Dolls in Dollhouses (A Jonnor Fanfiction)

Part 9

I think about what Siris said about me as I walk home. I couldn't see myself as a good person at all. Connor must hate me now, I know he does, he has to. I broke his heart just because I couldn't face the fate that awaits me.
I'm not, I tell myself, I'm not. I love Taylor and she loves me.
I walk up the steps to my house. I set my bag down as I walk in, taking off my shoes slowly and unzip my jacket keeping it hanging on my body. I covered my face during the attack so I'm pretty sure it's not bruised.
I go to moms' room, and knock twice.
"Come in." I hear Stef call.
"Uh-I have to tell you guys something."
"Of course honey, what is it?" Lena pats the bad as a gesture for me to sit.
I shake my head and carefully take off my jacket.
"Jude! What happened?" Stef jumped up.
"I-I got jumped." Technically the truth.
"Well are you alright?" Lena gently picks up my slightly bruised arm.
I look down to hold back the sudden tears that brim my eyes, I lightly shake my head. Stef & Lena look at each other in deep concern.
Then Stef speaks up, "Jude is this the only place you're hurt?"
I nod not looking her in the eye. I should of known that gave it away.
"Jude will you lift up your shirt for us?"
I get extremely nervous and shake my head. I'm turned enough to see Jesus in the corner of my eye standing outside our bed room door with a kind of shocked, worried look on his face.
Stef stands up, "Jesus will you get your brother to help you set the table, we'll be down shortly."
She closes the door, "Jude, shirt now." She says it sternly which makes me flinch a little, she notices and quickly changes her tone, "please."
I lift up my shirt and look up at them so I don't have to see the damage. I know it's bad.
***
Yellow, black, purple, blue, and green are mixed in different shades and patches scattered across my stomach, side, and chest.
I remember reading somewhere that when you look in a mirror you look 10 times worse/uglier then what you actually are; I hope that's what it is now. I doubt it though, cause I also read something about what you see in the mirror is totally different then what it actually looks like.
I listen to Callie and moms talking next door.
"How long has this been going on?"
Callie seemed angry, not at me but at my secret, and who caused it. At least I hope.
"We don't know," Lena says, "you can talk to him after dinner, he'll listen to you more than us."
"For now leave it on the down low, I think Jesus already knows or at least some of it but we don't need the whole house knowing and overwhelming him," Stef says quietly but obviously not quiet enough.
***
It's awkward at dinner. Callie kept glancing at me but tried to act normal and join in the conversation amongst everyone else.
Jesus knows something is wrong and I think he saw my bruises so I'm kind of on edge.
After dinner Brandon, Jesus, and Mariana start to help moms clean up.
"I need to talk to you," Callie says taking me outside in the backyard.
I can just sense everyone else watching us.
"Okay tell me what's going on. You're becoming distant; why didn't you come to me? Especially now when you get beat up! Why didn't you come to me?"
I see Stef peaking out.
"I-" I stopped myself; why didn't I tell anyone the first time? Instead I just hoped someone would find out.
I thought back to what Siris said about finding where the disaster started, in this case referring to me getting beat up it started when I decided to not tell any one.
"I," I start again, "I just wanted to deal with it myself." I'm just not doing a very good job at it.
"You can't-I mean you don't have to," she sat by me on the beach of the picnic table, "That's why I'm here, to protect you and be a good big sister."
"You shouldn't have to protect me," I objected.
"Just let me be your big sister," she pauses and that's when I see her eyes welled with tears. Did I do that? "I don't want to fail you Jude. Not now, not like last time."
She's talking about when she got arrested, protecting me. Like always.
"That's the thing Callie, I don't want to be the reason you get in trouble all the time."
"Is that why you didn't tell me?"
I nod thinking if there was any other reason besides the embarrassment I didn't want to enlighten.
"Don't worry about me getting in trouble, worry for your safety and keeping this a secret is not a good note for your safety."
I nod. There's nothing else to say.