Break On Me

Chapter one

Mackenzie's POV:
"Where do you think you're going?!" My father yells at me as I head towards the front door of our house. Not again. "I'm going to school." I say and he walks over to me and I can smell the alcohol on his breath "You're not going to school before you clean this house." He says and I take a step back "Don't walk away from me!" He yells and grabs my upper arm and pulls me closer to him "Clean this house, you worthless piece of crap!" He says then walks into his office and slams the door. I sag against the wall and close my eyes "Come on, Mac. Pull it together. We've been through this before." I whisper to myself. I call the school and tell them I'm sick then clean the house before dad comes back out of his office "Mackenzie! Where are you?!" Dad yells and I finish putting the broom away then walk into the living room to see him standing there watching me "Yes. It's clean." I say and he walks over to me with anger in his eyes and my body tenses "It better be clean or else." He says and then punches me in the jaw. Pain shoots through my jaw and I cover my face as he continues to punch me

Cole's POV:
I walk into History class and sit in my normal seat just as class begins "Okay class. Let's get started. Today we will have a pop quiz." Ms. Hill says and the class groans. She passes out the test sheets and I look around the room and notice the seat in front of me is empty. That's weird because that girl is normally here. I finish my test and as I walk up to give it to Ms. Hill I ask her where the girl is "She's sick today. She should be here tomorrow. Now go back to your seat." She says. I return to my desk and sit down "What'd you ask the teacher?" My best friend, Marcus, asks me from the seat behind me "Nothing." I whisper back. After school ends, I start walking home and I walk passed a white two-story house with blue shutters and I hear a man's voice yelling "You're just like your mother! Go up to your room!" The guy yells. Man that guy is loud! I walk the rest of the way home and stop in the kitchen for a drink when mom walks in "Hey, how was school?" She asks as she comes over and gives me a hug and I frown "It was okay." I say "What's wrong?" She asks "I was on the way home when I heard a man yelling at who I guess was his daughter. He sounded very mad. Nobody deserves to be yelled at that way." I say and she sighs "I've heard that same man yell before. Someone told me that his wife died in a car accident about six years ago. He has a daughter that's your age and I think she might go to your school. I can't remember their last name though." She says "So he takes out his anger on his daughter? That's not right. She doesn't deserve to be treated that way. Her mom dying wasn't her fault." I say "You're such a wise boy. I'm glad you haven't fallen into the wrong crowd at school. Your father and me are very proud of you." She says and I smile "Thank you. I'm wondering if I've ever seen that girl before." I say and she snaps her fingers "Maybe you can look at their mailbox when you walk passed their house next time. Then you could tell what their last name is." She says "What whose last name is?" Dad says from behind me and I jump making him chuckle "Jumpy much?" He says "We were just talking about that man who yells at his daughter that lives down the street. We were trying to remember his last name. Coke wants to know if he might recognize the daughter. I think she goes to school with him." Mom says