Legacy

Chapter 73

They entered the house and like usual their mother was waiting for them.

"Oh Adelaide, where oh where should you spend your evening tonight?" Their mother asked and Addy stopped short of dining room and took a deep breath in.

"The basement?" Addy asked, knowing the answer.

"Oh my god, she is teacheable after all. You can leave your bag here." Their mother nearly cheered. Addy put her bag neatly to the side at the bottom of the stairs, all meaning that mother was starting to care less about completing homework and more about beating her children.

"Who knew parenting would be so fun, I would have stepped up years ago if I knew I could have this type of fun," Their mother laughed and Stacie had had enough. She throw her bag on the floor and it stopped Addy just as she hit the door.

"This is not parenting, having us live in fear, constantly." Everyone's eyes went wide as Stacie yelled. Beca had heard from her room and made it out to the top of the stairs and was looking at the scene below.

"Last time I checked you had a roof over your head, warm clothes, a bed to sleep in and food and yet you want more," Their mother smiled and stepped closer having her signiture drink in her hand. 

"Maybe to breathe normally for once, to feel free to make a mistake, not be hit maybe," Stacie said and everyone stood shocked as she wasn't backing down.

"Oh boo hoo, didn't we have this discussion. I left you incharge to do all those things you so desperately wanted and look how that has turned out. You proud of yourself. Rebecca is assualting people getting suspended from school, Emily is lying and sneaking around and Adelaide is an idiot and failing classes. So well done you were 'so successful' at the way you thought you wanted. But I think it's time we are trying to do things differently because I want you to be successful and your way is not working!" Their mother replied.

"I did what-" Stacie started.

"Stop! Stacie, just stop!" Addy interupted and then the focus moved.

"Listen to her Stacie, she may have a point," Their mother smirked and moved out of the way for Addy to move through.

"I'm trying to help you," Stacie pleaded.

"Well, don't because you are just going to make it worse," Addy said and started walking towards the basement.

"Addy-" Stacie reached out to grab her baby sisters hand but as soon as she made contact fliched and jumped back and looked back to Addy looking terrified. When she was grabbed her arm the sleeve of her jumper had rolled up and Stacie had seem the deep bruising around the base of Addy's hand and swelling. Addy pulled down her sleeve quickly knowing that was the least of her injuries.

"You heard her Stacie, you're just going to make it worse. So would you like to add anything else?" Addy grabbed her hand where she standing, and walked so she was just in the door way.

"No...no." Stacie looked awkwardly down, and Addy walked off into the basement. Their mother walked up to Stacie and whispered in her ear.

"Good choice, but I'll deal with you and your little outburst later." Their mother stepped away and called to the remaining three girls.

"Go to your rooms, I will call for you later. Do your work!" Sarah Mitchell called and followed her youngest downstairs. Stacie grabbed her bag and went upstairs.

"Meeting now." Stacie said running up the stairs. Emily followed and Beca stood stunned at the top of the stairs. The girls followed to Stacie's room and Beca looked even move uncomfortable than normal.

The closed the door unaware of how much time they would have and knowing that them all being together was risky enough at the moment. Once everyone was in the room and awkardly placed around the room.

"We brought this up with Addy earlier today, but we think we need to be more open about what is happening in..." Stacie couldn't quite finish the sentence but everyone could fill in the blanks, " the way we used to do it isn't going to work anymore it's going to just push us further away, so I think we should lean on each other."
"And that means telling each other stuff, that maybe hard." Emily finished for Stacie and then both looked towards Beca. Beca barely looked like herself with a black eye, cut lip and baggy clothing to hide the horrors underneath. Beca considered this for a minute and everyone held there breathe for the answer.
"And what did Addy say about this?" Beca knowing that the youngest Mitchell sister would not be too pleased about the arrangement.
"She wanted to wait to talk to you... amongst other things," Emily chimed in. Beca looked at Addy and raised her eyesbrows waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"She didn't want to talk about it, she said that it wasn't what we did before so why would it change now. She said we shouldn't talk without you and make a decision all together," Stacie replied honestly she needed Beca on her side not against it.

"So, I assume you want me to agree so we can call three against one and force her to tell us? I don't think that would go over any better," Beca said.

"No but you could talk about it, so we know how to be there to support you." Emily says sitting on Beca's bed.

"Look, it's more than getting to hear it again, what if one of you is really hurt you may need help,"

"And if that happens we will ask," Beca says.

"The old rule was there to stop Em and Addy knowing those horrible things we put on a brave face and try to hide them from the horrors for as long as we can,"

"No it was more than that and you know it. When was the last time we talked about anything that happened at the time. We would barely look at each other after it, because we saw each other back in the room and those horrible things." Beca said and the room went silent.

"It doesn't have to be like that,"

"Okay, tell Emily what it was like with Addy in that room,"

"I - I,"

"You want me to start. Should it be the smell in that room of blood, Addy screaming, the way our mother smiled when she was hitting Addy or when Addy begged for our mother to stop or or you having to count every hit," Beca stopped and Stacie was silently crying looking down and so was Emily.

"You wanna talk about that?" Beca knew this was over, "My vote is no, on the exception that if one of us is badly hurt that we will tell you. We can talk about it hurting but no one should have to relive that, if they don't want to. Feel free to tell us but don't make me or Addy do something we don't want to." Beca said leaving the room knowing this was done. The silence left by Stacie and Emily was loud.

Beca went back to her room and put her headphones back on. If it was up to her she would never repeat anything that happened down there. It was too much to even think about, she couldn't sit in the silence without being overwhelmed. Music was her escape and Chloe. And for the first time in her life she couldn't wait to go back to school.