UNDER THE INFLUENCE |MORI X M!OC|

18

There was a knock on the door early the next Saturday morning. I peaked through the peep hole only to fling the door open excitedly.

"Takashi, what are you doing here?" I gasped, wrapping my arms around him.

He let out a deep sigh and hugged me back tightly. I was thankful my father had work today.

I pulled Takashi inside and he took off his shoes. I led him to my room and shut the door behind us. I set his shoes by my door.

"I missed you so much," I breathed, hugging him again tightly.

"Where have you been?" He questioned, rubbing my back.

"My father is forcing me to go to the public school. He took my phone and my laptop so I have no way of communicating with anyone else," I explained, sitting down on my bed and patting the space next to me.

"I brought you all your homework, so that you can stay enrolled at Ouran. Haruhi told the chairman the situation and he said as long as you complete the work, your attendance won't be counted against you," Takashi said, placing a small stack of work on my night stand and then taking the seat next to me.

"Really? Thank you so much!" I said gratefully.

"Your mom wanted me to let you know that they are filing another lawsuit with a different judge. They found evidence that there was bribery involved and the hearing should take place soon," Takashi informed.

"That's a relief," I sighed. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this.

I jumped when I heard the front door slam open.

"Shit," I hissed. I grabbed Takashi shoes and pushed them into his chest. "Haruhi's home, right next door, I need you to go out the window, I'm sorry," I instructed in a whisper before leaning up and pecking his lips.

Takashi did as he was told and squeezed his way out the window. I shut the window behind him and hurriedly unlocked my door, just before it opened.

"What were you doing with the door locked?" My father questioned.

"I just woke up so I was changing, I didn't know if you were home or had company or not," I lied smoothly, stretching my arms above my head.

My father only rolled his eyes and sauntered into the living room.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I just needed to put up with him for a few more weeks.

The date of the hearing was pushed back for another month. On top of that, my father had figured out about my secrete phone and wasn't too happy about it. But, the good thing is, is I hid it where he couldn't find it.

I stared at myself in the mirror as I gripped either side of the sink. My nose was bloody, my left eye was bruised a dark purple and yellow, and I had bruises in the shape of hands around my neck. There were other countless scratches and bruises on my body from previous torment, but I was too tired to really care.

I was too tired for anything these days. I was so done with my biological father. I was starting to think there was no way out.

I stared at the bottle of painkillers in my shaking hands. There wasn't anything that could stop the pain. Nothing but the colorful pills in my hands.

I let out a shaky pant and threw back a handful of pills down my throat. I took a gulp of water and swallowed thickly, trying not to choke.

I just wanted all this pain to go away.

I turned toward the tub and turned on the cold water. Fully clothed, I sat down and rested my back against the cold steel as the water slowly started to rise. In what felt like minutes but what was probably close to an hour I slowly started to find it hard to breathe. My body was shaking and I felt like I was burning up. With every breath I took all the air seemed to leave my lungs.

I tried not to think about the way Haruhi would feel once my body was found. I tried not to think about how Daru would continue waiting for me, not knowing that I wasn't ever coming back. I tried not to think about my mother, or how Takashi and the others would feel.

Then, I realized that I never wanted them to feel that way in the first place.

I managed to hoist myself over the edge of the tub and flopped onto the floor, groaning in pain as my heart thudded against my chest and my stomach ached in pain. I tried to reach for my phone on the vanity but couldn't find the strength to reach it. It was only then that I noticed it had been ringing for some time now.

I was suddenly exhausted. I couldn't keep my head up anymore as I let it rest on the floor, the water now spilling over the edge of the tub. I let my eyes close.

Then everything was just gone.