Dreams That I Have

Trust Issues

This is unedited. Hope y'all enjoy. It's kind of a long one. No hate to Lauren, Lucy, or Adrienne. Somebody's gotta be the villain right? It was difficult for me to write Lauren like this though. There are mentions of abuse and rape though it isn't said in those words. If that's something you can't handle please do not read this.

Daphne's POV:

"I'm so glad today is Friday!" Seven year old Aiden exclaims.

"Me too. Not only because school is over for the week and I have no homework but also because Mama J promised we could make cupcakes tonight." Avery says to her twin.

"What kind?"

"Vanilla. What else?" Avery states with a bit of sass like it should be obvious.

I look down at the twins with a smile. Much like Lauren the twins prefer vanilla to chocolate.

As we get closer to the house I don't view as a home any longer. I think about our lives and the situation we're in. I've raised the twins pretty much their entire lives since our Mom bailed. Our Dad doesn't really pay any attention to us and step Mother doesn't like the twins at all and all I am to her is a way for her and Dad to make some extra money not that they need it. With the way they treat us I'm honestly surprised they let us have bedrooms upstairs, I expected them to banish us to the basement by now. The only reason they haven't is because they use the basement for their side business. It's soundproof so nobody can hear the screams.

"How's your back?" Avery asks after watching me shift my backpack from one shoulder to the other.

"It hurts a little." I speak the half truth so as not to worry them.

The truth is my back is screaming. A constant reminder of my most recent encounter with step Mother. Avery and Aiden saw how bad it was when they helped me bandage it up. Something no kid should ever have to do.

"Are you staying with us this weekend or do you have to work?" Aiden questions looking up at me as we're waiting to cross the street.

I don't know that I'll be able to work with my back in the condition it's in. She went deeper than usual. I would stay at the Jauregui house with the twins so I could spend time with them and Lauren but I'm not sure that's a good idea. Lauren and I have been best friends since we were in diapers. We did everything together until last year when she started hanging out with Lucy Vives and Adrienne Bailon. Since then she's been blowing me off and I've been spending less time at the Jauregui house. Pretty much the only times I'm there is to drop off and pick up the twins. If it wasn't for Clara offering to keep them on the weekends and during the week when I have to work I don't know what I'd do. I guess I could ask Ally or her parents but the twins have always loved being at the Jauregui house. Clara was there for us after our Mom bailed on us.

"I have to work but I'll try to be there for breakfast tomorrow or Sunday."

"Can you try to come both days?" Avery asks in a pleading tone.

The house comes into view and I stop in front of the twins, my backpack sitting on the sidewalk beside me. I take Avery's small hand in my left and Aiden's in my right giving them a gentle squeeze and a soft smile.

"I will try my very best to make it to breakfast both days." I say knowing I'll be lucky to make it to one breakfast let alone two.

Most weekends when I tell them I have to work I really am going to work because I need money to support the twins and myself. Mike and Clara have offered to help financially but I won't let them do that because we aren't their responsibility. The other weekends I'm here at the house being used by Ashley and Gio Moretti, two of the evilest people in the world for some extra cash. Most of the time I'm still able to pick them up on Sundays if I don't get the shit beat out of me. When I can't they know to call Ally if I'm not there by a certain time or answering my phone. Thankfully Ally does this without question but I think she's starting to suspect something and she's not the only one. I try to always make sure the twins are out of the house when I'm taken to the basement and if that's not possible they know to stay in my bedroom with the door locked until they hear Ashley and Gio leave. They don't know what happens in the basement other than that's where Ashley beats me and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. I've almost got enough money saved up to get me and the twins out of that hell hole. I have to get Aiden and Avery out of there before Gio and Ashley decide to start taking them down to the basement. I have to protect them no matter what even if that means enduring whatever Gio and Ashley dish out.