I'll take care of you

Chapter 15

Hello again guys! I'm so sorry for not posting/writing as much, I have basketball every day for like 2 hours, soccer Mon/Wed for 1 1/2 and games on the weekends. If I am trying to update, it's going to be on a Tuesday or Thursday. Thanks for all the support!

I wanted to run downstairs, I really did. But what if it wasn't safe? Noah opened the door and started going downstairs quietly. I  followed him, and Matthew and Jackson followed me. When we got downstairs, I saw that my father was at the door, talking to Penny.

"..everything has been amazing here and I'm so glad to have them back home.  Thank you so much for being so concerned with their well being." my father said, a smile on his face.  

"Oh of course! It is my job to make sure all of the kids I can help are helped and their family situation is okay, so I'm glad it's going fine here. Hello, kids!" Penny waved at us, and we waved back.

"I just have to talk to them outside, is that okay with you, Mark?" Penny asked politely.

"That's fine with me." He glared at us as we walked behind Penny to go back out the front door.

We walked outside,  and it was freezing! I wrapped my arms around my stomach and tried to stay warm, shuffling from side to side a bit. Penny pulled out a notepad and a pen, and looked up at us.

"So, how were things last night?"

There was a moment of awkward silence. Oh shit, are we gonna lie or tell the truth? Noah spoke up before I could finish a thought.

"It was just fine. We came home and then pretty much went to bed." He added a shrug at the end, making it seem like it was no big deal.

"How about this morning, Jackson? How was that for you?" 

"Not bad, I hit my wrist on accident against the door frame though. That hurt." he was still cradling his wrist.

"Do you need medical attention? How did you hit your wrist?" she fired questions faster than I could blink.

"Um, no to the first thing, and to the second....I guess I just wasn't paying attention," He tried to sound calm, but I could hear the panicking undertone.

"Okay..." Penny did NOT sound convinced, oh shit. "Well, I'll stop by every once in a while to check on you guys, and if you need anything, call me!" she handed each one of us a business card.

Penelope Grimsby 

Child Protection Services Agent

(888) 234-9782 (A/N: RANDOM NUMBER, CALL AT YOUR OWN RISK)

"Thank you," Noah said politely. He was shaking from the cold, in his sweatpants and t-shirt. I think we were all freezing, except Penny, who wore a knee-length fluffy coat and a hat.

"Oh of course, honey, take care. Go inside and get warm!"  As she said 'go inside' we all scrambled  inside, saying some version of 'bye'. 

When we got inside, Jackson locked the door behind us. The house was slightly warmer than outside, but not too much because my father claimed "I don't need to spend hundreds of dollars heating a house for a bunch of brats like you!" 

Speak of the devil.

My father, followed by my mother, walked around the corner from the wall. He had his hands on his hips.

"What did they talk to you about?" He had a metal cane in his hands, and he swung it menacingly in front of himself.

"Um, they just asked us how this morning went, and if anything happened." Matthew was quick to respond, almost too quick.

"And what did you say?" 

"We said nothing happened, we just had woken up by the time she got here," I talked so fast I could barely understand myself. Suddenly, everything went wrong.

SMACK!

The metal cane hit me across the face, leaving a bright red mark on my left cheek. I crumbled onto the floor, cradling my cheek in my hands. 

I looked up, and he was going to hit me again.

Oh shit.

I scrambled as far and as fast as I could, but I was too slow.

SMACK!

Another blow landed against my chest, knocking the wind out of me. Suddenly, a shadow casted over me. I could see one of my brothers, I couldn't tell which one, standing in front of me.

A pair of arms wrapped underneath my armpits and dragged me off. I rested my head to the right, the bright red spot on my cheek exposed. My back hit the stairs, and whoever was dragging me couldn't lift me.

It had to be Jackson.

"Can you stand? I don't want to drag you.." he asked quietly, and I could hear screaming coming from downstairs

"Yeah, help me up," Jackson pulled me up, and threw my arm around his shoulders, and practically carried me up the stairs. 

We got up to the bedroom, and he closed the door carefully behind me. Jackson led me gently to Noah's bed, the closest, and had me lay down.

"How bad does it hurt?" 

"Like hell." Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I wanted to make them stop. I looked so weak,  just toughen up! Jackson got beat half to death, and he didn't fucking cry, so why should you?

"I'm sorry, I'm acting like a child." I wiped a tear from my bright red cheek. "Go check on Matthew and Noah, they need help."

"No, I'll stay here with you, Elle." He sat down next to me on the bed.

"Jackson James Solace you get your ass downstairs and help them right now. I'll be fine, leave me." I lectured him quietly, my voice stern.

Jackson sighed, and itched his neck like he did when he was nervous or indecisive. "Fine, I'll be back."

And then he left.

NEXT POV IMMA DO EITHER MATTHEW OR NOAH, WHICH ONE SHOULD I DO?? THANKS GUYS