Chapter Fifteen
{Flashback}
The plan was simple. Leah had it all planned in her head. She had it playing over and over again in her head. She was going to get back at her Father and it was going to crush him. He was going to pay for all the things he did to her; he hurt her, and embarrassed her. She would never forgive him for that.
"Leah Rose Coburn," She heard her Father yell. She quickly put her papers in the nightstand, and pretended she was reading a book when her Father stormed in.
He looked drunk and angry. He picked up the nearest thing to him, and slammed it into the ground. "What did you do that for?" Leah screamed, "That was something Aunt Helen gave me! It can't be replaced!"
"I don't care," Greg yelled, "You are a stupid kid!"
Leah flinched, because his words always hurt her more than her Father's actions. Leah blocked out the beating she got in the next few minutes, and went straight to the pain after.
She could feel her face bruising and bleeding, along with her sides and arms. She traveled out of her room, and into the bathroom where she was able to look at herself.
Her short brown hair was glued to her head with blood, and she could hardly see her brown eyes because her eyes were almost swollen shut. She whimpered, and started to cry, but no tears slid down her cheek because her eyes were so swollen.
Leah sauntered back to her room with a sad pep in her step. She lay in her bed, and held herself as she cried. She didn't want anyone to come up and see her; she just wanted to be alone. No, that was a lie. She wanted to be at the Collins house, but they were on vacation, and she was supposed to be watching their cat, Omar.
The cat was dying though, so Leah just prayed that the poor cat didn't die while she was watching it. She knew how much the cat meant to Tricia, and she didn't want to be the one to tell her it was dead.
The door opened slowly, and Leah looked to see who it was. It was her Mother, Tina. "I see you came out of the basement," Leah snapped, and Tina flinched.
"What's up?" She whispered.
"I'm having a party up here," Leah said sarcastically, "Want to join me."
"How can I help you darling?" Tina asked, walking in to Leah's room, and sitting on the bottom of her bed. Leah sat up, with her plan in her mind.
"I need your help," She whispered.
"With what, Leah?" Tina asked.
Leah opened her drawer, and pulled out a bunch of papers. She handed them all to her Mother, and waited for her Mother to read them. She watched the fragile face turn into one of shock. "Leah, what is this," Tina gasped.
"I need your help," Leah whispered, "I won't hurt anyone, I promise."
"But it will," Tina whispered, "Have you even thought of your Father in this?
"Of course I have," Leah snapped, "This plan revolves around him. I think it's inevitable not to revolve around him!"
Tina looked back down at the papers in front of her. She let out a shaky sigh, and flipped the pages over one by one. "You owe me," Leah told her.
Any other Mother would have snapped at their daughter that they brought their scrawny life into this world and didn't owe them anything with the pain they went through. But Tina Coburn wasn't one of those Mothers. She wouldn't even look up at her own daughter. She couldn't meet her daughter's eyes.
"Well?" Leah pressed.
"I...I...guess," Tina muttered.
"No, there is no guessing," Leah told her, "You are either in, or out! Decided now."
That's probably when any other Mom would get up and walk out of the room, telling their child that they were grounded, and if they so as stuck the nose out of the house, things would be taken away from them. But Tina wasn't again wasn't one of those Mothers. Mrs. Tina Coburn agreed with the plan, and promised no matter what she wouldn't back out. "Good," Was all Leah said, before taking the papers back from her Mother.
Tina stood up carefully, and walked towards the door. "I'm doing this because I love you," Tina whispered, before walking out of the room.
The thought never occurred to Leah that she was loved by her Mother. She always thought that she was some sort of accident, but apparently not. Her Mother must have wanted Leah all along, and if she did she had a very weird way of showing it.
Mrs. Coburn pretty much lived down the basement. Leah wasn't allowed down there, so she hardly saw what the basement looked like. She had only be down there one or two times to fetch her Mother for her Father.
Leah's Mom was scared of the life outside of the house. She wasn't afraid to go outside; she just preferred it inside and down the basement. Greg didn't even go downstairs. He thought it was creepy.
Most people didn't even know that Leah had a Mom. When she answered the phone and told them it was the "Coburn Residence" they would get confused and asked who was on the phone. When she answered, "Mrs. Coburn, you know Leah's Mom?" They would all say, "Leah has a Mother?"
She didn't take offense to that anymore.
Leah went down for dinner soon, and sat around the table with her family. No one mentioned how beat up Leah looked, or the fact that it was her Father that did it. They just all sat down together, and ate dinner in silence. Then the phone rang, and Leah got up to get it.
"Coburn Residence," Leah said into the phone, turning away from her family to talk on the phone.
"Is this Leah?" A voice asked.
"It sure is," Leah said.
"Hey Leah, its Stephanie," Said the girly voice.
"Hey girl," Leah laughed, "I haven't talked to you in forever!"
"I know right?" Stephanie laughed too, "What have you been up too?"
"Nothing too big," Leah sighed, "How's California?"
"Hot," Stephanie said in an exhausted voice.
Leah laughed into the phone, and twirled the cord around her finger. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and laughed a little because Stephanie was one of her best friends, and ever since she moved to California Leah felt a little lonelier. "I bet it is," Leah told her, "Steph, we really miss you hear!"
"Speak for yourself," Greg said with a mouth full of food.
Leah quickly covered the mouth piece and tried to turn away from her Father again.
"I miss you too Le," Stephanie cooed, and they both cracked up at how weird they sounded.
"Get off the phone," Greg growled from the kitchen table.
"Stephanie, I have to go, but I'll call you later," Leah said into the phone.
"Okay, bye girlie!" She sang into the phone, and before Leah had a chance to respond, she hung up.
Stephanie was one of the only real friends Leah had. Now most of her friends were gone, and she hardly had anyone to hang out with. Stephanie had to move to California because her Dad's job got moved over there, and Leah hasn't seen Stephanie ever since. Sure she calls sometimes, but other then that Stephanie was just a vague memory.
"No more talking on the phone at dinner," Leah's Dad told her, "How about we just say no more friends?" He laughed at his own comment like it was a joke.
Leah ignored him, stabbing her fork into the chicken on her plate. She bit her tongue, refusing to say something that would get her in more trouble then she already was in.
She just glared at her Father, with her plan forming in her mind. Pieces were clicking together, piece by piece.
{End of Flashback}
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I hope this explains a little whaat Leah went through as a kid!
Right?
Please let me know if it doesn't:)
thanks
cheesehead
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