Broken (Edited edition)

Who's Line is it Anyway?

The next morning, I wake up to someone standing over me.  At first, I think it's Todd and I cover my head thinking he's going to start kicking me.  Then I look up, and notice it's Nona."  What you on floor again?"  She asks, and I shrug."  It's comfy still."  I tell her, and rub my eyes as I sit up."  I also didn't wake your 'injured' son."  I say, and she smiles at me."  You very nice kid, but you also need rest in bed."  She says, and I grin.  I rub my eyes again, and rest my head on top of my knee."  What time is it?"  I ask Nona, and she looks at her watch."  Almost eight in morning.  Mark is in kitchen making coffee for you both."  She says, and helps me stand by taking my hands into hers.  I walk down the hall with her, and find Mark standing near the coffee maker.  He's leaning against the counter, and has already a fresh cup of coffee sitting next to his elbow."  You suppose to be resting, not moving."  Nona says to him, and he rolls his eyes."  Mom, I have to get my strength somehow.  Sitting around doing nothing is not doing that."  He says, and I tug at his pant leg so he looks down at me."  You're suppose to be recovering; the definition of recover is return to normal state of mind, and strength.  So that would mean you have to rest your muscles before working them out again."

He just smiles at me, and sighs."  Fine, okay you two.  After I get my cup of coffee, I'll go sit on the couch.  Will that make you happy?"  He asks us, and Nona says a big, fat 'YES'.  Mark's coffee finishes up, and he walks slowly over to the couch in front of the TV.  When he turns it on, it shows a breaking news segment."  The young ten year old Lyca was spotted coming out of the Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center just a few weeks back.  Her adopting father was going to court to defend against Lyca's actual mother.  Mrs. Parker accepted a meeting with us by phone call, and says terrible things about her young daughter.  She tells about how violent and dangerous her daughter truly is.  Authorities have found out she has Major Depression, and has disorders that could lead to insanity.  More on this story at ten."  I'm glad I didn't have the cup of coffee in my hands, because it would've dropped to the floor.  My mother called me 'Violent'?  She called me 'Dangerous'?  I grab the remote from Mark, and change the channel."  Hey..Lyca!"  He says, and I glare at him."  If I catch you watching anything about me on the news, I will break every TV in the apartment.  Understand?"  I say, and he sinks back into the couch."  Yes."  He says, his tone sounding very sad."  I don't want to hear anything about my mother, or myself for that matter, ever again on television.  It's not any of their business what I do now that I've escaped them."

I finally grab my coat, and Nona to drive to town."  Alright, Mark stay put.  No walking around, Thomas will be back soon okay?"  Mark nods, and rests his head on the back of the couch.  I get into the back of Nona's car, and she starts driving."  Why need to go to town?"  She asks as she's driving."  I need to buy Mark something."  I say, and pull out my money.  I have three hundred in cash on me, and I have the rest of it in my suitcase back at the house."  What particular you buy?"  Nona asks, and I look up from the bills in my hand."  Movies and TV shows."  I say, and she nods."  Of course, I know great place."  Nona says, and takes a turn into a market area.  She parks near Barnes and Noble, and takes my hand as we walk toward the book store.

Some people look at us oddly as we past them, I hear some of them whisper my name a few times.  We walk through the front doors, and go to the back where the DVD's section is."  What you look for?"  Nona asks, and I start looking through the television shows."  Who's Line is it Anyway?  Have you heard of it?"

"Heard of it?  That all Mark watches."  Nona says, and looks with me."  Here, buy this one."  She says, and I see it's a pack of them.  It's about ten seasons of it, and it's only forty dollars."  Thanks Nona."  I say, and stare over at the books around us."  Could we stay here a bit longer, I want to look at the books for a little bit."  She nods, and tells me she'll be in the café reading a magazine.  She leaves me alone, and I look through the books around me.  As I start looking through them, some girls start laughing.  I look up, and see them look at me as they giggle their asses off."  Look who it is, Mommy dearest's little FREAK."  One of them says, and I drop the books and DVD I have in my arms.  The other girls start cracking up, and I stare there shaking."  What Freak?  You going to cry.  Baby gonna cry?"  The girl asks, and I pick up the books and DVD I dropped.  They are all laughing, and start chanting 'Freak' at me.  I look over at them, and brush the dust and dirt off the top of my books."  If you think you'll make me cry, you've got another thing coming."  I say.

They all look at me, and I just grin at them.  My vision goes black for a moment, then comes back for me.  They all stare at me, and start to step away from me."  Don't ever look at me again!"  I growl at them, and go over to the café.  Nona is sitting with a cup of coffee, and reading a magazine on Chinese dishes."  Hey, I'm ready to go."  I say, and she looks."  Okay, let's get that stuff and go."  She says, and takes my hand as we walk to the register.  I pay for my items, and we get back in the car."  I think you handle girls good by the way."  Nona says as she gets back onto the highway.  I look over at her, and she smiles gently.  She places her hand on top of mine, and rubs softly."  You don't have to be afraid to cry or be angry.  Because I know anger, Mark know anger, we all know anger.  But if your anger has created different part of you, you control it from inside you."  She says, and I nod."  Thank you Nona."

"I love you, Mark love you.  So if angry, just tell us.  We help you with anger."  She says, and starts driving through her neighborhood."  I think that I've grown comfortable with my other part of me.  It comes in handy sometimes when I'm in trouble or need help."  I tell her, and she nods."  You are very unique.  Very unique indeed."  She says, and drives down the driveway.  When she parks the car, I get out and run into the house.  I see Mark sitting on the couch still, his feet on one side of it, and he looks bored out of his mind."  Hey."  I say, and run over to him.  He smiles at me, and kisses my cheek."  Hey, what did you get?"  He asks, and I hand him the bag.  He opens it, and starts laughing."  Ah hell yeah."  Mark says, and I start laughing as he reads the back of the case."  Thank you."  He says, and he asks for me to put in one of the disks.  I do, and we start watching the show.  He says I can sit in between his legs, and so I sit there.  He plays with my hair as he's watching his favorite show, and Thomas comes in to see us like that."  Hey, I got your medicine."  He says, and hands a small bag to Mark."  Hey, didn't you say that Lyca has medicine as well?  Doesn't she need to take it?"  Thomas asks, and Mark puts his head on top of mine."  Only at night, and she takes it on her own."  He says to Thomas, and he nods."  Okay, I was just making sure."  He says.

Nona comes into the house, and smiles at us."  You two cute together."  She says, and I smile at her.  Mark wraps his arms around me, and leans his back against the cushions."  I'm sorry by the way."  he says, and I look up at him."  For what?"  I ask, and he sighs gently."  I'm sorry...for wanting to watch that new segment about you."  He says, and holds me a bit tighter."  I don't want to think about her, or about what we had to go through to get here.  I can never be the same after any of this, and I don't want to hear the bent truth of people.  Those....stupid news reporters.  Even the teenagers here are making fun of me, treating me as a danger to society."

"What?  What teenagers?"

"At the book store.  They called me names and were laughing at me."  I stop speaking, and move so I'm facing the couch.  He starts to stroke my hair, and kisses my forehead."  If they think treat you like trash, it probable means they think of themselves as trash."  He says, and I smile a little bit."  That...kind of helps, and he grins."  I bet it does."  He says, and I start smiling brighter."  Thank you Mark."  I say, and kiss his cheek.  I get off the couch, and decide to make some lunch for the both of us.  I take out a frozen pizza, and cook it in the oven.  Nona comes in, and looks confused at the pizza in the oven."  What you doing?"

"Making lunch, go relax.  I got this."  I tell her, and she just stands there in shock."  Do you cook usually in L.A.?"

"Well, I enjoy cooking.  I like to make noodles, burgers, soups.  I'm really good at it.  So when Mark wants to stay in for the night, I like to make dinner most of the time.  It just helps me relax a bit."  I tell her, and the timer goes off for the pizza.  I take it out of the oven, and cut it into slices.  I put out plates, and grab pizza for Mark and I.  I hand him his pizza, and I sit down on the couch next to him.  He puts his lags on my lap, and I look over at him."  Careful, it's hot."  I tell him, and watch Nona grab a slice for herself.  She sits on the other couch, and watches the TV with us as we eat lunch.