P4L | Outer Banks | JJ Maybank

Mister Katz

It was her lucky day.

JJ had pulled up to her house before she had even realized what he was doing.

Cory's eyes widened. "Uh–"

"What?" JJ asked. "Did I–"

"No, Jay," Cory said. "Its fine." Her heartbeat was already racing just looking at the house.

"I thought there was a kook thing tonight for your sister," JJ said. "Thought you had to be there."

"Oh, umm," Cory muttered, glancing back at the house. "Well–"

Then, just as she was gonna tell JJ to pull away, the door opened.

"Well, look who decided to show up," Cory's dad called out, slowly making his way toward the Twinkie.

Cory flinched away, looking at JJ beside her.

"Hey there, Mister Katz!" JJ yelled out.

Cory turned back, finding her father approaching swiftly. He made his way to the car, pulling the door open.

"Hello, JJ," her father greeted. "Pope," he said to Pope who was sitting in the back, a fearful look in his eyes.

Cory's dad turned back to her with malice in his eyes. "You were supposed to come back here days ago." He grabbed her arm, yanking her out of the bus. "Thanks for bringing her back, JJ."

He slammed the Twinkie door shut, turning back to the house and yanking Cory along with him. She yelped in pain and avoided looking back at the boys.

As they pulled away, she got in one last look, seeing a look of regret wash over JJ's face.

She was pulled into her childhood home, though she wouldn't call it a home anymore.

The door slammed behind her and she flinched.

She looked up meekly, her father looking down on her.

Cory may be 16, but the way her father looked down on her made her feel like she was 8 years old all over again. There wasn't a person in the world who could make her feel the way he did.

And yet she strived to make him proud. She strived to bring honor to the bloodline.

Bloodline.

The blood that spilled on the floor due to her father's hands was blood that came from those very hands.

So as he hit her repeatedly, beating every inch of her to a pulp, she let it happen.

Because if this is what blood was... if this is what family was... then maybe she deserved it.

Authors Note: A short little baby chapter but I needed to send this out into the world.