Hollow

twelve.

EDITED - If you find any mistakes, that's what comments are for.

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"Get out of the god-damn truck, Willa." He had bloodshot eyes and a fierce anger. Nothing good would come of such a combination and Willow didn't want to stomach it.

"Can I have a minute?" She knew better than to question him but she wasn't thinking.

The flat of his palm echoed against the flesh of her cheek in a stunned silence. Her head was forced to the side and her eyes started to glisten in shock and from the humiliation. It hurt more knowing Roman had been a witness to her weakness.

Roman was up and ready for a fight with no hesitation. Not even a word of acknowledgment left his mouth as he ran at Luca with ferocity alight in those wild eyes. Willow's tears streamed the length of her face as she watched it all unfold. The shock of it all captured her words and senses.

Luca's jaw cracked on the first contact and he was on the ground by the third swing. Grunts and cracks filled the quiet night with violence and Willow couldn't do anything about it. Luca's defense was weak and miscalculated in his intoxicated state. His nose was dripping blood, running down his face much like Willow's tears.

"Stop, Roman! Stop!" Her yelling created a chain reaction as lights were flipped on in both houses.

Roman continued to dominate, his fists bruised and coated in a mix of sweat and blood. His face looked distant from his actions as he lost himself in beating Luca. Luca had given up, just laying there whining about his face.

"Roman!" Her voice wasn't doing anything to stop him as she stood beside his truck.

She had to look away from the destruction and hid her sobs behind her shaky hand. Mr. Waklin came running out of nowhere, instantly pulling Roman from his passed-out victim. Verona soon joined the party with a cloud of disapproval following overhead.

"What the hell is going on?" Verona insisted with a look sent Willow's way.

"I'd like to know the same." Roman's dad chimed in, letting Roman go.

"It's nothing, mo-m..."

"It's not nothing. He hit you." Roman corrected her. His chest moved rapidly as he tried to catch his breath, his arm muscles pumped and sticking out from his form-fitting tee.

His dad stood off to the side, watching it all unfold. Verona approached Willow with her disappointment written into her wrinkled frown. 

"Stop." Will projected at Roman with hardened-eyes. "I didn't ask you to beat him half to death."

"Excuse me for protecting you." His disbelief chided back.

"I never asked you to protect me." She yelled in return.

At that moment, Roman's mother pulled up in a silver car, cutting their impending argument short, and instantly ran to the scene with a shocked expression.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" His mother was by his side immediately.

"Everyone is fine, Donna." His guarded tone was back as he addressed his mother.

"It's obviously not!" She insisted but Roman just ignored her.

The way he brushed off her concern was odd to watch but no one mentioned it. Mrs. Waklin moved to her husband's side at her son's distant.

Willow's sniffles blended with the crickets singing in the background as the adults decided how to handle this mess.

"Can someone help me get him inside? I'll make sure he is okay and call his mother to come get him." Verona reasonably suggested about Luca and Mr. Waklin began to help without a word spoken.

"Are you okay, honey?" Donna approached Willow with a motherly concern.

"Yes, thank you." She politely replied even if it was a lie.

Her hands shook at her side and she must've been a sight to behold but Mrs. Waklin didn't question her.

"Okay, dear."

"Un-fucking-believable!" Roman sarcastically mused.

"Roman!" His mother was on his case instantly but he paid her no mind.

"He hit you and you don't even acknowledge it. What is your problem? Why do you just let him walk all over you?" Roman stood a few feet to her left but she couldn't reach his eyes. He was right.

"Roman! You don't speak to someone like that ever! I raised you better than this!" His mother stared in shock at her son.

"Save it, Donna. Wouldn't want to hurt your picture-perfect image in front of a stranger right?" His taunting made Willow want to shrink away from this obvious family matter she didn't need to be a part of.

The conversation ended with Roman walking in the opposite direction and slamming the front door shut. Verona and Mr. Waklin made their way around the fence, reappearing at the precise moment.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. My daughter has a habit of starting drama. If everyone is okay, then I think we'll just take our leave to deal with this. Thanks for your help." Willow knew that meant trouble for her but she didn't care. She just wanted this day to end.

"Yes, sorry about our boy and his --" Mr. Waklin had to pause, as if unsure of the right word,"... mishandling of the situation."

"That's quite alright. Have a good night." And just like, the whole ordeal had come to a close. Too bad Willow's punishment had just begun.

The Waklins retreated to their home and Willow could feel Verona's judgment piercing the skin of her back on the short walk back to their humble abode.

As soon as the door was shut, the yelling commenced.

"What the hell was that? I won't tolerate this behavior! Having boys fighting over you in the driveway?" Verona looked livid as she turned to her daughter.

"Poor Luca is unconscious on our couch. Jesus Christ! What were you thinking?"

Poor Luca? It made her want to scream at her mother,"Poor me. He started this. You have a monster on your couch." But she would never know, let alone believe a word her daughter had to say.

Willow stood tall, cornered in front of the door with Verona standing over her like a bully on the playground.

"This isn't my fault. I asked for none of this. Why are you blaming me?" Her reasoning didn't calm her mother.

"Every action has its consequences. No daughter of mine will be one of those girls who spread her legs for every boy. First, you come home high and now you are getting into these situations. What's next, Will? I'll find out you are fucking stealing or worse? No, I won't stand around and wait. Tomorrow I want you gone."

The sting was instant. "What?" She didn't know how to comprehend her mother's words.

"I want to you out of this damn house! Take your drama with you."

"You can't be serious? Where am I suppose to go? I didn't even do anything." The waterworks had started all over again.

The devasting news was clear on her face as she looked into her mother's stern expression. She was a hundred percent serious.

"I don't care. I won't stand for this nonsense anymore."

"Mom, what am I suppose to do?" The desperation in her voice did nothing to her mother.

"I don't give a shit. You're resourceful, I am sure you will figure it out." As her mother walked away, Willow didn't know what to do.

First Emilia, then Roman, and now her mother. It was too much. Sliding down the length of the door, she pulled her knees to her chest. Her heart was left in her throat and for the fourth time in a short evening, she cried.

  She cried for what felt like hours, sniffling and hiccuping into the night. With her head resting against the door, she curled up and cried herself to sleep, complete darkness surrounding her.