The Goldstein Girl

8: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

April moved along very slowly. Achilles was more adamant on his tortures that month than any other month. Quinn hurt so much, but it was worth it knowing Tina was safe. One evening when Quinn was studying in the library, Achilles walked up to her.

"No. Please. Not tonight. I'm tired." Quinn pleaded.

Achilles shook his head and grabbed at her arm. She screamed and punched and dragged. She tried everything to get away. She started feeling light-headed, but she didn't stop fighting. She suddenly felt Achilles let go of her. Going down to the floor, she knew she was losing consciousness.

Before everything went black, she met eye contact with Tina and Sera. They stood over her with so much care and she knew she was safe.

~~~

'Papa?' she asked, standing behind the door, 'Papa? What's happening?'

Her papa looked over at her, 'Quinn. I'm paying for my decisions. Please don't follow my example.'

Quinn nodded in agreement, 'Are you going to be okay?'

He smiled kindly, 'I'll always be okay with you around, munchkin.'

|||

Quinn stared at her papa's gravestone, dried tears staining her cheeks. He lied. He wasn't okay. She was still around, and he wasn't. Quinn felt her mama take her by the hand and lead her away. She looked up in her mama's direction.

'Why was he taken, Mama?' she asked.

Her mama sniffed, 'It was time for him to go.'

Quinn kicked at the ground. Her baby brother toddled beside her, so she took him by the hand. A four-year-old was the man of the house. Quinn was older. Why couldn't she be the man? She looked up to the sky and prayed.

Why did you have to go, Papa? We still need you.

She thought.

I still need you.

~~~

Quinn blinked her eyes open. She was lying in the school hospital, Sera and Tina sitting beside her. Quinn sat up in bed and threw up. If Tina hadn't swooped a bowl in front of her, she'd be sitting in her own sick.

She was finished throwing up, Quinn broke down into tears. She was such a blubbering mess; she couldn't even explain why she was crying. Tina sat on the bed beside Quinn and wrapped her in a hug. Quinn hugged her back.

"I'm s-sorry! I m-m-meant n-nothing that I s-s-said to you!" Quinn stuttered. She looked at Tina in the eye, "H-he said i-if I t-talked to you abo-about anyth-thing, he'd h-h-h-hurt you!"

Tina looked down at Quinn in utter shock and devastation at Quinn's explanation, "Hurt me how?" Quinn shuttered, shaking her head- unable to talk about it. Tina didn't want an answer, "He's been hurting you?" Quinn nodded. It led to Tina asking, "And you endured it for me?"

Quinn nodded. Looking up at Tina, "Y-you're m-m-my best fr-friend."

Tina wrapped Quinn tightly in an embrace. Sera watched with a wistful smile on her face.

"I'm sorry if this prizing too much, Quinn, but-" Sera started to ask.

Quinn shook her head and started to explain how everything started. Tina and Sera sat listening to her story from the very beginning. When Quinn was finished, Sera stood up- drawing her wand.

"I'm going to kill that boy." she stated before running out of the room.

Tina looked at Quinn, "I'm so sorry, Quinn."

Quinn shook her head, "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I shouldn't have punched him in the face."

Tina nodded before looking around herself, "The fact that you endured it for me is hard to wrap my head around."

"Why?" Quinn asked.

Tina looked at her friend and smiled, "My grandmother told me so."

"Your grandmother doesn't sound like a very good person." Quinn stated.

Tina sighed, "She's not."

Quinn didn't prize anymore answers out of Tina and Tina didn't ask any more questions about Achilles' tortures. They sat and squeezed each other in a comforting way, because actions speak louder than words.