The Unhidden

Chapter 8

Harold takes me home and I go in the house. Mikey, Yolanda, Chrissy, and Adam are in the living room. I walk in "hey."

"Hey how was your evening?"

"I went to my parents work and talked to their coworkers. I went to the police station and filed for a complaint against Lauren and Justin."

They look at me "why?"

"Lauren keeping me in an abusive household and Justin for abusing me for the last 16 years."

"Justin was abusing you?"

"Yea, I'm going to bed ok?" They all nod and I leave to my room.

As I'm getting ready for bed I hear a knock on my door and it opening slightly. Chrissy walks in "hey can I sleep in here tonight?"

"Of course and I know you want to talk about it."

"Do you...?"

I show her my wrists, thighs, hips, ankles, legs, neck, and finally my stomach. All my scars from suicide attempts on my neck, wrists, thighs, legs, and ankles. My bruises, the burns I had to suffer through all from Justin. My scars when I was alone and my parents had died. Finally all the pain that I went through for the last ten years in my eyes.

It's quiet for awhile then I get pulled into a long relaxing hug.

"Carr know this, I love you no matter what, nothing or no one is going to change that, you are loved by this family and others. You shouldn't need to do this. You don't, I know it was hard to go through with no type of support but you have it now more than anything in the world."

"Thanks and I know, I also have an eating disorder. But Lauren didn't really know because I was always with friends, the only times I was home was for holidays, school nights, and occasions that my friends were busy."

"...Carr you still didn't deserve that."

I nod "let's watch a movie." I say wanting to get off the topic.

We watch a movie and soon Chrissy falls asleep. It's 10:30 when I look at the clock. I walk to my door, open it and the house is silent. Everyone must be sleep. I go to the guest rooms and I find Mikey and Yolanda in one sleep and Adam in the other sleep. I walk down the hall to the stairs and go to the living room. I sit down. Then I get back up and grab some snacks and walk down to the basement.

Dads office is down here and the basement looks the same. TV in the corner, sofa along the wall, table in the middle, nothing out of place. I go dads office and there's a bed, I close the door and lay in his bed. It smells of him so much I start to cry myself to sleep.

I wake up to talking and yelling. I don't check I just lay in the bed. I hear it less and less then the basement door opening. "She would be in here to be near her father" I hear Mikey talking. I act sleep when the door starts to open for the office. I feel a hand on the bed. "Carr come on get up."

I get up and cry. I get pulled into Mikey's arms. "Shush Carr I know you miss him."

I get pulled up and we start walking upstairs. "Mikey?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for coming over here to care for me. I appreciate it."

"No you don't have to thank me, hey I was wondering if you would like it if either we stayed here or if you wanted to come back to Jordan with us. If you came with us you would have you learn how to read, write, and speak in Arabic. If you want us to stay then we can move our things here and have the home rented out so that can be our vacation home."

"I'd like it if you stayed here, you can still teach me everything but I'm not ready to leave my home."

"I understand ok and it'd be a good new start."