Happily Trapped

04 | Normal-ish

I was wide awake now. I don't know how long I slept, but it didn't matter right now. He called me. He's drunk. I'm doomed. I grab my phone and put it in my pocket just in case it's one of those nights he beats me and throws me out of the house. I grab my door handle and shakily open the door. I hear my blood pumping. My hands are sweaty. It's going to be one of the really bad nights. Today might just be the day he kills me. Once my door was open, I saw the light coming from the bottom of the staircase.

 I think the lamp in the living room might be on. I hear a noise come from my right and I look over and see Aria peeking her head out from her door. He must have woken her up too. I put my finger to my lip telling her to keep quiet and my other one waved for her to return to her room. She listens and closes the door. My wounds hurt so much. I can barely stand up straight. I hold the wall and walk toward the stairs once I get there I lean on the railing and take it one step at a time. I need to hurry if he has to call me again, I'm dead. I pick up my speed as much as I can, but I feel pain all over my body. 

My other arm is killing me. I make it to the bottom of the staircase. I peek my head over and I hear his heavy breathing. I start shaking badly as I take each step getting closer to him. My eyes screwed themselves shut. I know I am in front of him now. I hear his breath, but I don't feel an attack coming. I slowly open my eyes. He's sleeping with a beer bottle in his right hand still in the dress suit he wears to work. I step backward going quickly and quietly up the stairs and closing my door. I can't sleep so I do my homework and finish it. I lay on my bed and just lay there until my alarm goes off. 

I never heard him go upstairs which means he is still down there. It's going to be a hard day to get to school without injury. I turn my alarm off having to shut my eyes from the bright screen flashing 7:00 pm. I walk to Aria's room and wake her up. I tell her that he is downstairs sleeping on the couch, so she doesn't go downstairs. I get dressed slower than normal and address my wounds before heading out of my room and to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Aria's already inside rinsing her mouth out. I saw her tense when I walked in and relaxed when she realized it was just me. She shouldn't have to live like this. I just need to wait until I'm 18 just 1 more year. I just need to survive that long. I finish brushing my teeth and realize I won't be able to make Aria something to eat. I go to the loss floorboard in my room and pull out little dusty box and pull out the money. It's the money I've been saving up with my paychecks from work for when Aria and I leave this place and to our own apartment. I take five dollars from it and put everything back in place. I walk out and Aria is standing right by my door. We share a look, and we are ready.

 I slowly step and the other is as soft as possible, and she follows my lead. We make it to the bottom of the stairs, and I look over the corner.  He is sound asleep, so I take one shaky step forward and then another and keep going with Aria right behind me continuing to follow my lead. We make it to the door, and I look behind me and see he hasn't moved. We are almost clear just a little more. I turn my back around and open the door slowly and it makes a creaking sound. I freeze and listen. Nothing. I open it a little more and it creaks, but I don't stop not yet. Just a little wider and we can squeeze through. I squeeze through making sure the door doesn't move anymore and look behind me for Aria to follow. I keep the door steady, and she slides through. I grab the doorknob and close the door softly just before it closes, I look up and see him watching me. The door closes and I back away quickly. I grab Aria's hand and pull her along to make a run for it. 

"W-what's wro-ong?" she asks trying to keep pace with me. 

"H-h-he woke u-u-up" I say through puffs of breath. 

I hear footsteps behind us and turn my head to see Liam running after us. I stop and Aria runs right into me making me stumble and herself. I caught myself and her before she fell over but lost balance from the angle, I caught her and started falling. Liam caught up and caught me before falling. 

"Careful Chloe~" He teases helping me balance myself.

"Screw off Lucifer," I say slapping his hand away.

We both start laughing while Aria just stands there looking at us confused. 

"Oh, my mom baked some bread, and I made my amazing homemade spread. She wanted me to bring some for both of you" he said with a large smile digging in his backpack and pulling out a large Ziplock with two huge pieces of very delicious-looking bread.  

He hands me and Aria the two pieces and Aria takes a huge bite before it is even in her hands.

"Thws is tah bewt twing I hawe evver twasted" she says with food all in her mouth. 

I don't even have the energy to scold her for her lack of manners so instead I take a bit of my own. She is totally right. This is so delicious. 

"Thanks, Li and tell your mom she is the best," I say blushing embarrassed from how I behaved like I haven't eaten in my life. 

"No problem Chloeeee~," He says with a smirk 

I don't even care to comment on it. My only focus is this delicious masterpiece. We make it to Aria's school.  She continues to munch on her bread as she walks into school. While Liam and I walk to school I try to work up the courage to tell him what happened last night. Welp, no point in dancing around it now. 

"So tell me what happened last night," he said looking at me

I continue to eat and walk. I swear it's like he can read my mind. I hate that at times. 

"I was shot at," I say simply

"WHAT" he says walking backwards in front of me now. 

"I walked into the wrong alley trying to take a shortcut to the house and I overheard a deal that is going down tonight, and I was trapped so I made a run for it, and I made it out perfectly fine" I said trying to sound totally alright with it. 

"You might have but your backpack didn't," he said looking concerned. 

I look at him with confusion take my backpack off and look at it while continuing to walk. It has a slash mark right at the small pocket in the front. That is just great something else I need to buy. I didn't have much time to drown in my problems since we made it to school. Liam pulls out his phone and makes a surprised noise. 

"What" I say looking up at him and putting my backpack on. 

"Where......early," he said showing me his phone screen. I decided not to comment on the picture of me in him labeled Lucifer and Chloe since the time got me by surprise. 

7:25 am 

It might only be 5 mins but that is a huge accomplishment for us. I smile and look at him beaming. I finally get to school on time since I can't even remember. We continued to talk through the school yard which was filled with students talk and standing around. We manage to push our way through the crowds. It feels so weird to be here on time. I feel like a normal kid for once. Getting to school early and all. Liam and I get to the front door of the school, the guards our here and asking for student ID's. Liam and I are usually late, so we never worry about them. When it's our turn I pull off my backpack and go to my front pocket on instinct but then I see the rip and look inside to see it's not there. I open my actual bag and search but it's not there. I never take it out of my bag. It would have been in the front......