Broken (Edited edition)

Driving Lessons

When I get into the driver's seat, I put my seatbelt on.  Mark and Jack do the same, and I turn the car on."  Hey, just go slow."  Mark says gently as I put the car into Drive."  Mark, this isn't my first rodeo."  I say, and get into traffic."  So, you know how to work everything?"  Jack asks, putting his hand on my shoulder."  Jack, Mark.  I know what I'm doing.  I'm okay."  He says, and I stop at the red light.  Mark takes his phone out, and looks up directions to that delicious Ramen restaurant we went to my first night here."  So, how good are these noodles?"  Jack asks, and I grin."  Oh God, so good."  Mark says, looking through his directions.  I honk at someone who tries to get in my lane, and they flip me off.  The light turns red, and sit there rubbing my sore hand."  They kind of make it how I make it."  I say, and Jack nods."  That good?"  He asks Mark, and Mark nods."  Delicious."  He says, giving the O.K. hand symbol.  The light turns green, and I pull into the parking lot a block from the place.  I park the car, and turn it off.

"So, explain to me again how you learned how to drive?"  Jack asks, holding my hand tightly in his.  His is slightly bruised underneath the hair on his forearm, making his skin look normally purple.  Under his fingernails are dark purple bruises, and his knuckles are scabbed over."  Well, Todd was usually drunk.  So I would have to go get him, so I would run down to the bar.  He would ask me how I got there, and buy me food if he was really drunk.  Then after I was finished, he said it was time to go home.  I would take his keys, and take him back home.  I've gotten good at driving due to that, and I wish to keep it that way.  I remember the first time I drove, he told me exactly how to drive, the meaning of the letters, how much speed I should put.  It was a great experience.  One of the only times I had fun with my brother."  I say, and he grins."  I'll be okay with you understanding how to drive, it's a good thing to learn."  Jack says, and I smile gently.  Mark takes my other hand, and we walk into the restaurant.  We get a table for three, and the hostess brings us to our table."  Enjoy yourselves."  She says, and I smile at her.  We look through our menu's for a few moments, then order what we want.

"So, what to talk about?"  Mark asks, and Jack grins.  They take their slings off, and set their arms on the table."  How about these awesome scars  we're going to get after this?"  Jack says, pulling down his shirt collar.  A long, jagged scar is going up and down his chest from where one of the detectives stabbed him."  I got this one."  Mark says, lifting up his shirt.  It looks like it's zipping up the side of his stomach."  Cool."  Jack says, grinning over at me."  What about you LycaPyca?"  He asks.  I look at both of them, then sigh."  I got this one."  I say, lifting up my sleeve.  I pull off my bandages, and show the ring scar around my wrist.  It's like a bracelet around my wrist, the small stitches still there."  That's the best one yet."  Mark says, smiling at me.  It's cool how we can all smile about this, make it easier with the pain of what happened.

We get our bowls of Ramen, grinning at the deliciousness of food.  I have Teriyaki sauce, chives, purple onions, carrots, cabbage, pepper, and garlic in mine.   I take my chopsticks in my hand, and Jack stares at me."  You know how to use these?"  He asks, and I nod.  I straighten them in my hand, and put them in my hand properly."  It's called the Chinese diet after working three jobs."  I say, taking a bite of my noodles.  The two of them laugh as they pick up their forks."  Wait, you worked three jobs?"  Mark asks, and I nod."  Yep, every day of the week I worked, every day of the week I snuck off to a Chinese restaurant.  Got a thing of Chow Mein, and ate them with Chop Sticks outside on the curb.  They sometimes gave me some secret Orange Chicken on the bottom."  I say, sipping up some more noodles."  So, how long did you work three jobs?"  Mark asks, and I count on my fingers."  Probable nine months."  I say, and he nods."  How much money did you get?"

"Over six hundred."  I say."  Sorry you had to do that just to feed yourself."  He says, sipping his noodles up.  Jack chews on a carrot, grinning at us."  So what movie should we go see?"  Mark asks, and I shrug."  You pick a movie.  I have no clue what to pick."  I tell him, slurping up the broth from my noodles.  He just throws his hand up in the air, giving up on picking the movie."  I don't fuckin' know."  He says, and I start laughing.  I notice a girl staring at me, her eyes almost bulging out of her head.  Like she sees an alien or something.  I stare at her, and take in a few breathes."  Why is that girl staring at me?"  I ask Mark, and he looks over at the girl.  He sets his fork down, then looks back at me."  Probable because we're all bruised, and two of us have broken arms."  He says, and I grin."  Yeah, well that sucks.  Too bad she's not going to find out how."  I say, eating the vegetables on the bottom of the bowl."  Lyca...."  Mark says, and I roll my eyes."  I don't want people to find out."  I say, and he grins."  Well, I already did a short video that I wouldn't be able to make videos due to me recovering from a broken arm.  So some people have some idea what's going on."

"I'm okay with that, but I don't understand why she's looking at me."  I say, and he just shrugs."  Why don't you go ask?  It won't hurt you to ask."  He says, and I swallow hard."  Won't that be weird?  'Hey sorry to bother you, why are you staring at me like a weirdo?'  Naw, she'll be all calm and answer me."  I say, Jack almost squirts noodles out of his nose."  Go on."  Mark says, pulling my chair out for me.  I growl a bit at him, then get up.  I walk slowly over to the girl's table, her eyes never looking away from me."  Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your lunch.  But why are you staring at me?"  I ask her, not losing a beat in my tone.  She just stares at me, and her family becomes quiet."  Elizabeth, were you staring?  I'm so sorry Ms.  She was probably looking at your bruises.  I'm sorry for her, she doesn't know how to use her words that well."  The mother says, and Elizabeth just glares at me now."  What happened to your face?"  She asks in a snotty tone, and I feel my eye twitch.  She's one of those bratty teenagers, the stuck up ones who think they're all that."  I was in a car accident, totaled the car.  Broken some bones, bruised some organs."  I lie to her, and she snickers."  God damn, good thing you did.  Makes you less ugly you freak!"  She says, and spits in my face.  Her saliva is warm on my skin, and I feel it drip down my cheek.  The whole restaurant becomes silent, and I start to twitch.  My body shakes, my hands slowly turn into fists."  Move!"  I hear someone scream, it sounds like Mark, and my vision turns black."  No!  Lyca!  Wake up!  Stop it!"  I hear, and my vision comes back.

Mark is holding me with one arm, raising me a foot off the ground.  I stare up at him, and then at Elizabeth.  Deep claw marks are on her cheek, and some blood is dripping down her face.  I take in deep breaths, glaring at her."  Don't EVER use that word again.  Or else I'll do worse to you!"  I tell her, and she just stares at me still."  Alright, we're going now."  Mark says, and carries me out of the restaurant.  Once we're out of sight of the restaurant windows, Mark sets me down."  Lyca, did you go off on command?"  He asks, and I nod."  She deserved it.  She called me Freak, you know how I am with that word!"  I say to him, crossing my arms.  He just blows a tuff of hair from his face, and pushes my hair behind my ear.  His sling is back on him, and so is Jack's."  God, you're turning into a tiny me."  He says, and I smile.  We get into the car again, and I drive us down to the Game Grump's station."  We'll ask if they want to go to a movie."  Mark says, and we get out of the car.  Mark holds my hand, squeezing it tightly.  Jack knocks on the door, and Danny answers.

"Hey guys, hello Angel."  He says, and he picks me up."  Come on in, I'll make some popcorn."  He says, and Mark shuts the door behind us."  How was lunch guys?"  He asks as he sets me down on the counter.  He starts to open some cupboards looking for something."  Well, Lyca went Black."  Mark says, and I blush."  Really?  Did you beat up someone else?"  Danny asks, handing me a Dr. Pepper that he found in the cabinet."  Someone called her a F-R-E-A-K."  Jack says, and I glare at him."  I can spell."  I say, steaming with anger."  We know that Angel.  We know that very well."  Danny says, and puts a straw in my can.  I sip my soda as he makes popcorn.  I jump off the counter, grabbing my can of soda after hitting the floor.

I walk over to the couch where Ross is, and smile at him as I sit down."  You're too freaking adorable!"  He says, squishing my face."  Hey!  Stop it!"  I say, slapping his hands away."  What?  You're so cute."  He says, and I blush."  Still, you don't need to touch."  I tell him, and he just smiles."  Oh lighten up girl."  He says, nudging me.  Arin comes downstairs, and sees us sitting there."  Hey!  When did you guys get here?"  He asks, and we all start laughing.  Arin picks me up, and holds me tightly against his chest."  Yay!  My little Muffin is so adorable."  He says, and I watch Danny put the popcorn in the microwave.  Arin sets me down, Mark and I walk over to the couch.  Arin puts in a cartoon as Jack and Mark go to take their medication.

Danny comes over to the couch with a bowl of popcorn, and we watch the movie.  We turn the lights off, and we pull blankets on ourselves.  The boys lay down on the floor, looking extremely tired.  Once they hit the floor, they're out like a light.  Mark has his head on my lap, and run my fingers through his hair.  After a bit, I get a little tired.  My eyelids start to fall, I lay my head back against the couch back.  I shut my eyes now.  Then...I fall asleep.