You're Family Now

Part 17

Gems pov-

I sat silently eating my cereal and thinking about my past. I shouldn't be as worked up on the inside as I am right now but I can't seem to help it.

I remember when my sisters boyfriend and her used to torcher me and they made a game out of it. The object of the game was to see who could make me scream and cry the most the quickest, winner got to add another cut to my skin.

I remember one night that beating was rough, I couldn't move my body a centimeter so I just sat sill in the splintered wooden chair. My sister told me a story one night, a poem or hidden thought more like it but some how she knew it would get into my head.

' A girl always dreams of her life and what it will be like when she is older. She dreams of a big house and adoring family. She dreams of happily having the perfect life and not a care in the world.... I was one of those girls you know, I would sit and dream and talk to our mom and she would dream with me.

You fail to relize that I do have a heart, I do feel pain and suffering and hurt but the thing is I have a reason, I have something to blame... I have YOU!'

Her words rang through my ears, reeling and running. Spinning and turning, causing my heart to ache, adding to my physical pain. I sat for god knows how long and her and her boyfriend just laughed until I felt sharp object strike my cheek causing a long slim cut down my face. That little bit of pain pushed me over the edge and I blacked out that day.

I get brought back to the present with two hands one of each of my shoulders and my eyes stinging.

I don't look to see who it is I just get up to run back to my room. I stand and the two separate people catch me but I shove through them roughly, causing me to stumble slightly. I race up the stairs, into my bedroom and slam the door behind me, forgetting to lock it. I rush over to the far corner of the room and press my back against it, curling myself into the tightest ball I could and let the tears fall.

Milliseconds later my small cry turns into a full fledged sob. My chest is in so much pain and I feel so damn empty, so goddamn empty.

There's a small knock in my door but I ignored it and continue to cry.

"Gem?" The person mutters through the door and it's too soft to make out who it is. The door handle jiggles slightly before opening and I keep my head locked between my knees so I can be curled up in a tighter ball.

"Oh, baby girl...." Mitch sighs and comes over to me.

"Don't touch me.." I choke out but he continues to inch his way over to my side slowly. "I said don't touch me!!"

"Gemma what's wrong? Please tell me." He pleas.

" I keep screwing stuff up.." I mutter.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I don't know, I can just feel that I am."

" I don't understand... why are you crying so much?" He asks.

I hesitate before answering. "I feel like I cant do anything right! When I was younger I was beat and raped and told it was either a punishment or a lesson, so I always thought I was doing something wrong and blamed myself. I was still beaten at the orphanage, I was beaten by my sister and her boyfriends and they turned it into a game! THEY TURNED MY PAIN INTO A FUCKING GAME! It hurt Mitch. It hurt so damn much. And I'm still hurting! I HATE MYSELF BECAUSE I AM HURTING SO MUCH! And I just can'-"

I'm cut off by him rapidly picking me up into his lap and holding me tightly.

All I can hear if my non-stop sobs and Mitch continuously muttering endless apologies for stuff he couldn't have controlled.

My sobbing continues on for what feels like hours until I black out.

Alesas pov-

I wake up and instantly feel like sonething isn't right but I ignore it and get dressed so I stop feeling like a slob. I head over to suitcase to get out some calls and my phone goes off.

From: Mitchell that Benja kid
Time: 9:47 a.m.

Hey Alesa, I know this is weird but I need u to come over and help me with Gem, she just told me some stuff and I don't know how to handle it and I figured since ur a girl u might know. Please head over whenever you can.
           Thanks,
                      Mitch

I quickly get dressed and head over to the rented house almost forgetting to tell Adam and Jason where I am going.

As soon as I pull up to the house and park, I basically run out of the car to the front door and don't even knock, I just walk in and go upstairs. I hear someone whisper my name and find Mitch in the first room holding a sleeping Gem in his lap.

"What's up? What's wrong?" I instantly question, keeping my voice down to make sure not to wake Gem.

"She told me she was beaten and raped by her sister and her sisters boyfriends. It wasn't just the orphanage lady." He says, his voice strained like he's holding back tears.

"Is that all she told you?" I ask and his face contorts to show confusion.

"What do you mean? There's more?"

I shake my head, "Well, sort of, there's more detail. I'm going to tell you and you need to stay calm okay?"

He nodds.

I tell him the story, down to every last detail and I avoid eye contact until I hear sniffling and look up to see him crying lightly and staring at Gem who has tear stains streaked on her face.

"That's why she was so mad at you, you know? She was more than afraid when Jason was acting like he was going to rape her, she was absolutely TERRIFIED and you could see it in her eyes. She has scars all over her body, she'll show you eventually I'm sure, but she hasn't had a happy childhood Mitch and there's still so much we don't know about her." I state and he nodds wiping his eyes dry.

There was a few moments of silence before he speaks again. "She says she still hurts.... I could tell in her voice that it wasn't just physical pain she was talking about, it was deeper than that. What do I do Alesa? I don't know what to do."

I think for a moment. " When she wakes up talk to her, she's far more scarred than we thought, try to see if you can convince her to let you get her help. If she declines or refuses, go from there."

He nodds and we say our goodbyes and thank yous before I leave and tell Adam and Jason.