falling for 13 || Johnny Kavanagh

You'll Be Worse

G R A C E

"Teddy stop it you'll kill her!" Were the words I was greeted with as I walked in through the front door. I automatically recognised my Mam's voice coming from the kitchen, opening the door the first thing that I saw was Teddy standing over my sister who was curled up in a ball on the floor. My Mam was behind him, although she wasn't doing much.

"Stop it!" I roared, putting my hand on his shoulder, causing him to move his elbow back, straight to my nose.

"Ah sure the little tramps home!" He shouted, turning to face me.

"Like mother like daughter" I gave him a small sarcastic smile. I'm not sure why, because I knew I was about to get a beating.

"Your fucking school called!" he roared with slurred words. "Told me what your teacher caught you at, you little whore!"

Shannon was still curled up in a ball, shaking. "I didn't do anything!" I shot back, pinching my nose trying to stop the bleeding. "And I'm bleeding you absolutely fucking deranged man!"

"You'll be bleeding a lot worse by the time I'm finished with you!" He roared in my face, grabbing my arm and slapping his palm across my face. "You little tramp, riding in the fucking changing rooms."

"I wasn't!" I screamed, trying to pull free from his hold. "Get off me!"

"You want to end up like your mother?" he sneered. "Is that it?" He shook me harder. "You want to be humped with a baby at sixteen?"

"Get the fuck off of me!" I shouted, stepping out of his grip.

"Leave my sister alone!" a voice cried out.

I turned my head to see my little brother, Tadgh, standing there in the doorway as if he was ready to take all the beatings in the world for me. "Tadgh, go take Ollie upstairs, alright?" Shannon had stood up and rushed out the kitchen with him, but he wouldn't move, he stayed still.

"Get your holes up that stairs before I redden them," Dad snarled. Sean scrambled for the staircase and Ollie dove for the front door.

"You can't do that to her," he challenged, glaring at our father with his chin jutted out. "Joey says we don't hit girls."

"Go next-door to Fran and phone Joey, Shan will go too," I pleaded, as I tried to shove him out of the kitchen and out of harm's way.

Even though he was only eleven, he was already taller and stronger than me. But he was my little brother and I would protect him with my life. "Please, Tadhg," I begged him. "Just go." Tadhg wouldn't budge.

"I'll protect you," he told me before turning to face our father. "I'm not afraid of you!" he hissed, taking a protective stance in front of me. "You think you're all tough, but you're nothing but an alcoholic scumbag who goes around hitting girls!" Oh sweet suffering Jesus.

"Tadgh" I shouted, "Would you just go, please."

The second Tadgh darted out of the kitchen, my relief was short lived. "You fucking brat!" Dad snarled, turning back to me, the stench of whiskey stronger than ever. "Think you're the boss around here, do you? Sending my kids around to do your dirty work."

"Your kids? Your kids?" I frowned, "You haven't done anything but cause your kids trouble! Joey's the only one who actually does his best to provide for them, while you spend all the children's allowance drinking whatever sorrows you have away-"

I was interrupted by a slap across my face, the force of it whipped my head to the side, and I stumbled towards the counter.

"Stop it, Teddy!" Mam cried out, her voice breaking as she reached for my father.

He shoved her away without even looking, "Stay out of this, Marie!"

I wiped the blood from my mouth, and nose, planting my feet down as my legs threatened to give out from beneath me.

"You're pathetic" I spat, "You're nothing but-" The backhanded slap he delivered silenced me mid sentence. I crashed to the floor, my cheekbone throbbing.

"You've got a smart mouth on ya, don't you?" he growled, looming over me. He grabbed my arm and yanked me up like I weighed nothing. I struggled against his grip, trying to get away. But it was useless. "You think you're clever? Think you're all grown up? You're nothing but an embarrassment to this family, a fucking embarrassing little tramp!"

"I didn't even do anything!" I screamed, trying to pry his fingers off of me.

His fist connected with my stomach, stealing the air from my lungs. I collapsed in on myself, gasping for breath as pain radiated through my ribs. He didn't stop. Blow after blow landed until I couldn't even lift my hands to shield myself, and when I did, he shoved my arm back so far that I was 90% sure it had at least been sprained or something.

But then I found myself closing my eyes, wishing all the pain away. At that very moment in time, I wanted to end it all, I didn't care if this was my last moment on earth. That was until the thoughts of Johnny came into my mind, I didn't know how he was- not till I'd last seen him earlier that day.