Riptide

Chapter Ten - Promise

That night I got ready for bed exhausted, "You snuck out." My mother said from a chair in my room. "Oh sweet Jesus!" I said, startled. "You went to see Billy, didn't you?" She asked with a slight smirk. "How did you know that?" I asked, raising a brow, my mother looked at me as if it was obvious. "You smell of cigarette smoke." She points out. "Oh," I said, knowing I've been caught. "You could've asked to skip the dinner thing." My mother sighed, "I didn't want to hurt your feelings." I looked down, my mother got up from her chair and had me look at her. "I appreciate that sentiment, but it just hurt my feelings more that you lied to me." My mother sighed, "I'm sorry," I sighed looking into her eyes, my mother hugged me. "It's okay, just don't do it again." She sighed a bit before looking up at me. "Tomorrow fill me in on everything though, okay?" She smirked playfully. "Yes ma'am," I chuckled, and she walked out of my room. As I sat in silence in my room heard the sound of my brother's radio going crazy. "Terran, Terran do you copy?" I heard from down the hall; it was Max. Terran was currently at Mike's, but I guess he forgot his walkie here. I went into his room and grabbed it, "No he's not here right now." I said into the radio, "Who is this then?" Max asked through the radio. "It's Emma, why?" I asked, sighing a bit. Max was about to say something, but I heard a crash in the background. "On my way," I said, throwing the radio onto Terran's bed. I went to Osiris' room and grabbed his metal baseball bat. I then grabbed my car keys and booked it to the garage. My mother saw me leaving, "Where are you going?" My mother asked. "Get the bail money ready!" I said as I ran to my car. 

I drove to Billy's house as fast as I could, I knew the address from the few times I had dropped off Max there. When I got to the house, I decided not to grab the bat. I sighed softly deciding that I needed to be reasonable or else I could put Billy in a lot of danger. I get to the front door, and I knock, knowing that if Neil pulled any shit I would kick his ass. Max answered the door, it was clear that the fight was still going on. Susan was trying to get Neil to leave Billy alone. I took a deep breath, "Hey Neil!" I shouted to distract him, Billy looked terrified when seeing Neil's attention turn to me. Neil started walking towards me, "What are you doing here?" He asked angrily. "You've caused enough issues, you whore." He glared down at me. I stood perfectly still, stepping a foot out in front of me. I planted my feet looking up at him ready for when he tried to strike. "Calling me names when you're the pathetic one who dares to hit your child." I said ready for it, "Emma stop..." Billy pleaded, Neil grabbed me but before he could do anything I swiftly used my left hand to grab Neil's wrist then used the palm of my hand to hit Neil hard in the face. He stepped back a bit surprised, and during the split second he left himself open. I elbowed him repeatedly in the chest before kicking him to the floor. I had knocked the wind out of him, but he wasn't done. I could see it. When he tried to get up I proceeded to hit him with a chair. He fell back to the ground; I turned him onto his back and just started to beat the shit out of him. When I finally stopped, I looked Neil dead in the eyes, "If you lay one more finger on him again, I will come and I will kill you." I said standing up, giving Neil a kick in the side for good measure. I then went over to Billy who was clearly in need of medical attention. "Max call an ambulance." I said sitting next to Billy trying to get a good grasp on if he was okay or not. 

"Get me a flashlight Samantha." I said looking over to Billy's stepmother. "It's Susan," She corrected, "And right now I don't give a shit." I said, she glared at me and I sighed softly. "Look, your husband was a threat, simple as this." I looked at Susan, "Oh please stay out of-" I cut her off, "I knew his first wife, and he hit her too. How much do you want to bet that I just saved your ass from that?" I glared and she went quiet before going and getting a small flashlight. I used it to check Billy's pupils, I checked them and saw that he most likely had a concussion. I then checked his stomach and saw a huge bruise that shouldn't have formed yet. "Fuck..." When the ambulance arrived the police did too. Max and I had the same story, I could tell Susan was going to lie but when Max told the truth she decided to as well. I still had to go to the police station to give a statement, so I obliged and drove Susan and Max there since they had to go too. 

When we got there they let me use the phone, and I called home. My mom picked up immediately having been waiting by the phone. "Do you need me or dad?" She asked as soon as she accepted the call. "Dad," I sighed softly, leaning against the wall. "You probably need to head to the hospital." I sighed softly. "You hospitalized him?" My mother asked for confirmation. "Mom, you know not to talk over police phones." I said, relaying information she gave me years ago. "Right, do you need a lawyer?" My mom asked, sighing a bit. "Call Emmeline," I said simply, "On it, I'll send your dad up there. I love you," My mom said as this was a common occurrence. "I love you too," I said before hanging up. When my dad arrived the police could finally get my statement. Hopper looked at me and nodded, writing everything I was saying down. "So you're telling me you didn't call us when you thought he was being attacked?" The officer seated next to Hopper asked, raising a brow. "I felt responsible for why they were fighting...I knew Billy back when we were kids and Neil just never liked me." I sighed looking down, "You told him if he did it again you'd kill him." The officer points out, "Wouldn't you?" I asked, looking into his eyes. "For years this abuse has gone under the radar, his mother had tried calling the police back in San Diego, but Neil would beat her so badly she'd drop the charges...I just...I didn't know what else to do." I explained, "Well as you said earlier Neil walked towards you and laid hands on you, It was self-defense, don't worry." Hopper said, looking at me then to the other officer before they both stepped out of the room. I then went out to the hall and saw Max, she was sitting with Susan who was staring off into space, she looked upset. "What's up with her?" I asked, gesturing to Susan. "Hopper is charging Neil," Max said, looking up at me. "Oh..." I said, sighing a bit, "I want him out of my house." Susan said, referring to Billy. "Mom!" Max said upset with Susan, "That won't be an issue, he can stay with us." My father said willing to literally go to war for Billy, just as much as my mom is. "That's fine, I just want him out, him sleeping around and going out with whores is what started this." Susan glared at me, "Watch what you say about my daughter," My father said glaring intensely at Susan. Susan backed down, and sighed. "Max, do you want a ride to the hospital?" I offered, looking at her. "Yeah," Max said looking at me then to her mother in disgust. 

When we got to the car Max got in the front seat and I put some music on. "You know, he's been different lately..." Max said as I started driving towards the hospital. "Different good or different bad?" I asked looking over to her then back at the road. "Different good actually, he apologized for what happened with Lucas, and he's been not nice but just not as much of an ass lately. I mean on Friday after school he offered to take me to the arcade." Max said clearly weirded out by Billy's shift in behavior. "That's certainly different." I said taking mental note of this. "I mean when we first moved here, he was worse than he had ever been, but then when you two started to get closer he changed." Max said fidgeting with her hands. "Granted sometimes he is still an ass, but lately it's not as often." She looked out the window, "You'd think Neil would like you since because of you Billy has been behaving more." She sighed. "Neil doesn't like me because I'm different." I said, not looking away from the road. "You don't seem different," Max said, raising a brow. "Neil, as I'm sure you know, views women a certain way. He doesn't like the fact my mother is the main breadwinner in my family, and he doesn't like the fact that my mother, my father, my twin sister, and I were not born in America." I looked over to her for a moment. "And he doesn't like the fact that we're not the standard traditional little family he thinks we should be." I then looked back at the road. "Because my mother has a very good career, I was born in Scotland, and well I don't fit his little self-fulfilled prophecy." I explained simply. "What's that?" Max asked, looking at me confused, "A self-fulfilled prophecy?" I asked to clarify if that's what she was asking about. "Yeah," Max said, nodding her head. "A self-fulfilled prophecy is well I don't think it's the proper term for what I'm referring to, but have you ever gotten so nervous thinking you were going to screw something up and then you do?" I asked looking at her, "Yeah," Max nodded. "That's a self-fulfilled prophecy," I sighed, "Neil's little prophecy about me is that because I'm just not what he thinks I should be, that I'm a stupid whore, and I'm not." I shrugged, Max chuckled, "Yeah you're definitely, hell you're not Billy's normal type." Max said, shaking her head a bit. "Thanks," I said, taking that as a compliment. When we got to the hospital, I parked my car sighing softly. "Do you think your mom will come around about her whole kicking him out thing?" I asked looking at Max, "I hope so," Max sighed softly.