"Say bye to uncle Joey Gemma." Jenna encouraged holding the two year old against her hip, Joe smiled as Gemma waved at her. He wished he could be around to see his brother in law but his mother wanted him home. Joe waved to Gemma back kissing her cheek before giving his oldest sister a hug. He then left as soon he was off the street he lit up a cigarette inhaling the smoke. He knew his mother or father wouldn't agree with him smoking but it was the only thing he could do that made him stop and think that everything was going to be okay. He was too addicted to it now to stop and hoped neither of his parents found out or his sisters. He smoked as he made his way home only when he couldn't smoke no more he threw it on the ground stomping on it then putting a piece of gum in to hide the stench of smoke on his breath. He would have another one if he had time. He made his way up the path entering the house thankful when he smelt dinner cooking rather than his step father's beer but he knew that wouldn't be until later on when his mom worked the night shift as a nurse at the local hospital. She often worked nights.
"Joe is that you?" Denise questioned as he slipped his shoes up hanging his bag up on the hooks. He didn't plan to do homework anytime soon.
"Yeah it's me!" Joe called back sighing when his mother requested him to come through, he knew she would be having a chat with him about skipping school like he had done. He found school life hard, trying to be confident to get everyone off his back but it was hard.
"Joe what in earth happened to you?" Denise demanded as she made her way over laying her hand on his cheek stroking his cuts gently as his step father sniggered in his chair behind a news paper. He then remembered how he had hid himself away from her this morning so she didn't see his cuts. He didn't want her to worry about him. He could feel his step father's glare telling him to lie to her for his own safety. He gulped slightly knocking her hand away.
"I-I got into a fight at school, it was why I was sent home." Joe muttered looking down at the ground. He hated lying to his mother but it was for her own safety.
"Joe we've talked about this before, go to your room and don't come out until dinner. Joe groaned pushing her away from him storming upstairs. He hoped she would understand.
Joe was on Demi's mind throughout the day, he denied her help but she could understand that, she denied help as well until she no longer could. She wondered how long it had been going on for and how long it would continue. When she got out of her abusive family she thought she would get away from the abuse but clearly not.
"Hey Demi how was school?" Nathan questioned as she sat down next to him at the table as he helped some of the younger kids on their homework. She got hers out and begun doing hers, she wanted to do well at school now she had the choice.
"It was alright." She bit her lip debating whether she should tell someone about Joe but it was clear he didn't want her help but at the same time she was so thankful when someone had found out about hers and it could get sorted.
"That's good, you'd better get your homework done. You're welcome to do it in your room, we trust you enough to get it done." Demi nodded her head gently gathering up her belongings and books making her way upstairs. She just didn't know how long she could keep Joe's secret a secret, she just didn't want to not tell anyone then it all goes horribly wrong for him. She knew how it felt, being so down that she even felt like ending her own life or that while she was barely conscious that she just told herself over and over again that she would be better off dead. How a step father can do this to someone else's son she didn't know but she wanted to help Joe. Even if she was just being a friend to him rather than telling someone what was going on. She could try and convince him that telling someone was for the best.
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