Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Tongue

.6

!!WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EXPERIENCES THAT MAY CAUSE TRAUMATIC TRIGGERING SUCH AS:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BLOOD, FIREARMS, & VULGAR LANGUAGE

Elliot starts his way towards me while I notice from behind him a pair of hands are hanging onto the windowsill. In a quick movement a huge figure hoists themselves into the room and gets right behind Elliot.

Greg Phipher. 

I'm screwed. 

..Xavier's POV..

As I hustled into the kitchen with all the boxes I noticed Dim's mom sitting at the counter reading on her phone. "Dim's talking with Elaine right now. He seemed very adamant on you staying down here for now. So help yourself to the TV. I'm digging into the breadsticks." She offered as she reached for the box. I stood there thinking. Maybe I'll just go change my clothes. I got extra pajamas now. 

"I'm going to change into some pj's. Enjoy the sticks." I smiled half heartedly and started my way up to Dim's room. As I entered his dark room, I noticed the smell of a sweet yet overpowering perfume. I turned on the lights and there on his bed sat Melissa. 

"Woah!" I jumped back surprised. 

"Never seen a woman before?" She teased. She stood up and fixed her skirt and tugged on the hem of her crop top.  "So, you really gay or what?" She crossed her arms. 

"What? Wait- why are you even here? What the fuck is going on?" I asked. Suddenly a cold shot ran down my spine. Something was wrong. If not for the awkward silence, I would've barely heard a muffled cry from Elaine's room. I swung my body back out into the hallway and faced Elaine's door. Before I could reach for the handle Melissa snatched me by my wrists and pulled me back into Dim's room. 

"Come on Xavier. Don't spoil all the fun." She snaked her arms around my neck and leaned into kiss me. I shoved her back onto the bed. She laughed, "Okay tough guy, lay it on me." She tossed her head back with her eyes closed, puffing her chest out. 

"In your fucking dreams." I bolted and swung open Elaine's door. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, pulling me in as the door shut behind me. Elaine was crying on my chest as I looked up, trying to see through Elaine's hair. 

Oh god...

...

They say when you meet someone who doesn't speak it's usually cause they're deaf. In this rare case, Dimitri was a guy who chose not to speak, but could hear clearly. He hadn't spoken since fourth grade. His father used to beat his mother senseless and then turn to Dim when he thought she had enough. He swore he would kill them both before they ever even thought of getting away. 

One day when he was walking home from school and he saw a bunch of police units out front. He started to run to the door when an officer caught him by the backpack. "Son you can't go in there." He turned to the officer, tears streaming down his little face. "But this is my home. My mommy is in there!" He kept crying trying to free himself of his backpack straps. He managed to get loose and the officer raced after him. "Son stop! Come back here!"

Another officer queued up his radio in the distance, "357, we got a juvenile running into the house. Check call history for a son." 

He ran straight through the front door, dodging crime scene investigators and numerous pools of blood all over the kitchen spraying into the living room. He started to scream. He wanted his mother to comfort him and tell him everything's okay, he wanted his dad to never come home.