Love Will Make You Stay (Alternate Version)

Afraid

NOTE: Chapter contains physical abuse

It had been a long night as Frankie lay cuddled with her younger sister in her room for the girl had been too scared to sleep in her own bed going on two years now. It wasn't that the abuse began two years ago but it had only gotten worse and so bad that Frankie would stick headphones on her little sister hoping it would protect her from hearing their mom getting beat, smacked and yelled at. Many times the girls even started to sleep in the closet because at times it was the only place they felt safe when they heard dishes broken and chairs being thrown which Frankie could only hope her mother was dodging.

Sadly she was just use to this entire thing and her all black clothing reflected just how sad she really was. Caught between a rock and a hard place she hated being home but at the same time Frankie wanted to make sure her sister and Mom were ok.  It wasn't that she blamed her mom for what was happening because she didn't  but she just wanted her father to stop hurting her, and he had promised many times that he would do so only to continue to.

Lena hated what was going on  and many times she would sneak into her girls room and snuggle with them just to let them know she was ok.  But, she really wasn't and she just didn't know what to do. She had no money, no job and how could she support two kids and herself with nothing. Plus Ramon had threatened her countless times that if she left he would find her and kill her. And she did not put that past him.

Earlier that night Lena had been enjoying watching a movie with her two girls and all three had fallen asleep on the couch together. Ramon had come home to find them passed out and all was fine until he opened the mail and saw a credit card statement along with a phone bill that was passed due. Lena's mind was so frazzled most of the time that she at times would sometimes forget to pay bills and it infuriated the man to no end. Big time and when he saw the late balance he flew into a rage and dragged the woman across the floor as her girls screamed and begged for him to stop.

Frankie had tried hard to get her father to stop, a man she despised, but loved at the same time, as she ordered Callie to go run and hide in their usual spot.

But there was no use, there never was any use because Frankie couldn't do anything to stop it and it wasn't her job. She just couldn't and regardless of the fact that Lena begged her to go hide with her sister like always Frankie just couldn't take seeing her mother get hurt anymore without trying to stop it.

"Are you that stupid! ARE YOU YOU! That you can't pay a bill on fucking time! That's why we can't get a loan for a house because of your stupidness!" He yells punching Lena in the face as she tries to cover it with her arm as tears stream down her already swollen check and he slams her body against the kitchen wall.  That didn't help her at all because she was already in pain from the previous day when he went off the rails about the car being low on gas.

"You hear me talking to your stupid ass!! This is why you can't get a job!! THIS IS WHY! BECAUSE you are so fucking stupid!!" He screams again holding the bill in his hand. "You see how much it is now! Because you didn't pay it!!! NOW THERE IS A LATE FEE because of how fucking stupid you are! What did I tell you about this shit!" Slapping her across the face again tears continue to roll down Lena's face as she looks right into her husbands angry face.

"I'm sorry Ramon I....

"And you tried to hide it!!! YOU TRIED TO HIDE this bill from me as if I wouldn't see it and find it!!! Didn't you!! DIDN'T YOU!!!" By this point Frankie runs back over to her parents trying to grab her father by the arm in hopes he just stops.

"Daddy please leave Mama alone! Please you are hurting her! PLEASE! I have money from babysitting you can use! Please! Please just leave her alone."