Playing Perfect

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Nichole

The room was a dark red, close to the color of blood. I remembered this room vaguely. Sort of like deja vu. I froze. Three little girls ran into the room. The littlest one's blonde hair stood out. She was different than the other two, but had their facial features. I knew them. I knew all of them.

Us.

"Lana look at Torri!" We laughed at the little toddler who stumbled around the toy covered floor. After we were done laughing at her Lana helped to across the floor. After all, what are sisters for?

"You're learning really fast Torri! Good job!" Torri smiled her beautiful smile. I guess being a mute child has its advantages. She could calm so many people down just by smiling. A drunk man who looked a lot like my father tripped into the room.

"Why does the living room look like this!" he yelled but his words were slightly slurred. Lana stood up and pushed us behind her.

"Dad I'm sorry. I didn't know it was so late. I'll get right on it." she hastily started picking up toys. She didn't see him. Torri couldn't warn her and I was frozen. He picked up one of his broken beer bottles from beside the trash. He stood over Lana not making a sound. Poor innocent Lana. Lana looked over at us and smiled before the bottle hit her head. She screamed. It didn't last long though. Dad was silent through the whole thing while Lana's scream echoed through the house. She had grew her wings in an awful way, but at least she had hers. She was no longer trapped. She could fly. Unlike Torri and I. Dad looked at us with nothing but pure fury in his eyes. I quickly scooped up Torri and ran. What would Lana do? What would Lana do? I wasn't fast enough and he caught me. He yanked the precious three year old from my arms.

"Daddy no!" I pulled on his arm, but I was six and he was six foot two. "She's special!" He gave a heartless laugh before hitting her with the same weapon used on Lana. After a long fight little Torri was an angel too. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen so she fought and in the end she did it for me. When my dad held Torri's lifeless body in his arms he showed one emotion. The only one I've ever saw. Regret.

"I'm sorry Nichole. They just weren't strong enough."

But he was wrong.

Torri struggled so that he would see the awful thing he just did. She let her wings be broken for me. They would always be damaged by the way she earned them, but to her, they resembled who the greatest three year old ever saved.

Me.

I was slowly being woke up to tender kisses softly landing on my wet cheeks. My eyes fluttered open to find Louis' blue-green ones looking down at me. "I heard you screaming and when I came in you were crying." he played with my fingers unsure how to go on. He was worried and I didn't blame him.

"It's ok." I didn't want to see my face, but the parts of my arms that weren't in casts were covered in bruises. I bet my face was ten times worse and he kissed me? Eck.

"I'm sorry." Louis whispered. I looked away from my arms long enough to see the guilt in his eyes. "I tried not to hit him because he is your dad and you love him, but he just kept hurting you even after you blacked out." he sighed. "I couldn't take it." A tear slipped out of his eye. I sat up on the hospital bed.

"Don't be sorry." I wiped his tear away. "You did what anyone in love would do." he smiled. "Louis I was nervouswhen you said it  the first time because every time someone supposedly loves me they hurt me." I bit my lip. "But you love me for my flaws. The things they beat me for having. That's why I love you too." he pressed his lips against mine more determined than ever to take my pain away. His hands gentely cupped my face. He seemed to think that if he held on too tight I would shatter into a million pieces and he wouldn't be able to put me back together. Like Humpty Dumpty. I thought about my sisters and how they would approve of Louis. Lana was probably rambling something about how he has a lot of money so I shoukld be happy and Torri.

Torri.

Torri would be smiling. Her blonde hair would be glistening and her brown eyes clearer than ever. She never talked, but her smile said so many words without saying anything at all. I loved and missed them. When Louis pulled away breathless I stared into his eyes and saw nothing but love. My sisters, my guardian angels, were proud of me.

You want to know how I know?

Louis was smiling. Not a smile that belonged to him though. That smile.

That smile belonged to Torri.