Panic! They're adopting you

Chapter 6

Alex's pov
I went up the stairs to figure out where Rian ran off too, the guys are pissing me the hell off. They don't seem to understand how fragile Lizzie is and that they need to be quieter around her then normal. She's had 2 panic attacks since she's gotten here and I'm no longer sure that having her stay with us is the best idea. She seems like a really sweet kid, but I don't want her to get hurt, or be hurt by her own actions.
I knocked on Rians' door and all I heard back was a groan, so I walked in.

" Jesus fuck, dude, what happened in here?" I said. Shit was thrown around his room. The dresser that usually sat in the corner was in the center of the room with clothing spilling out of it, and Rians bald ass head was red like he had been scratching at it too much.

"Nothing Alex, leave me alone. I'm fine." He said.

"No, what's wrong? You've been acting weird since you saw Lizzie. What's up?"

"Alex just leave it be! And let me be alone, in peace!" He yelled. But, he didn't seem angry at me so much as angry at himself. At this point Jack had run up the stairs to make sure everything was okay.

Rian calmed down after a little while. We didn't want to leave him because we were worried as to what might happen. When he did finally calm down he didn't tell us what was going on with him, but he did say he was going to bed and not to bother him until at least 9 am unless the house was burning down and he needed to get out of it.

Me and Jack walked downstairs afterward, hand in hand. (Shhh our little secret, k?) And saw that Lizzie had somehow ended up out of the cupboard, asleep on Zack, with a half eaten sandwich in her hand.

Zack's Pov

I walked to the cupboard after the guys went to check on Rian, I had made one of Lizzie's favorite sandwiches, in an attempt to get her to come out.

"Hey, Liz" I said, walking towards her hiding spot.

"Please don't take me back, Zack, he'd be so mad." She whimpered.

"Who'd be mad? Honey, what's happened to you? You used to be so outgoing, carefree, and feisty. Now you're hiding from someone, who's known you your entire life, in a cupboard." I said. It really shows how quick some things change.

"Him. Dad. He has his ways of finding out, sending people after me, people like. . ." She started breathing heavier. " People like Robert"

"Why's dad sent people after you? Where is he? Who's Robert?" I asked.

"Oh, I forgot, you don't know." She whispered, I inched forward to hear her better, she tried to back up but hit the back of the cupboard, so I scooted back again. "Dad, he. . . Um. . . He changed. . . After you left us. . . He blamed me. . . For all of it, mom, you leaving, him losing his job, him finally running out of booze. So, he. . . You aren't going to hurt me if you get mad Zack? Are you? You aren't going to behave like him, right?" She asked all of sudden. I finally understood, our father. If you can even call him that, had beaten her, possibly worse than that, and it was completely my fault. I nodded, I had to hear her say it. " He punished me, he took joy in it though, sometimes I hadn't done anything, I couldn't understand. I still don't understand."

"I'm so sorry Lizzy. I shouldn't have left you." I said. I can't understand how my father could turn to that.

"It's okay Zack, I understand now, I did deserve some of it. I got mom killed, I pushed you away, he had every right to beat me for those things, Cynthia had every right to taunt me for those things. . . But, not making dinner on time, that isn't something i deserved to get almost strangled for." She said with sudden conviction. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself, more than she was trying to convince me.

"You didn't deserve any of it, Liz." She visibly flinched at the use of the nickname this time. I can't believe she thinks she deserved any of that, it wasn't her fault I left, we had tour, I was going to tell them that night, but I couldn't bring myself to tell them I was leaving so soon after our mom had died. "Who's Robert? What's he done? And Cynthia? I thought she was our best friend?" I was scared to find out, but I had to ask.

"Robert is. . . Well he's the reason you boys terrify me. I'm sorry, but that probably won't ever completely go away. He's one of dads friends, I think he even visited once, but that irrelevant. He was the last person to adopt me before you four. Dad talked him into it, said I still needed a punishment for ratting him out. I thought he was just going to beat me. He told me on the way home that he was a friend of dads and I was going to get what was coming. . . I didn't know that he meant. . . That. . . I . . . I'm sorry, this is probably not important to you, I deserved it, go check on Ri." That bastard, how could he! She's just an innocent little girl! She'd never hurt anyone! How could she think I wouldn't care? Why does she think I'll leave? Did he do that to her more than the on-

"Zack, you're still here? Why? Ri is upset, go check on him. I'm unimportant, and as soon as Alex finds out what's happened to me he's goignt to send my ass right back to the fucking orphanage." My surprise at her swearing must've been evident because she freaked out. "Oh no, I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to! I'll be good, just please don't. . . No, I deserve it." She said over tears, she looked like she was bracing for impact, and I realised she was waiting for me to start swinging.

"Oh, Lizzie. I'm never going to leave you again. Come out of the cupboard? I brought you a sandwich, it's peanut butter banana, your favorite." She slowly inched out of the cupboard, as if checking to see that I wasn't lying. She made a leap for the hand that held food, took it, and slowly leaned back toward the cupboard, as if asking to hide in it again.

"No Liz." There was that flinch again, something must be up with the nickname I used to use. "Come sit on the couch with me okay? Bring your sandwich. If you feel up to it, can you tell me about Cynthia?" She ate half her sandwich before answering. 

"She knew about dad, hers helped him, and she beat me. Tried to make me help her hurt other people too." 

"Oh, Liz" She flinched again, but this time it was because of the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. As soon as she heard the third step squeak, she leaned onto me, pretending to sleep.