Run

Chapter 2

Once I get to Jess's house, I stop for a second and pull myself together. I knock on the door and Jess's mom answers. "Hello Chelsea. What's going o-" and she doesn't get to finish her sentence because she notices my gaping wound from earlier. I should have used my hair to hide it like I did in the corner store an hour ago. "What happened to you?" Mrs. Broke exclaims as she pulls me to the couch. "Oh, it's nothing." I reply waving my hand. "I was on my way here and I tripped and hit my head on a rock." "There's glass in your eye, though." she says suspiciously. "Can you see?" "Yes." I reply even though the answer is no. Just then, Jess comes into the living room. She too stops mid-sentence when she sees my eye. "Jessa, get some comfortable clothes for Chelsea and your coat. we're going to bring your little brother to grandma's and then take Chelsea to the hospital." Mrs. Brooke tells Jessa. I wince at the word hospital. That means I'll have to tell my story. The real one. "No, it's okay, Mrs. Brooke. I'm okay." I reply frantically. "I've already disrupted your night enough." I go to walk out the door and find somewhere else to stay tonight but Jessa's mom grabs my arm. "Chelsea Gabrielle. I am taking you to the hospital. And that is final."

***

After we brought Anthony to his grandma's house, we got in the car. Jessa hasn't said a word since she saw me. She's just looking out the window, staring at the Atlanta lights, I guess. Eventually, she speaks. "She's doing it again, isn't she?" says Jessa in barely a whisper. "Doing what, Jess?" I whisper back. She turns away from the window and with watery eyes, says "Hitting you." I look away from here and turn my glance toward the floor, ashamed to say yes. I nod my head slowly and let a tear escape my eye. Jessa closes her eyes slowly and begins to sob quietly in her hands. "What?" Mrs. Brooke says, clearly in shock by what she just heard. I don't say anything, and neither does Jessa. Jessa was the first person I'd told because she's my best friend. We promised we'd take this secret to our graves because we knew what would happen if we told. "Jessa. Chelsea. What's going on?" Mrs. Brooke asks, pulling the car into the shoulder of the highway. There aren't many cars on the road since it's 2 a.m. "Keep driving and I'll tell you." I say quietly.

***

By the time I'm done explaining everything, Mrs. Brooke is crying and saying "I can't believe I didn't now this" and "I can't believe you girls didn't tell me." I told her we couldn't tell her or anyone else because we both knew I would get taken away from my mom and I would never see anyone I loved again. "Chelsea. You aren't safe staying with your mom." Mrs. Brooke says in a stern voice. "We need to tell the police." I gasp at the word police. "No! We can't. We can't go to the police. Please don't. Oh gosh, Mrs. Brooke, please don't!" I cry. "But she's hurting you, Chelsea. Carmen is unfit to be your mother." Mrs. Brooke tries to reason with me. "But the police will take me away and put me in foster care! She isn't always like this, I swear!" I reply. this is true, actually. She only gets like this maybe five or six times a week. Mrs. Brooke does not reply to this. All three of us sit in silence for the rest of the ride to the hospital. Once, we pull into the parking lot, Jessa gets out first to help me out. While we're walking, Jessa squeezes my hand and whispers, "It'll all be okay." A tear leaves my eye as I try to believe her. Just before we enter the hospital, Mrs. Brooke says "I'll keep your secret." And for the first time all night, I feel like this might all just be okay.