Beauty Inside

Chapter 7

I wake up sore. My body aching from my dad's display of...discipline. I get up and walk to the bathroom to shower. I wince when I feel the cool air hit my side where my bruise is still raw. I turn the cold water on to soothe my bruises. I wince at first but I got us to the pain of the sting and just let the water run over my whole body. After about ten minutes I began to wash my body making sure to lightly clean the wounds.

After I was done with everything I went to my room with my towel over my body.

I sighed and grabbed my oversized sweater to hide the bruises and cuts. I slipped on a pair of black leggings. I grab my phone and call my bank account my mom saved for me to leave because before she passed she could sense his attitude changed for the worst and just knew that I would need it if I felt I needed to leave and take my brother with me when he got crazy.

I don't think she knew it would come to me having to hide bruises and how I'm being treated. But she did it and I'm really grateful for her to think about my brother and me.

I go down the stairs and I look around to see any sign of my brother or...the monster. I look at my phone and see a text from my brother saying that the monster took him to school already and I have nothing to worry about. I sigh heavily out loud.

I grab my backpack and walk to the door. I start humming the song Moves by Big Sean. I gasp out loud when I bump into a familiar person. I calmly move my hair in front of a small bruise.

"Hey Natalie!" I smile softly and wave. He starts making his way towards me and I immediately began to feel self conscious. Does he see anything? Why does he want to talk to me? Am even fun to hangout with?

"Hey Axel...um what are you doing here?" I cross my arms over my chest and look up to him. He smiles showing his cute dimples and I fight back smile. Stop Nat!

"I'm here to take you to school silly. Come on let's go!" He grabs my hand basically drag me to his car. I protest at first then just go with the flow.

"What's with the sweater? It's like 82° degrees outside." He joked and turned on his car AC.

"Nothing, I just like wearing sweaters with outfits. Haha...senior year." He nods in agreement and moves his head right to left as he nods.

"True, I guess I get it Nat." He laughs and turns on the radio and the song Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey. I lean my head on the glass and start to sing the song quietly. I feel a hand move my hair from the front of my face and I can feel my cheeks warm. I look over quickly so he won't see my cheeks.

"Natalie what the hell is on your neck!" My eyes go wide and I start to panic. I look up to see where we are and we're not to far away from his house but not to far away from school either. I open the door when he makes a halt at a stop sign and I jump out the car and start running as fast as I can going no where in particular.

I stop running and hug myself. I break down crying then suddenly feel arms wrapping around my body. I calm down inhaling the sent of Axel and start to feel sleepy letting the blackness take me with open arms.

•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•

I peel my eyes open, groaning and throwing my hands over my eyes. I lick my dry lips and remove my hands over my eyes, I look around to see that this isn't my room. I jump up and frantically look around to see if someone else is in the room, I see no one and open the door. Tiptoeing out the room as quietly and quickly as humanly possible.

"Natalie, we need to talk." I sigh out loud and turn around to see Axel.

Way to go Nate.

Shut up inner me!

Tiptoeing really did the job.

BE QUIET ME!

"Talk...about what....?" I act clueless about the events that are starting to flood my mind once again and feel the tears pool my eyes.

"Who did that to you?!" My hearts starts to beat faster then its supposed to. I walk over to him slowly and bite my lip. I look down the see I'm wearing the same clothes I had on, minus my shoes.

"I can't tell you." I cried. I feel teardrops fall from my eyes. I bit my lip. He looks taken back and hurt.

"Do you not trust me?! Natalie...I know we haven't had the best relationship and I wasn't there when you needed me but I'm here now! I'm soooo sorry I didn't cherish our friendship when we had it and I know I had left to be with the popular kids but.... but I was young and naive and when I found out you mother passed away I cried, screamed, and shouted. But then I realized that our friendship was destroyed because of me....and I know you wouldn't want to talk to me after what I done but I'm not that naive little boy anymore." I sigh in his hand when he cups my cheek. I look up at him and do something I should have did a long time ago. I kissed him.

"If I tell you promise not to do anything." I look at him desperately and look in his eyes.

"Nate, I'm not promising anything until you tell me who and why they did this to you." He grabs my hands and looks me straight in the face.

"My dad." I whisper to him.

"Your dad?!" I nod at his question. "Why would he do this to you?" All the memories from the back of my mind come into view and also the ending of my happiness.

  "He blames me for my mothers death." I bite my lip to stop myself from crying because once I let go and break down there isn't no telling when my cries will stop. "My mother couldn't take the chemo anymore, she said it made her so weak to the point she wished that all of it would just end. It got to a point where she would stay in her room and cry because she wasn't able to be there for her family and help. She wanted to be able to cook dinner for us and hear about are day." I take inhale and exhale until I'm able to go on.

  "So one day she called me up to her room and sat me down to tell me she was going to stop the treatments and see where it goes. I didn't agree at first but once she explained to me the pain I cried for her because I couldn't imagine how much she was going through. She then called my brother upstairs and explained her pain to him and he agreed with her decision. These were her word 'Forever isn't forever, mommy will always love you and we will meet again. You'll see.' And to this day I will always repeat those words when I miss her." I feel my eyes let go of some of my tears. "My dad found out and he wasn't happy, he started changing. My brother wasn't blamed because he was to young to understand and I wasn't. So I was the blame and he would count me out when he would go places but then my mother died a week later and he changed into a monster." I shudder from the memories and the tears start to drop faster then the first.

  "It's not your fault for him to blame you. Don't even let him tear you down." Axel grabs my chin and wipes my cheeks. I close my eyes as the memories cover my brain.

  "Trust me I'm not." I open my eyes and look up at him and smile. "He will not break me, I won't let him." I promised to myself and him.