Broken (Edited edition)

Blizzard

After cleaning up the entire bathroom all night, then checking in on Mark.  Turns out he has a stomach bug, so he felt way better after puking his lungs out.  It's about four in the morning after that, and I pass out on the floor of the living room.  I feel someone drop a blanket over me, and put a pillow underneath my head.  I hear people talking when I wake up, and realize it's almost nine o'clock.  I sit up, and look over at the kitchen.  I see Mandy making coffee, her hair in a messed up bun."  Does Lyca take cream in her coffee?" She mumbles to herself, and I slowly stand up.  I yank my sleeves down, and make sure my scars aren't showing.  I stretch my arms in air, and scratch my back.  I walk slowly into the kitchen, and stand behind Mandy.  My hair is all puffy, and is loose in some places from my pony tail.  I groan, and she turns around quickly."  Lyca!  When did you wake up sweetie?"  She asks, and I blink a few times.  I point at the cup, and she looks at it."  Oh, do you like creamer in your coffee?"  She asks, and I nod."  Okay, one moment."  She stirs some creamer in the cup, then hands it to me.

I wipe my face, and Mandy brushes my hair from my face."  Go sit down, and watch some toons like a kid."  She says, and I mumble at her.  I sit on the ground on my fake bed, and look up at the TV.  Mandy turns on a cartoon about a sponge.  He's really stupid, and so his best friend that's a Starfish.  I sip my coffee, and kind of wake up after a while.  Not really though, because I was up four fucking hours in the morning.  I watch about four episodes, when I hear a loud yawn come down the hallway."  Mandy?"  I hear, and can tell it's Mark voice."  Yeah?"

"Where's Lyca?"  He asks, and comes out from the hall.  He looks over at me, and I give the best face I can accomplish."  Oh my God Lyca, you look exhausted.  Did you not sleep well?"  He asks, and sits down next to me."  No, I slept fine."  I say, and remain silent."  She was up cleaning up your mess."  Mandy says, and he looks down at me."  Lyca?  You cleaned up my....mess?"  He asks, and I nod."  I was the only one able to do it without vomiting myself."  I tell him, and look up at him.  He rubs my head, and smiles  at me."  She's just like you, doing the hard jobs."  Bob says as he walks out of the hallway, and I smile over at him."  So, are you feeling any better?"  I ask him, and he nods."  Very much, thank you."  He says, and pulls my hair out of my pony tail.  He pulls it tight, and puts it back up again.

We sit there watching cartoons, and Mark looks outside."  Wow, it's still snowing?  Anyone know when it's suppose to stop?"  Mark asks, and Bob looks at his phone."  Should stop on Friday."  He says, and Mark shrugs."  Well, I'm going to go work on some videos downstairs."  He says, and gets up."  You just relax today okay?"  Mark asks, and I nod at him.  I watch as he goes downstairs, and then look back up at the TV.  The show goes on for another hour, then I get up."  I'm going to get dress."  I say, and go to the bedroom.  I pull my shirt off, and search for a new one in my pile."  Lyca, do you want...."  Mandy says as she opens my door, then she stares at me.  I froze, and look over at her."  L....Lyca?"  She asks, and I run into the closet.  I shut the door, and lock it from the inside.  I hear running footsteps, then a commotion in the kitchen.  I sit against the door, and start crying silently.

She saw me, the real me.  With the scars, with the burns, without even a tank top or bra on.  My full on scars, not even Mark has seen my scars full on.  He's only seen me with a tank top on.  I hear some more running footsteps, and some more commotion."  What!"  I hear, and then more running footsteps.  I wipe my eyes, and hear a soft knock on the closet door."  Lyca, can you come out here?"  It's Mark, and I hide my face in my arms."  No!"  I say, and hear a soft sigh."  Lyca..."  He says, and I start crying again."  She saw....she saw!"  I yell, and he's quiet."  She saw everything!  Every scar, every burn, every wound!  How can I live with that?  How can I live with knowing she's seen the monster self of mine."  I tell him through the door, and lean my head against it."  I've seen your scars before."

"Not all of them."  I tell him, and moves around."  Lyca, open the door."  He says with a stern tone, and I look up."  How can I face you?  Knowing that you weren't....the first person."  I say, tears running down my face."  The first person to see your scars?  Lyca it shouldn't matter.  Because I still love you, and that should only matter.  Now open the door."  He says, and I slowly lift my hand up to the knob.  I turn the switch to unlock the door, and move so Mark can open it.  He does, and he sits down next to me.  I've pulled on my shirt already, and I've turned away from Mark.  He pulls me into his lap, and hugs me close to him.

He just sits there with me in my arms, and kisses my cheek."  No matter what, you are still family.  And we stick together."  He says, and I look up at him.  He pushes my hair out of my eyes, and kisses my nose."  Come on, lets go see the others."  Mark says, and he lifts me up.  I walk behind him slowly, and he keeps looking back at me to see I'm still there.  I stay in the hallway as he looks into the kitchen."  Hey Mandy, you okay?"  He asks, and I hear someone shuffle."  Yeah, is she okay?"  Mandy asks, and Mark looks over at me."  Come on."  He says, and I slowly move next to him.  My head's down, and he puts his head on my shoulder."  Lyca, nothing about you scared me.  You are a beautiful girl."  She says, and I look up at her.

"Really?"  I ask, raising an eyebrow."  Yes, it doesn't matter if you have scars."  She says, and I smile at her.  She smiles at me, and picks me off the ground."  Hey, lets go out for lunch  Eat some good food, and then come back.  The weather man says it should get bad after six today, so we should take our jolly time eating."  She says, and starts smiling."  Yeah, that sounds amazing."  Mark says, and I sit on the couch.  I wait for everyone to get dressed, then Mark stands in front of me.  He picks me up, and I put my arm around his neck.  He sets me down again so we can put our coats on.  He puts a huge warm jacket on me, and buttons it for me.  He buttons his coat up, and takes my hand again.

We all run out to the car, and get in.  I'm in the back with Wade and Mark, Bob is asking us where do we want to go.  We pick just a small restaurant that makes the best hot chocolate as Mandy says."  That sounds great."  I tell her as I look down at my hands.  Mark looks over at me, and sees me trembling.  I try to shake the feeling off of me, but I can't.  My hands are shaking violently, and I feel sick to my stomach.  Mark looks down at my hands, and looks at me again."  Lyca?"  He asks, and I look at him.

"What?"  I ask, and he looks down at my hands."  You're shaking."  He says, and I nod."  I know."  I tell him, and brush my hair behind my ears.  He takes my hands into his, and kisses them softly."  Calm down, just take a breathe."  He says, and I take in a deep breathe.  I let it back out, and look at him.  I smile at him weakly.  Bob parks in a free parking space, and we get out.  The snow is piling up, and falling still.  We run into the restaurant, and shake the snow off.

We grab a table, and Mark hands me my medication."  Thanks."  I tell him, and swallow it with some water."  It was my fault Lyca, I should've knocked first.  So don't feel bad about it okay?"  Mandy says, and I nod."  Okay, thank you.  I just...no one has ever seen my full on scars.  Not even Todd, which is kind of surprising.  I mean, I guess he's seen them.  But not all at once."  I tell her, and look down at my menu.  I order a warm cup of coffee, then get a bowl of soup.  Mark is still recovering from being sick, so he gets a soup as well.

"Okay, so I just have to ask.  Was it really that bad?  I mean her scars?"  Wade asks, and I kick him under the table.  He grits his teeth, and clutches at his leg."  No, but there are a lot of them."  She says, and I look at her."  How many?"  Wade asks, and I kick him again."  Lyca!"  Mark says, and I look over at him."  There are many, almost hundreds."  Mandy says, and I look over at her."  Two hundred and ninety-seven."  I mumble, and Mark looks over at me.

He doesn't say anything, he just grabs me by the wrist.  He walks me over to the men's restroom, and locks the door after us.  He picks me up, and sits down on the ground.  He presses my head into his chest, and holds me tightly.  He starts shaking, and puts his head down so I can't see his face.  He takes in a sharp breathe, and holds puts his hand on my cheek.  I feel tears drip onto my head, and look up at him."  I'm so sorry baby, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you from that heathen."  He says, and holds me there.  I feel tears roll down my face, and hug him around the neck."  At least you saved me before he killed me."  I tell him, and he wipes the tears from my face.

After crying for about ten minutes, we clean ourselves up.  Then we go back to the table, and finish the rest of our food.