stay there until dinner."

The young girl nodded and ran.  The smoke that Sarah had been breathing gave Ender an advantage to not be seen by her father and she could easily run past the front door without her father noticing.

"Sarah!" 

"Hm?"

"Why the fuck did Ender's school call?!"

"Oh, nothing really.  She had a headache and they were calling to let me know that she had to lay down."  

Ender peered between the bars of the railing and watched the conversation between her parents.  There was the small nagging to run away from the danger and far as she could, but she seriously wanted to sit and watch how her drugged up mother would deal with this.  

Sarah took another drag and even though Ender couldn't see her father's face, she knew very well that a scowl was forming on the clean shaven surface.  "Did Tom have anything to do with it?"

"He did his usual.  Picked her up from school and brought her home."

"Then where is the little shit?"

Realizing that her time was up, the eight year old stumbled up the last of the stairs. She knew for certain that Micheal heard her run up the stairs and her door slam.  "Ender!" There was the thuds of his following steps.

The doorknob jiggled, theatening to let her father in.  Cold metal pressed against Ender's hand and her breath brecame ragged.  The room that she had locked herself in offered no consilation that she could protect herself.  It was as bare as Harry Potter's room, possibly even more.  Bed, chest of drawers, bedside table, and-

"Let me in Ender, I just want to talk."  The pressure on the door went away.

Ender weighed her choices.  I she let him in, she would probably recieve a slap or a twist of the wrist.  If she didn't, the punishment later would be so much more severe.  

Better to get it over with. 

She turned the lock and took a step back.  

Micheal threw the door open and stared down at his child.  She was at  least two feet smaller than him at four feet 4 inches and him at six and five.  He bent down to get at eye level with her.  

"I got a very interesting call from the school.  Something about playing piano,"  He tone was as sharp as a razor's edge.  

"N-no.  Nothing like that, Dad," her voice was barely above a whisper. 

His rough hand gripped her chin and harsh turned her face towards his. "Why are you lying?" Nails dug into her skin.
"
"I ... am not."

"Liar," he hissed. "Tell me the truth this instant or I'm going to see some blood."

Was the information really worth bodily harm? He seemed to already know but wanted it out of her. "I... uh.."

"Look at me." The grip on her jaw became tighter.

"I... figured out how to pl-play piano and write... music."

Micheal stared at her for a moment, taking in her terrified expression.  He then grinned, let go of her jaw, and started to laugh. "That's a load of fuckin' shit. You aren't that fucking smart." He stood up and looked back down at her. "Your mum and Tom might think you are, but you actually aren't.  They're just saying that!  Everyone thinks that their kid is special,  when, really, they're incredibly thick. Just like you!"

An anger rose in the girl's chest. A dangerous anger. She knew from the way Tom and her mother took the subject, that if her father found out about her skills, there would be consequences. Ender didn't know exactly what, but her father's disbelief of her skills that could change her life hurt and angered her unlike any slap or word he's ever said.

There was a strange confidence in that anger, something that wouldn't come any other way or make her speak against her father. "Why don't you believe me?! Why don't you want to appreciate my  talents?"

A sharp slap echoed throughout the house. Reeling, Ender found her face against the floor, her entire body had been brought to the hardwood floor by the force of her father's slap to her cheek.  A single tear slid down her face and dripped off her nose as Micheal said the words that would stick with her for the rest of her life.

"Remember your place. And if you don't,  I'll be there to put you back in it."

The door slammed shut.

••••••••••••••

"Shush, sweetheart. Don't let Daddy hear you."

The cold pack brought some relief for her cheek but not quite enough. Tear still ran down Ender's cheeks as she sniffled.

Micheal had retired to the lounge, reading the newspaper as he usually did. It was custom for him to sit in her chair and read it, cutting out anything that took his interest. It was his job to pay attention to the changing formats in the media, with a job as a graphic designer. It paid well, and the family was well off. Well, financially.

Sarah dabbed at the blood that came out of one the scratches. The mother's high had mostly worn off by now. "You should have kept your mouth shut. You know that."

Ender nodded. " I know."

Sarah kissed Ender on the nose and said, "We'll cover that up with makeup tomorrow.  Okay?"

"....What about Tom?" 

Sarah bit her lip. She certainly didn't want Ender taken away from her, which was Tom's goal. If Tom found out about the forming bruise and three scratches on the eight year old's cheek, Ender would be gone forever in an hour.

"We will cross that bridge when we get there. Don't you worry about it."

Ender sniffled and nodded, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

I'm never getting out of here.

••••••••

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