Skinny Hips // Ashton Irwin

six // we have to find dad

//Annie//

Kieran was waiting in the waiting room when I left my hospital room, the only thing in my hands being my phone. I was dressed in clothes my mum had brought me but made Kieran bring to my room, refusing to come back into the hospital and see me after the way she feels I treated her yesterday.

Kieran checked me out of the hospital and soon we were in his car driving down the highway. I leaned my head against the cold glass window, watching trees zoom past as Kieran drove as quickly as he legally could. Five minutes into the drive he turned the stereo on, clearly trying to break the awkward silence, but the music playing was terrible, so he turned it off again.

We pulled up to our house not long later. I stared at the chipped red paint falling off the wooden porch and sighed, wrapped my arms around my body as I climbed out of my brother's car, not making any effort to actually move towards the house. Kieran locked the vehicle and made his way around to my side, standing beside me and leaning against his Audi along with me. I sighed.

"At this point I'd rather go back to the hospital," I grumbled. Kieran didn't say anything, just gave me a look which I returned.

He stood up right and began to make his way towards our house, and I followed not far behind. The wooden planks of the porch steps creaked when either of us stood on them, and the door opening creaked even louder.

I stayed as quiet as possible as I walked through my house towards the kitchen, grabbing myself a glass of water and downing it. Kieran came in after me, quietly dropping my box of fags on to the counter. I smiled as I pulled one out, opening a large window and leaning out as I lit my fag and proceeded to smoke it quietly.

"What in the name of God do you think you're doing?!"

My entire body--along with Kieran's--flung around to find the source of the shouting that startled us. Of course, it was none other than my mother.

I suddenly felt small--smaller than usual--under my mother's glare. I dropped my fag into the ash tray and let it burn upon remembering she never knew I smoked; not until now, anyway.

"Mum," Kieran said, holding his hands up and standing in front of me, "please go easy on her, she had a terrible night."

My mum chuckled and began to walk towards us. The closer she got, the more I realized how badly she stunk of booze. 

"Get out of my way, Kieran," she scoffed, nodding for him to move. "I'll show you what going easy is like."

Kieran didn't budge for a few moments, but then my mum gave him the 'do what I say or else' look, and he knew he had to get out of my way. 

Kieran was on the other side of the kitchen, and my raging mum was coming right towards me. She grabbed my wrist, yanking me away from the window with force. I yelped, holding back tears from the sudden pain rushing through my wrist. 

I watched her move slowly. She picked up my still lit fag from the ash tray and held it towards me. "You think this is nice? You want to smoke, do ya?" She waved the cigarette scarily close to my face, particles of ash flying into my eyes and burning my pupils. 

I flinched away, desperately trying to wiggle my way out of her grasp but failing miserably. My mum only pulled me closer to her.

"Mum, please, relax," Kieran said, trying to make the situation better. My mum ignored him and stayed focused on me.

My crying began to get more hysterical as my mother pulled my arm out to her and held the cigarette over it. "If you ever smoke in my house again, Anabelle, I swear."

The movement was so quick I couldn't try and stop it. My mum pushed the lit cigarette into my skin, stubbing it out on my flesh. I screamed out in pain, falling to the ground with my mum's grip still on me. 

At this point Kieran finally stepped in. He pulled my mother away from me, gripping on to her waist and holding her back before pushing her to the ground. She let out a yelp of pain herself as she tried to sit up, but almost seemed as if she couldn't.

"Don't you fucking dare touch her again or I swear you'll have something to deal with!"

I ignored Kieran and my mum as they continued to yell at each other, instead focusing on the burning pain in my arm. I cradled my arm against my chest, leaning back against the fridge and whimpering quietly, staring at the wooden planks on the ceiling.

I began to slip out of reality, everything around me becoming a blur and noises becoming muffled. I couldn't comprehend everything that was happening and the room began to spin. I felt weak. Time went slowly, but far too quickly. I couldn't remember what had been happening.

When I could finally understand what was going on, Kieran was kneeling over me, wrapping a bandage around my arm. I winced as I finally began to comprehend what was happening once again, the unbearable pain shocking me. He tied the bandage with a plaster and then pulled me up from the ground, muttering about needing to leave.

"What's going on?" I asked, noticing the blood stained towels scattering the table. "What's happened? Where's mum?" 

I turned towards Kieran, suddenly noticing the gash in his hip and his bloody nose. I gasped, trying to reach forward to help him but Kieran continued to push me towards my room.

"Mum is fine. She's not hurt. We have to find dad."

I stopped in my tracks, turning my face my older brother. "What?!" I exclaimed, staring up at him. "What the fuck, Kieran?!"

"You can't stay here, Annie! This isn't safe anymore, look at me!" Kieran gestured towards the bleeding gash in his hip before shoving me into my room. "Pack your Goddamn bags, I need to make some calls."

I watched Kieran make his way back towards the kitchen before quickly and quietly shutting my door. In the closet was a suitcase that I pulled out and rested on my bed, quickly as possible packing the essentials; clothes, shoes, makeup, my wash bag. I packed everything I thought I would need into the suitcase before pulling out another backpack and putting more into that. Soon I had almost everything that was important to me packed into two bags and I was out searching for Kieran again, struggling to carry the two bags with me. 

Before I could enter the kitchen again, Kieran was rushing out, slamming the door shut. He looked at me, terror evident in his eyes before he grabbed my backpack and slung it over his shoulder, grabbed my suitcase and lightly grabbed my arm, rushing down the hall, out of the house and towards his Audi. In less then five minutes we were on the road, and I had no idea where we were going, but I knew I was scared.