Life can be Crazy

8

POV: LEAH

So, it's been a month since I last saw the girls. I got out of there as soon as I could. My mom didn't even ask me questions about where I stayed, she was far too drunk for that.

I'm back to the beatings, but I still have to go to school. Which is why I'm getting ready now. I went downstairs and there was again no trace of my mom. I grabbed an apple for breakfast and went out of the door quick, before she was awake.

I arrived at school and again who did I see standing at the gate? Ashlyn.

"Damn it", I said to myself, why is she here now? I went around the school and entered the mess hall. I tried to go to my class but Principal Sheppem called my name. Shit.

"Ms. Morris my office, now"

Okay, I have done nothing wrong. Just be calm and be yourself. Or scratch that last part, don't be yourself

I walked into his office and sure, she was sitting at his desk. Ashlyn.

"Ashlyn what are you doing here?"

"Ms. Harris came to see me, Ms. Morris, because she has some concerns", the Principal told me

"Oh? And what would those be?", I answered him

"Okay, don't be a smartass Leah", Ashlyn said

Excuse you?

"Ashlyn I don't have anything to say, okay? Just leave me alone please"

"Ms. Morris-"

"Okay Mr. Sheppem, you want to use last names but I don't. I'm Leah not Ms. Morris", I told him. Ashlyn chuckled next to me but I couldn't bring myself to smile back to her.

"Leah, Ms. Harris- I mean Ashlyn, she told me that you are being abused"

She didn't do that. She can't have done that. I trusted her. I believed her, she made me feel safe.

"You didn't", my voice cracked and the tears started to form.

"Leah, I'm sorry but I had to. It has been a month since any of us last saw you and we were concerned"

"I trusted you. I trusted all of you! Was Jill in on this too?", I swear if she was, I would never play soccer for the US.

"No, nobody except for Alex knows I'm here", she told me. Of course, Alex. She doesn't know how to stay out of everybody's business, especially mine.

The tears started to fall. One by one, until both my cheeks were wet like a puddle.

"Look Leah, I know this isn't easy, but I have to let the authorities know. Ashlyn would you like to come with me?"

She looked at me. I looked away.

"Go, I don't want you here with me", I told her

She sighed but went with him anyways. I got my stuff and went to the gym. Here I always find my peace. I went to sit on the bleachers. After a couple minutes I felt someone sitting next to me. It wasn't Ashlyn, she doesn't smell like that.

Alex.

"So you are in on this too?", I attacked her

"Leah, you have to understand that it's not easy to watch someone suffer", she told me. Like she knows what suffering is. She saw nothing, I was with her for one day.

"How do you know about me? About my life? I didn't tell you anything", I need some clearance here, I don't understand.

"Ash told all of us what was going on so everybody could help you", I could breakdown right about now but I kept it together. I had to.

"Ashlyn told everything? To all of you?"

"She did, I'm sorry this is happening to you"

"Yeah", I need to get the hell out of this town. I'll be eighteen soon so I can start a job. I got up to go home, I can't do this shit any longer.

"Where are you going?" Alex shouted, but I was already out the door. It was still a good question, where am I going?

I arrived home and snuck into my room before my mom could notice me. I started packing all my things. It wasn't alot because everything fitted into a suit case. My training gear was in a duffel bag next to it. This is it. I am planing to run away and never come back again. Start a new life.

I need to live off the radar for three more weeks and then I can start over. I still need some cash but I'll steal that when my mom is drunk again, then she doesn't process things.

POV: ASHLYN

"And that's it. That's the whole story", I told the police officer in front of me. We already gave the pictures to another one and they are getting ready as we speak to arrest Leah's mom, Astrid.

We got closer to her house but I didn't see a lot of movement through the windows. The officers knocked on the door and a minute later a woman in her late forties opened the door. She was clearly drunk - again. She held the bottle of Vodka in her hand and immediatly began shouting Leah's name like she would be the one that did something wrong.

"Miss Morris?", one of the cops asked

"Yeah", she slurred

"You are under arrest for child abuse and the murder of Pierre Morris and Luke Morris"

Oh yeah, that's right! We got the camera footage from one of the neigbours from years ago where apparently you can see through a window that she killed her husband Pierre and her son Luke.

"What! I didn't do anything! Leah! Get down here you little shit! Come tell these bastards I didn't do anything!"

Where is Leah? Normally she would have come downstairs already.

"Hey officers, is it okay if I go check upstairs how Leah is doing?", I asked them because I was getting worried.

"Yeah sure, go ahead"

I went into the house and I was immediatly met with the smell and the huge mess. Nobody wants to live in this house, poor thing.

"Leah? Are you in here kid?"

Empty. Her room is empty, so is the whole house now. She took all of her stuff with her, so it seems.

Where could she have gone?