Fix the broken

Chapter 4.

Lorenzo
__________________

"Promise me you'll be okay while I'm gone." I tell her.

"I'll be okay baby, you go have fun with your friends." She reply's gently.

"Are you sure because I can cancel, they'll be fine without me. I'm basically third wheeling him with his new girlfriend. I can stay and make sure he doesn't do any-"

" I'll be okay cariño, please, go have fun at the beach. I'll call you if I need anything." She says, sincerely.

" Okay I love you mamá,please be careful. Text me and I'll be here I promise." I reply. I always hesitate to leave the house, even school. But my mother wants me to get a good education and live my life. But I can't do that peacefully with him always around.

My mother and father were in love. Apparently. But then when I turned five something changed with him. What is it? I don't know. Sometimes he comes home and hits her. He's hit me a couple times too. I always get in the way when he tries to hit her. She's tried to get away multiple times, but it never works. I always try to protect her but sometimes I'm to late.

As I pull up to the beach I see James. When i get closer I see her. Maria Rodriguez. My academic rival. I don't really have a problem with her, until we get into class. I need to be highest  in the class, so I can go to college, get enough money and get mom out of that house and away from  Rob. Somehow we always get similar scores.

The other day when I saw her after she got her quiz back, at first I was going to say something about how I did better but then,  I saw how white she turned. Meaning she couldn't have done that good. Then her hands started shaking a little and I knew. I knew she was having a panic attack. How? Because that's what happens to me when I get them. So, I ran after her. Maybe not the best idea since she hates me.

But I helped her and did what I would want someone to do to me when I have my panic attacks. I knew she would ask me why I helped her so the next day I pulled her in a janitors closet. But when I did she stood there and stayed turned away from me.

Like she was in a daze and scared as fuck about who was behind her. I know she would be scared about someone raping her or something like that but this wasn't that type of scared. I could see it. She was scared of me being a certain person. Who? I have no clue.

But I had a chat with her and now here we are. At the beach. Together. Well, technically not together but together. I had no clue that when James mentioned he was seeing someone that It was Maria's best friend Mae. So we spent the day together.

We only talked a little. More like annoyed each other a little. I met her siblings, but it was weird. Her sister was talking to her about joining the swim team and she said she would give the sign up sheet to Maria when she gets it. Why couldn't she give it to her mother?94 father? Whatever. I don't care.

We chilled for a little while more until an annoying ass voice yelled out. " MARIA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Her boyfriend yelled out. His name. What is his name? It's on the tip of my tongue. It starts with an E. Oh that's it! Elfren. Anyway, as soon as he said that I saw Maria Flench. Why the fuck did she flench? Does she get abused by him? Or someone at home?

She immediately sat up and looked at Mae. They both looked at each other and Mae looked scared, like something was about to happen. Maria looked scared too.