[mentions of abuse]
AURORA HADN'T seen her dad in a few months. However, a family reunion at a police station wasn't the best place for it to happen. She didn't mind being the bait for her friends, until she realised maybe the friend with an abusive alcoholic dad shouldn't be the bait- for her own safety reasons.
Aurora caught a glimpse of Kiara's worried face before she followed her father out of the station. She caught up with him, but kept a distance between herself and Luke.
"I'm sorry, dad." She apologised quickly, "I can buy you some beers if you-"
Luke walked around the car to the drivers side, "Just get in the car."
Aurora hesitated, looking at the car door. Deep down, she knew something was going to happen to her. So, she accepted her fate and sat down in the passenger seat,
"Look, dad-"
Suddenly, Luke's fist collided with the side of her face and her face slammed into the window, leaving spots of blood on the glass. That was followed by a punch in the stomach and him grabbing her blonde hair.
She didn't fight him, of course. She accepted that he had won, so she just sat still... and sobbed.
***
Aurora had been laying in her bed for a few hours, looking at the plain ceiling. She was wearing headphones, which cancelled out sound, which she used to wear when Luke and her mom argued. JJ never wore them, incase he needed to step in and save their mom from their dad.
Despite wearing the special headphones, Aurora could still hear the blasting music coming from the back porch. Occasionally, her dad would slur the words of the song, but he was mainly shouting about his worthless daughter.
Aurora stood up, before resting the headphones around her neck. She tried to open her door, but Luke had locked it from the outside. They lived in a Bungalow, so she could've climbed out the window, but her aching body stopped her from doing so- Plus, Luke had painted the windows shut.
The girl looked at herself in the mirror, she found herself unrecognisable. She was wearing JJ's old white t-shirt that she found on his side of the room, and as she lifted it, she revealed two purple bruises on either sides of her ribs. Her right eye was developing a bruise around it too, and it made her head throb. She wore black sunglasses inside to hide her black eye, the last thing she needed was worried friends.
She remembered that the Maybank House was the meeting place today, so prayed that her friends and her brother would save her. But, then again, she didn't want them to see her in this state.
Suddenly, repetitive knocks were coming from outside and Aurora's heart dropped. For a moment, she thought it was her drunk father- until, she saw the blonde hair of her brother outside of her window. He was holding a flashlight, which lit up his face.
"Where is he?" JJ mouthed as he tried to open the window from the outside.
"Back porch." Aurora mouthed back, too afraid to speak in case he heard her over the loud music.
"Are you hurt?" JJ mouthed worriedly, as he examined her from the rectangle window.
"I'm okay." Aurora nodded, as she grabbed an old t-shirt from her wardrobe and wrapped it around her hand.
JJ stood back and watched as Aurora waited for the beat drop in the blasting music to punch the glass. A t-shirt wouldn't stop the pain, however it was decrease the amount of shards of glass that were going to stab into her skin.
CRASH!!
Aurora winced, pulling the t-shirt off of her sore hand to reveal some cuts of her knuckles.
"It's okay, I got you." JJ whispered, as he lifted Aurora's aching body out of the window. She let her body collapse into him as they hugged, and Rory allowed herself to sob into his shoulder.
Rory gently wiped the tears from her cheeks as she pulled away, and JJ looked at his old baggy t-shirt she was wearing,
"Show me, Rory." JJ whispered gently, but their was a hint of anger in his voice, "Please."
"JJ, please don't fight him." Aurora whispered shakily, as she slowly lifted her t-shirt to reveal the two big bruises on her stomach.
"Fuck." JJ whisper-yelled, as he crouched down to examine them, "I should've been there to stop him. I swear, I'm gonna fucking kill h-"
"JJ. It's not your fault." Aurora whisper-yelled, cupping his face, "Can we just leave."
***
JJ and Aurora walked back to the Van, which the rest of their friends were waiting in. JJ insisted that only he was to rescue Aurora, knowing that she wouldn't want her friends to see.
"Shit, are you okay?" Kiara worried, as Aurora climbed into the van with JJ's help. Her aching and bruised body wouldn't allow her to do anything.
Rory still wore her sunglasses, which hid the bruising- however, it was pretty clear that she had been hurt. Everybody noticed, but decided not to speak about it.
"I'm sorry, Rory." John B said sympathetically from the drivers seat.
Everybody stared at her, waiting for a response, but that same burning lump appeared at the back of throat.
"She's alright now." JJ spoke for her, noticing her silence. She sat down next to the window, resting her head on the cold glass. JJ sat next to her, holding her hand for reassurance, whilst they all gave each other concerned stares.
Aurora winced quietly at every pothole and bump in the road, clutching onto her stomach with one hand and squeezing JJ's with the other.
John B explained, "I know I was wrong about the lighthouse. And everything else. But I was right about one thing, my dad is trying to tell me something."
Aurora's eyes became droopy as she fell asleep. She didn't want to seem selfish in front of John B, who was desperately trying to find clues to find his father- but the girl couldn't function without rest.
"Hey." JJ's gentle whisper brought Rory back from her sleep, "You coming or staying here?"
"I-I'll come." Aurora's voice was hoarse and dry, as she tried to stand up but nearly fell forward.
"Whoa, whoa!" JJ caught her with the help of Pope, as Kiara and John B waited outside the vehicle.
"JJ, I'll stay with her." Pope reassured, as her brother sat her back down on the seats, "I don't want to add breaking into a graveyard to my felony list for my scholarship essay."
JJ nodded with a smile, "Thanks, man."
Pope sat down next to Aurora as JJ shut the van door behind him. He got out his essay out of his pocket and unfolded it, every moment looking up at Aurora, who was sleeping peacefully.
