Breaking

Chapter 4.

Arabella

"I, um, I'm assuming your mom won't let you anywhere near her phone," Tobias starts after just standing there for a long moment in silence. "So, I'll give you my phone number. If she tries anything else or if your arm or eye gets worse, call me. If you need a ride somewhere, call me. That's important too. I don't want you walking around here."

"I don't have a phone, remember? I broke it."

"Oh...okay, well, still," he digs in his back pocket and fishes out a folded piece of paper. "Get your hands on a phone. They let you use one at coffee shops and school. If you don't feel safe enough to go home after school-" his words fall short as I abruptly hug him, wrapping my arms around his lower torso. His body stiffens like the first time I hugged him.

"You can't help me anymore, you know that right?"

He shakes his head and hugs me back. "Ignore what I said before." He pauses. "Just call me if you need me."

I pull away from him and hurry inside.

Momma is passed out on the kitchen floor and the mess from earlier today hasn't been cleaned. I moved quietly while I picked up everything. I showered after the place looked decent enough to fool anyone, then I hurried to my room, locked the door behind me, and crawled into bed. Luck was on my side and I managed to fall asleep.

A few days later...
I flip through the pages of my history book, trying to find the freaking answer I've been looking for for the last ten minutes. With rewording the question, the answer is a simple two-line answer yet I can't freaking find it. Eventually, I give up-well, more like I put the question on pause. I'm only going to tired myself out. I move on to the next question and flip to the right page and found the answer in a minute after rereading the passage.

It's Friday night and I'm kinda pathetic to be doing home through the whole afternoon and most of the night. But with each subject I get done, I feel happy. I feel like I set a goal and accomplish it and I'm proud of myself. It is kinda pathetic but it's me.

I hear the front door open then slam shut. Momma's drunken laughter echoes through the house. I groan, shutting my book. What the hell is she doing here so early?

The last few days have been kinda...dreadful. I'm constantly on edge, waiting for momma to snap at me and attack me like last time, but she never does. When she's home, she's drunk and forgets that I'm the reason Tobias left her.

"Whoa, easy there, gorgeous," a man chuckles, and my blood runs cold.

Momma brought a man here? She never does that. And it's not because she's worried about me-that would never happen-she's worried her dates might find me more attractive.

I hear a loud bang, and I jump out of bed. "Momma?!" I run out of my room to find momma on the floor and a very large man towering over her.

"I'm fine," she groans. She stumbles to her hands and knees. I cross the room to her, help her to her feet, then guide her to a kitchen chair. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

I lean, cupping her face. I stare into her foggy eyes. "Momma, it's Friday night."

"Damn," the guy mutters behind me, then I feel a tight squeeze on my ass.

I spin around. "Did you just touch me?"

He takes his bottom lip between his teeth while his dark eyes cover my body. "I like you better from behind."

"Don't touch me!" I snap at him.

"How old are you?" He steps closer and reaches for my hair.

I smack his hand away. "Get away from me!"