Changes

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

**Riley’s POV**

I continued running in any direction as long as I got away from him. After a while, I finally stopped and realised I was crying. I wiped the tears from my eyes when I flinched at the pain in my left eye. I looked around at my surroundings and realised where I was. I started to walk home but then I realise that I couldn’t go home in the state I was in. I turned down another street, heading away from the direction of my house. I came across a small park with a playground, a bench and a bathroom block.

I walked into the female toilets and looked in the mirror. I was shocked at the sight. My left eye was swollen and already bruising. My neck had begun bruising too, you could see Ben’s handprint on my skin. My wrist already had formed bruises. I burst into tears, trying to collect myself. I put my bag on the counter and got my make-up bag out, I started to apply it trying to cover the bruising with little success. I looked at my phone, realising it was only 8:25pm, I knew immediately I couldn’t go home. I re-packed my bag and walked out of the bathroom looking around till I decided to sit down. I went over to the bench and sat under the light, I sat for a while going over everything that had happened between Ben and I. After a while, I got my sketch book out and started to draw. Drawing always seemed to take my mind off things.

I’d been drawing for a while when I decided to check the time on my phone. The time read 11:45pm. I decided to pack up and start walking home, hoping that my mum, Gina, and my brothers Beau, Luke and Jai weren’t home or were in their rooms.

When I reached the house, I realised Beau’s car was gone meaning he wasn’t home. I took my keys out and unlocked the door. I slowly walked in and went straight to my room, getting changed and crawling into my bed, wrapping myself up in my blankets and began to fall asleep with tears streaming down my face.

I woke up early the next morning, around 5am, with a hell of a headache. I got out of bed slowly and put a oversized hoodie on then snuck out of my room to the kitchen and got a glass of water and two painkillers. I took the pills and went back to my room with the water. I crawled back into my bed and wrapped my blankets around me again. I shut my eyes, trying to get back to sleep but all I kept thinking about was the pain I was in and how I was going to hid the bruises from my Mum and my brothers.

It was just after 11am when there was a knock at my door. Before I could say anything, Mum opened the door and came in. I stayed where I was, with my face buried in my blankets.

“Good morning baby, c’mon it’s time to get up”, Mum said

“Morning mum, I feel really sick and I have a really bad headache.”, I told Mum croakily

“Oh sweetie, it’s not like you to feel sick” , Mum replied

“Can I just stay in bed?”, I asked

“Sure honey. Do you want anything?” Mum asked

“No thanks Mum. I just need to sleep.”

“Ok honey, get some sleep and hopefully you feel better. I’ll check on you later.”

Mum got up and left quietly. For the rest of the day I stayed in bed in the dark napping. Every so often Mum would come and check on me. Later in the evening, my brother Beau came in to check on me; to be honest I don’t think he really bought the ‘I was sick’ line but I didn’t really care as long as he, Luke and Jai didn’t find out that Ben had hit me. Beau finally left me alone. I went to sleep for the rest of the night.

I woke up early again on Sunday morning and immediately went to the bathroom to shower and cover my bruises with make-up. I showered and applied the make-up. I wore my hair down to help cover the marks on my neck. I got dressed in jeans, a muscle back and a hoodie. I finished in the bathroom and walked out into the kitchen where Mum was making coffee. We talked and she made sure I was feeling better before leaving to go to the market. I had breakfast and cleaned up, after this Beau, Luke and Jai all came into the kitchen. Beau hugged me and I flinched. My brothers all noticed, especially Beau. I quickly excused myself and went to my room.

**Beau’s POV**

Something wasn’t right with Riley but I didn’t want to push it. She hadn’t come out of her room all day. Mum said she was sick but she never gets sick. I went to check on her on Saturday night and she barely said anything; she wouldn’t even look at me.

I got up and went in to the kitchen with Luke and Jai. I hugged Riley and she flinched. She never flinched when I hugged her before. Now I know something is defiantly wrong; she couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. I looked at Luke and Jai and said “something’s not right”, they both agreed. Before I could say anything else, Luke said “I’ll go check on her” and left the kitchen.

**Riley’s POV**

Once in my room, I started to cry. I felt so stupid that I was crying over Ben and what he did. I was sat in the corner of my room, with my knees to my chest, when Luke knocked and said “Riley I’m coming in”, before I could say anything Luke walked in slowly closing the door behind him. He looked at me then slowly walked over and sat on the floor in front of me. I don’t know why but I suddenly felt compelled to wrap my arms around him, hugging him, and I began crying even harder. Luke quickly wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer and simply saying ‘shush’ which was comforting.

After a while of crying and Luke hugging me, I finally pulled away. Luke lifted his hand to my face wiping away my tears. He gasped and sat shocked. That’s when I realised that some of my make-up had come off.

**Luke’s POV**

I walked into the kitchen with Beau and Jai. Riley was sitting at the table. Beau hugged her and she flinched. It was strange. She quickly excused herself and went to her room, she looked scared. Beau looked at Jai and me and said “something’s not right”, Jai and I both agreed I said “I’ll go check on her” and began walking to her room. As I got to Riley’s room, I could hear her crying, I knocked on the door and said “Riley, I’m coming in” and I walked in and shut the door behind me. I looked over at Riley, she was sitting in the corner crying. I slowly walked over to her as I didn’t want to scare her then I sat in front of her on the floor and looked at her. She looked at me then hugged me and started crying even more. I quickly wrapped my arms around her tightly and pulled her closer while shushing her trying to comfort her. After a while, she finally calmed, she pulled away from me with tears still falling. I lifted my hand to her face wiping away her tears, as I did her make-up came off. I gasped as I saw the bruising around her eye. I sat looking at her shocked. I quickly pulled her in for another hug and yelled out “Beau, Jai get in here NOW”. Riley immediately cried out “Please, no don’t let them see me”; I hugged her tighter as Beau and Jai came into her room slowly, they looked at us and I mouthed ‘sit’ and signalled for them too. They quietly walked over and sat down both looking confused.

“Riley, you need to tell us what happened” I spoke quietly. She just shook her head ‘no’ into my chest. Jai slowly leaned over “Riley, your scaring us, what’s going on?”, she didn’t say anything so he reached for her wrist which was up against the side of her face, as he touched it she cried out in pain. He let go then quickly took her wrist again, this time pulling her hoodie sleeve up revealing more bruises. “Riley, what happened? Who did this?” Beau finally spoke. She finally pulled away and looked at Beau and Jai and whispered “Its nothing, don’t worry”. Jai got up and left the room without saying anything returning moments later with a wet facecloth and slowly started wiping her face delicately removing the rest of her make-up to reveal her whole black eye. The whole time Jai was wiping her face, Beau and I were both looking at her unsure of what to say or do. Jai finished and quietly said “Riley, this is not nothing. Your eye and your wrist are really badly bruised. C’mon you can tell us. You’re safe”. All of a sudden I blurted out “Was it Ben?”; Riley looked at me and I knew it was Ben. She quietly said “Please just listen, don’t get mad. Ben was drinking and I broke up with him. It’s over” she paused and used her sleeves to wipe her eyes “he was upset and he… he just lost it”. She was still crying; Beau pulled her onto his lap and hugged her. I was angry but had to hold it in as I didn’t want to scare her. We stayed in silence hugging for a while until Beau said “Riley, we need to keep him away from you so I’m going to take you to the police station. You need to tell them everything. Ok?” She simply nodded. Jai said “We can get a restraining order then we have to tell mum. Lets go”. We all got in the car and started driving to the police station.