Pointless Pain

Chapter 13

I look at Chris who was walking ahead of me quickly, with Marco trotting by his side. I smile lightly. "I can't believe they would do this for us!" He says, sounding excited. "I know, we better try and do something to repay them." I answer. Chris nods. Soon we arrive at a cream colored building. A sign above the door reading 'Youth Hostel.'

Me and Chris wander in, Marco padding by our side. "Hi!" Says a male receptionist. "How can I help you?" I begin to answer him. "My name is Liberty Drake, this is my boyfriend Chris Brooke, we've been living rough for a little while, and after an incident the police asked for your hostel to let us stay for a bit." The man looks down to some paper. "Looks like you're right, this way."

He begins leading is off down a corridor of doors. Door after door we pass until we arrive at door 136. He opens it with a key then let's us in to unpack. There was two beds and a pile of towels on the floor. My guess they were for Marco. I head over to a cupboard and shove clothes from my bag into it.

"BEEP, BEEP. All people report to the dining hall for the evening meal." An announcer blares. I look to Chris and then say bye to Marco as we leave. 'I'll bring him food back after.' I think. Me and Chris wander around cluelessly for about five minutes until we find the dining hall. The smell of beef and Yorkshire puddings reach out to me and pull me to the kitchen hatch.

Now seated and tucking into a plate of hot food after so long I notice someone familiar. His dirty blonde hair bobs as he laughs. Then he drops his fork and turns my way to grab it.

PETER?!

I stand instantly making the table shake. Chris looks at me questioningly. I march over to my older brother. "Peter what on dear earth are you, of all people, doing here?" I near enough shout. Luckily no one looks over. "Libby?!" He squeals. I pull him outside by his shirt.

"What are you doing here?" I ask again. "There, there was trouble at home." He stutters looking down. I notice a cut by his eye and light swelling. "Did father do this?" I ask poking the cut. He recoils in pain. "No, no, h- he didn't." He looked down guiltily. "He did didn't he?" I ask calmly. Peter nodded slowly. "He was hitting mother and Bradley tried to help. I was watching, but I couldn't take it any longer so I pulled him away then he-" Peter slowly breathed in. "He shot me in the arm then punched me."

I frown. "What of Bradley?" I ask. "He knocked him to the floor. I think he was bleeding I tried to take him but mother was clutching on to him, so I left." I sigh thinking of my frail mother curled around my four year old brother. 'I hate her for never protecting me like him.' I look back to Peter. "I've missed you." He says pulling me into a hug. "That's a surprise, you twit." I laugh. He laughs lightly back letting go of me. "Stupid cow."

We always used to call each other names when we were younger, jokingly. It was hard to believe that I was actually being nice to him. I began to hate him when I was thirteen as father would prefer Peter over me, but now he had felt the same pain as me after being the favorite for so long, I felt sorry for him.

"You alright?" I hear as I look to the door to see Chris poking his head out the door. "Yeah we are." I say moving to reveal Peter. "Oh hi Peter!" Chris says smiling. Me, Peter and Chris walk back into the dining hall to finish eating.

Nothing else really happened tonight, me and Peter talked a bit more before I took beef back to the room for Marco. Then I went to sleep.