Home Doesn't Always Mean Safety, But Maybe With You It Can?

Chapter Three - Honorary Sisters

Preview: The aftermath of that terrible night isn't much better for Max, Billy is being a grade A jerk, Max is exhausted and needs to find a safe place to rest, Nancy is growing concerned and is becoming protective. Did I mention Billy is a jerk....

Trigger Warning - please remember this story deals with heavy physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism and drug use.

Chapter Three - Honorary Sisters

Nancy barely had time to close her driver's side door before Max was rushing down the steps towards her, school bag in hand. A frown worked its way onto Nancy's face as she took in the girl before her. Though moving fast Max was clearly limping, she looked paler than usual, exhausted and had a very dark painful looking bruise across her left cheek.

"Hey Max," Nancy greeted the younger girl, "Where's the fire at?" She joked, holding a hand out and reaching for Max's arm as she tried to move around the car to the passenger side.

Max froze on the spot at the contact, her body tense, "sorry," she muttered out eyes down, "Billy was just," she started, pausing for a moment trying to think of how to explain things, "he was being an asshole again, just wanted out the house," she explained.

For the most part truthfully.

Billy had been winding her up all day yesterday, this morning too, making her feel on edge. She was in so much pain, and so tense already, Billy had been making it ten times worse.

Neil had beaten her unconscious Friday night.

She didn't come too till hours later, freezing cold, in agony and still naked over the books on the table. It had taken her a ridiculously long time to get herself off the table, wincing and nearly crying at every movement. Even longer to manage to pull her clothes back on, her skin blazing at the touch of the fabric. She ended up having to spend the night down in the basement, after realising she had been locked in when trying to open the door.

She didn't sleep, only curled into a ball on the floor trying to keep warm.

It was her mother who she saw first on Saturday.

She was desperate for a hug, for comfort when she saw her mother walking down the basement stairs. Max looked at the woman in hope, that hope only dying from her eyes when her mother sighed saying 'more clothes you have ruined' after noticing that Max had bled through. Her mother had her strip down again, told her to lay on her stomach before roughly washing down the cuts her step-father had left her with salt water that stung and brought fresh tears streaming down her face.

She didn't dare sob after her mother hissed at her to stay quiet.

Her mother was complaining she had a headache while roughly washing Max down, apparently Max made a 'racket' the night before, so much so Billy had to blare his music.

Neil didn't touch her Saturday at all, didn't even look at her, which was a small grace.

Her mother didn't speak to her either after cleaning her cuts other than telling her she was grounded this weekend, was to stay in her room and not leave unless given permission, other than to use the toilet.

Neil had gotten drunk that night, Billy too once he returned from community service. It ended in a shouting match, with things being thrown at the wall before the familiar sounds of fists flying could be heard. The sound causing Max to whimper and hide under her bed, shaking and terrified they would take their anger out on her as she eyed the walkie talkie hidden under her bed that the boys had given her.

Part of her hoping they may contact her, ask where she has been all day, heard the noise that was happening in the background.

They didn't.