*Liz' POV*
When I entered Ryan's house, they were all looking at me the same way they looked at my scars when they saw them the very first time.
"What's up, guys? Anything happened?"
"A brother?", Abbey asked, opening a beer.
"You told them?!" I turned to Jake. Anger dwelled up in me. "Why?"
"Why did you want to keep it a secret from us?", Emma's voice too didn't sound too happy.
"Because I don't want you to bother with my problems!", I took the beer from Abbey and took a big sip. "Look guys, I'm still sorting out my life. And the fact that I have a brother who I've completely forgot doesn't make this easier."
"But we could help you. We are your friends. Your family!", Emma was full of rage. She hates secrets.
"There's not much you can do. Tory is asking her old contacts and Molly is also trying to find someting out. There's no way you can help me. I even don't know where exactly I have to start. I mean, all I have is a name.", I answered, letting myself fall on the sofa. "Do we have to talk about that now? Look, I have an idea;" I took another sip. "I'll keep you informed, and now we drop that. Ok?" They all nodded with a grumpy face. "How 'bout we play some music. Did you guys know that Abbey has a great voice and some very good texts?", I smiled. They all looked surorised. Until now, Abbey was always just playing the fangirl and helping me with the managing-thing.
We went up to Ryan's music room. It wasn't as big as our was, but it had everything we needed; a drumset, two guitars, a base and even a piano.
I took Abbey aside and put an arm on her shoulder.
"You alright?"
"Yeah.", her hands were shaking. I was the only one who knew her story. She was pretty new in town and opened up to me a few weeks ago; we were talking about our pasts and she just threw her whole story into my face. Without crying. Without sobbing. But with shame.
"C'mon, let's do this.", I clapped on her shoulder. She sniffed, nodded and sat down by the piano. I sat by her side.
"You play?!", they all exclamed towards Abbey.
"I used to play since I was five."
"But why did you stop?", Lara asked. Lara was that kind of girl, who didn't really talk much.
"I had...well, let me play the song, then you'll now...", Abbey answered, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. I was just sitting there for support with the vocals.
And then she hit the keys. Her eyes were still closed as she made those lovely sounds and played the song.
Soon, she began to sing:
"I told another lie today
And I got through this day
No one saw through my games
I know the right words to say
Like 'I don't feel well'
'I ate before I came'
Then someone tells me how good I look
and for a moment
For a moment I am happy
But when I'm alone
No one hears me cry
...
We sang together the rest. The others just stood there, looking at us, as Lara whispered 'Courage, by Superchick.'
"Abbey...that was...it was...-"
"Her story.", John finished Emma's stammering.
"Abbey was suffering for a long time through anorexia."
"After my father's death, people at my old school started to see me, to notice me. He was teaching there. And then, with him not being there anymore, they could throw insults at me, without fearing he'll appear around the corner.", she made a small pause and looked ashamed to the ground. I put an arm around her and reassured her, that she doesn't has to be ashamed towards us. "That's when I decided not to eat.", she sniffed. Now the tears were coming. "But one day, I just couldn't take it and swallowed those sleeping pills." She couldn't go on and burst out of the room towards the toilet. I signalized the others not to run after her.
"When she woke up at the hospital, the doctors and the headmaster explained everything to her. One student from school told the headmaster how they were bullying Abbey.", I sighted. "After a long therapy for her depressions and anorexia, her Mum decided to move over here. It was better, because the gallery is here and Abbey could make a new start.", I finished the story and stood up to look after her, but Ryan insited to talk to her.
*Abbey's POV*
I locked myself in the bathroom. Since we moved over here, I haven't really cried. But now I couldn't stop myself anymore. I just couldn't play the tough one anymore.
A knock appeared at the door.
"Abbey? Are you alright? May I come in?", Ryan's voice sounded through the door.
"I'm fine, just, give me some time."
"Are you sure?", he opened the door and knelt by my side. I turned away from him. I didn't want anybody to see me in such a condition. He wanted to put an arm around me, but I refused;
"Please...don't.", I wispered.
"Why? You don't have to be ashamed...we're here for you.", I let him put his hand on my shoulder and rested my head on his chest. The tears kept running down my cheeks. "Hey, where's my laughing Abbey? The crazy one? Don't cry. Shame isn't worth it to cry. You're beautiful and you don't have to be ashamed of your own story."
"But I am. I'm so ashamed of everything I did...not eating, cold baths, the sleeping pills. When I got here, I was so scared that the whole story will repeat, but..."
"But?"
"But then I met you and the others. And you took me in so nice and you even don't know how happy I am about that. And then Liz came and everything got better and I just thought that you don't have to know..."
"Oh, c'mere.", Ryan pulled me into a long, long hug.
Liz' POV*
Soon, Abbey and Ryan came back into the music room. Abbey had a small smile on her lips and I was just happy that she finally told them.
"So then, how 'bout we play some songs?", I ask. A lot of yeahs and why nots met me. I nodded, grabbed a guitar and turned on the microphone. "Abbey, I think we could need your lovely piano skills.", I walked over to her and pulled her over to the keyboard.
"Liz, we don't have any patterns!", Ryan exclaimed.
"Ryan, this girl here has more talent than you could ever dream of. And Jakob, grab a guitar and move your butt over here!"
We were playing for so long, until the neigbours called and asked us with a pretty agressive voice to stop making such noise. We were just laughing about that and made our way to the living room to chill out at the couch and get a beer. But soon my good mood was interrupted by Tory's call...
