Things Unseen

Things Never Really Change

"Nice choice of aroom."A man with messy blonde hair said standing in the doorwaylooking at you causing you to gasp a bit in surprise at the sound ofhis voice not expecting anyone to be there. "Woah, calm down Ididn't mean to scare you. My name is Tate, I live next door althoughat one time I lived in this house. Actually this was my room."Hechuckled, his brown eyes sparkling a bit in the dull light of the oldchandelier that hung over your bed.

"I'm [Y/N], and Ilike it. It feels like home...I guess."You said tucking a straypiece of hair behind your ear blushing every so slightly making youpray that it wasn't noticable. Maybe your parents met him and thensent him up there to meet you, they were always trying to pressureyou into making friends. "So do you go to school around here?"Youask just to make a little bit of small talk, you weren't so great atthe initial getting to know someone but once a friendship wasestablished you wouldn't stop talking.

"Nah, I don't goto school anymore. What about you? What school are you going to bestarting up?"Tate asked sounding very interested in you whichconfused you for a moment.

"Oh no, Igraduated already almost two years ago. I was not going to stickaround all four years of that hell hole."You laughed somewhatawkwardly. "What is there to do around here?"You inquired notreally sure what else to talk about it wasn't like you had found somecommon ground yet that you could converse about.

"Not much sadly,but I am sure we can find something to do sometime. That is if youwant to and all of that."He offered kindly but with a nervous tonemaking you unsure if he actually meant it or if he was just doing itto be friendly and neighborly.

"That sounds goodactually."You started to say before your father interrupteddropping boxes of your stuff after running right into Tate, knockinghim onto the floor. "Dad!"You yelled out jumping up to help Tateup off the floor. "Are you okay?"You ask as he got to his feet.

"Yeah I'm alright,no problem."He grunted taking a deep breath smiling while dustinghimself off, helping to pick the boxes off of the floor.

"I'm sorry Iwasn't expecting anyone to be up here."Your father said flusteredand embarrassed. "See [Y/N] you are already making friends here."Hesaid pretending to act like the ever doting father he wanted toappear as when he first met people. "I'm John, [Y/N]'s father. It'sa pleasure to meet you."He introduced himself with a toothy grin.

"Tate, I live nextdoor. I saw the moving trucks so I thought I would come introducemyself. I must have missed you out front because I just came upon[Y/N] first."He said in a very formal manner having a look on hisface like he smelt something really bad. It didn't really seem to fithis personality from what you had seen so far. "I should probablyget home, it's about dinner time and mom will have a fit if I'm notthere. I'll see you tomorrow [Y/N]?"He asked his warm smilereturning to his face when he looked at you.

"I'll be here."Yousaid chuckling a little as you helped your father bring the rest ofthe boxes in your room noting from the sea of them in front of youthat it was now time to unpack. It was unusual that someone actuallywanted to hang out with you, but you would see tomorrow if heactually wanted to or if he was just making a broad open endedstatement. Past events had led you to be quite skeptical about otherpeople and their true intentions which was probably why you enjoyedthe company of the dead more often than the living they had less of areason to lie. The movers brought up the rest of the boxes markedwith your name on them setting them on the hardwood floor that wasspread throughout most of the house. Using a box cutter you startedslicing through the tape, popping the cardboard pieces open to revealit's contents. Slowly you began putting your belongings where youthought they belonged in this new space. Time had passed more quicklythan you felt it actually did because soon enough you were beingcalled down for dinner. At the old place you usually just grabbedyour food and retreated to your room but since this was a newbeginning your mother insisted that everyone sit at the dinner tabletogether and have family time.

Dreading this newrule it made every step feel like your feet weighed a hundred poundsmaking it almost brutally painful. They were already sat around thelong wooden table with paper plates containing some kind of cheappizza, your mother having a glass of wine, and your father an openbottle of beer. Grimacing you knew this was how it usually began,just a couple of bottles of beer with dinner and days later...catastrophe but it was no use arguing that fact because you alwayslost. Filling your own cup with the contents of the can of soda satnext to it, you didn't even speak. Neither did they, it was just adinner filled with awkward silence and the smell of greasy meltedcheese. One you were finished you went to excuse yourself and throwaway the empty plate and cup only to be interrupted by your fathersstern voice.

"Young lady don'tyou think you should be asking your mother's permission to leave thetable?"He asked narrowing his eyes, sloshing the contents of histhird beer around in the bottle that he held in his hand.

"I've never had tobefore."You lament not sure what he was trying to do, maybe pick afight with you? "Why should I have to start now?"You inquire notrudely just curious.

"John, she doesn'thave to ask me, she is an adult now."Your mom stated softly tryingto defend you and defuse the situation at the same time which was acommon event these days.

"Goddamn it Karenshe needs to start showing us some fucking respect around here!"Hescreamed slamming his beer down on the table breaking the bottom outcausing the beer to go everywhere. "See what you did you littleirritant?! You made me make a mess, you are always causing me to makemesses."He growled standing up shaking his hands off throwing theliquid off them everywhere. "I'm going to teach you a lesson inrespect."He said with pure fire in his eyes, and hellfire on hisbreath. Pushing the chair out crashing it into the wall he startedtaking harsh steps towards you grabbing you behind the neck pushingyou violently onto the floor. As you tried to get up to run away hegrasped your shirt yanking you back, the fabric gave way and insteadof being pulled towards him you flew down bashing your head on thechair you once sat in.

"JOHN LEAVE HERALONE THIS INSTANT!"Your mother screamed seeing the blood nowgushing from the area above your eyebrow. Dizziness and the rush ofblood to your head was making it almost impossible for you to seeeverything around you blurring, there was even a little puddle ofblood forming right on the floor. Wobbling to your feet you takeadvantage of him being temporarily distracted by your mother yellingto run upstairs towards your room. Stumbling, you make it to yourinside where you lock the door shoving your heavy trunk in front ofit. Sitting for a moment on top of it your world was swirling, it wastaking all of your strength to remain conscious. Suddenly someone wasgrasping your face and talking to you but you couldn't comprehend thesounds.

"[Y/N]! Whathappened?"Tate asked picking you up and carrying you to thebathroom setting you in the bathtub, blood now covering your torsoand hands. You didn't even have enough left in you to be embarrassedby Tate seeing you in just your bra. Turning on the hot water,filling the tub with it you were starting to relax and get your witstogether. By that time your father was banging on your door and yourmother was sobbing and begging him to leave you alone. Tate looked atyou with pain in his eyes and suddenly he understood exactly what hadhappened. "Stay right here, I'm not going to let him hurt you."Hestated firmly helping to wipe away the blood, taking his sweatshirtoff pressing it to your forehead hoping it would stop. "Deepbreaths."He whispered softly in your ear in a comforting manner.You didn't know how he got in your house, but you were sure glad thathe did. Breathing softly, with the warmth of the bath, and the achingin your head you couldn't prevent it anymore, your world turnedblack.

A/N: Hey there! Ihope you enjoyed chapter two! If you did please give me a littlefeedback so I know to keep on writing! Thanks for reading! -A