The Dancer With Cancer

8; where do I even start?

Kiley's Pov

     I woke up with my head pounding. I tried to move but I couldn't. My body ached, it was on fire. I looked around and I was in my room, the clock suddenly dinged and it read 4 o'clock. I've been knocked out for that long? I really tried to push my body to get up but I just tumbled down.

      Suddenly the door opened slowly, I whimpered because my body couldn't take Tom's beatings. My body is screaming at me that it's tired. Thankfully it was just Rose "How are you feeling? Are you okay? Oh my.." Rose said in a hurry running over to me. I looked at the ceiling to blink away the tears, I didn't want to cry but the tears kept forming. "Kiley, just let it out. Please?" I shook my head "I've been keeping all this quiet, I just need to keep it like this. I disobeyed him Rose. This is how he'll punish me, I just have one more year with him, then I'm out of here. Until then, I'm just gonna have to suck it up. I can't fight him Rose he's to strong for me." She rushed to my side and knelt in front of me "yeah but that's the point, we can go to someone who is stronger then him, we can go to the police and get help. We can get me you and the rest of the kids out of here, everyone is suffering here Kiley not just you." I nodded my head, she's right. I'm being selfish. We need to get the kids and everyone else out of here. But it's not that easy, they're gonna believe Tom and Carol. Carol works for the Foster care they're obviously gonna believe her over a bunch of children who don't have parents. Besides, I want all of us to stay together. We're all gonna get separated but maybe it's for the best. "Okay. I'll call the office, tell them that we need to set up a meeting." Rose smiled and hugged me "this is just the beginning of something great."

           She helped me stand up and she carried me to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and was in total disgust. My face was still pale, like it always is. Except most of my face was purple and black, my cheek was blue and purple, maybe he punched me. I had a huge knot of my head, maybe from falling. And I had two swollen black eyes. I lifted my shirt and instantly fell to the ground. The image of my body in the mirror was sending shivers down my spine. I had black and blue marks everywhere. This is the worse he's ever beaten me. I looked at Rose, she was covering her mouth and had tears streaming down her eyeballs. "Kiley, I didn't know it was this bad." She touched my old scars and I whined. Everything hurts. The old scars and the new ones. "Please don't cry Rose. Life is just like this sometimes." She nodded her head no "this isn't normal Kiley. I knew he hit you but I didn't know it was this bad!" I flinched "this is the worse it's ever been. But look I'm fine. We're gonna be fine. I'm gonna go and talk to the office and try to convince them." Rose nodded her head "yeah yeah."

      "Can I be alone?" I asked. Rose nodded her head and walked left the bathroom. Leaving me in the dark. Asking myself where I went wrong.

Justin's pov

         When Kiley left, it kinda hurt. I don't want her to think that she was just a one night kind of thing. Well, we didn't do anything luckily. After she ran out my best friend Chad came over. He seen her running as he was walking to the house. "So can we acknowledge how you have a girl running out of your house at 8 in the morning? You never let chicks stay the night dude." Chad punched me in the arm. I stumbled. I put my hands in my pockets of my sweats and walked back to the kitchen. "She's different. She's not just a girl. I don't know, there's something about her you know?" Chad stared at me and smiled "so you like her?" I instantly shook my head "heck no Chad. You know I don't date. Dating is not me for me." I didn't make eye contact with him because honestly I don't know if I like Kiley, I'm being truthful.

        "You're lying dude. We don't lie to each other! What   are you doing?" I shook my head "I don't know, she's a great girl. Amazing, the way she speaks makes me wanna just hear her voice everyday. Her presence makes me smile, I irritate her in school everyday and that's because I love seeing her angry. When she catches me staring at her it's like she gets nervous. I do that to her, I feel like I almost have this control over her. She can feel it. That's why she hates me so much, she cannot stand me. But thats because she's afraid to let anyone in." Chad smirked at me "and you want to figure out why she doesn't let anyone in huh?" Almost as if Chad read my mind. I shrugged, "of course I do."

Kiley's pov

I've been laying In bed for 4 hours 23 minutes and currently 21..22..23..24..25 seconds. It's dinner time and this is the first time I didn't help with anything. I don't have the energy to get up out of bed. Tom will come up here soon and probably drag me down stairs but as of right now, I'll just enjoy my time in bed hurting.

I have a doctors appointment in two days and I'm not sure how I'll cover these bruises from Dr. Harrington, she's been my doctors for years now and hasn't noticed my bruises because I'm an expert at hiding them. I buy cover up just for my bruises not my actual face. Sometimes if a bruise is really bad I'll cover it and if she asks me I just tell her a lame excuse. I may sound like a dumb girl who won't get help but the foster system is so screwed up. If you're not adopted and you're in a foster home over the age of 10? You're most likely gonna stay into a foster home until you're 18. Most families don't adopt over 10 so you're pretty much screwed. If I tell on Tom, none of the kids are gonna get adopted, they're gonna be labeled as trouble.

But, we're finally telling soon. Thanks to Rose. I just hope the kids get placed somewhere great. Until then, all I can do is pray.

Justin's pov

Text from unknown-
Listen, I know it's 9 o'clock and it's late, but I don't want you to get scared but... I really think Kiley and I need your help.

Text to unknown-
Who are you? How'd you get my number? Is this a joke? What's wrong with Kiley? Can I actually have her number? (;

Text from unknown-
No this isn't a joke. This is Rose. Her foster sister. I got your number from some guy named Chad, long story. Kiley and actually all of us at our foster home are all in trouble. Can you meet me at the Longhorn cafe in 5? To explain more.

Text to unknown-
I'll be there in 2.

       Foster sister? Kiley never mentioned living in a foster home. Is that why she had to rush home? She probably has strict foster home rules that she has to follow.

      I hopped into my car and drove to the cafe 10 miles over the speed limit. I'm way tooooooo anxious to hear what Rose has to say. I needed up  getting there within 3 minutes and there Rose is, sitting in a booth. She's a gorgeous women. Her brunette hair with simple highlights in it and her high cheek bones give her a certain elegance. But she isn't angelic like Kiley. My Kiley.

     "Thank you so much for coming." Rose said making eye contact with me. She genuinely looks sad, broken even. "Yeah no problem. What's up?" I asked. She no longer would look me in the eyes. Her hair fell in-front of her face as she looked down at the table. "Rose?" She looked up "I'm sorry." She sniffled. Her eyes were very red. "It's just. Where do I even start?" I grabbed her hand "start from the beginning"

     And that's when, Rose told me everything. Everything about this damn foster home that these beautiful souls have to live in.