Shattered Wings

Chapter 3

My mom leaves me with two aliens

Lola
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi," Juliet said
"What's up?" I asked.
"I kissed Logan," She replied
"Really well I made-out with Theodore Rosevelt," I told her.
"No I'm serious, we both ended up in the hospital and I was visiting him and I kissed him," She told me.
"The hospital? Are you okay?" I asked.
"Sort of I was in a car accident and Logan was playing soccer and broke his leg they think that he broke it because he has cancer. But none of that matters right now. All that matters is that I kissed him."She told me really fast.
"Hey, look I've got to go so I'll talk to you later okay." I told her
"It's okay I understand bye." she said.
"Mom can I go visit a friend?" I asked knowing that the answer will be -no you have to take care of your brother and sister-
"You know that I have to go to work and I bet you already know the answer to that question" my mom said while getting ready to go to work I don't know what she does for work because she never tells me and so I never ask
"Lo you know how hard I work now please don't disappoint me just so you can visit one of your stupid friends" my mom said which to me sounded like a blessing since usually she yells at me until i'm in tears and because of how thin our tiny apartment walls are.
The neighbors used to try to get her to shut up but that only made things worse. No I thought no no no she must have found a breaking point she's going to use the branding iron.
I started crying and then I felt it the hot searing pain on my stomach never enough to damage but always enough to hurt.
I knew it was coming I feel it practically every week but I never get used to it I never get to go swimming because of it.
"Why mom why" I said through sobs .
"You have to learn you're place in this family." she said.
"what lesson am I supposed to learn am I supposed to learn.That you hate me" I asked.
Then I felt it again and this time. I knew it was worse I could feel the blood running down my stomach onto my jeans "go clean yourself up!" she yelled then went out the door and left.
I immediately ran to go get a wet rag "Lola" I heard my sister Eli say.
"Yes Eli" I said trying not to succumb to the pain.
"Are you okay?" she asked
"Yes i'm fine now go to our room i'll be right back". I ran to the small kitchen to grab a rag and some tape I decided to tape the rag to my stomach and ran out the door and across the hall and knocked.
Come on Theo open up I thought I saw the door open and saw him
" look right now's not a very good time" he said and then he looked up at me and saw the blood on the rim of my jeans and tears running down my face from the pain.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I went to far again" I said "Juliet said that she was in a car accident and that Logan might have cancer. So I asked if I could go see them. Well you know what happens " I said then I lifted up my shirt just enough so that I could take the rag off and showed him the small triangular burns on my midsection new and old.
"Where is she" he said through gritted teeth he sounded like he was going to punch a wall.
" Please don't do anything. I'm fine it'll heal the scars won't go away but i'll live" I said trying to make him calm down
"No your not why do you let her do it?" he asked.
"Same reason you let your father" after I said this he backed down.
"Come inside my dad's not home and I have some real bandages you can use. Just be quite if my sister's know you're here then you know," he said and I followed him inside.
"Thanks I'm sorry that I mentioned your father that wasn't right, but I still think you should tell someone. All the things you take from your father to protect your sisters is noble, but wrong," I told him as we walked into his small room.
"Sit on the bed and wait just a few seconds," he said then left. I sat on his bed and looked at his room it's small but neat. He has a couple stacks of books and cds with a cd player next to it.
"Look I'm sorry too I just care about you and as far as telling someone about my abusive father. Well I'll only do it if you do. He's only acting like this because of my mom though he used 6o be okay now it's like he's just a shell of his old self," he said. "Take off your shirt so I can wrap you're burns," he said while he cheeks had a slight blush to them.
"Do I have too?" I asked.
"It'll make it easier,"he said.
"Okay but could you do it I feel like I'll scream if I move my arms to much," I said to him. I raised my arms slowly biting my tongue I could taste blood in my mouth. He took the bottom of my t-shirt and raised it very slowly.
"Oh my god how...how could you let her do that... all those burns there are hundreds overlapping each other how have you not died." he said softly he had tears streaming down his face now.
"I use my mom's alcohol to clean the wounds and used baby wipes to put on top but this is the first time where I couldn't do anything." I said.
"This one's the worst the last time it was this bad was when I died my hair green," I said.
"Okay, here's a rag bite on it I've realized that it help with cigar burns on my arms so. I guess I'll start then." he said. I put the rag wich muffled my screams as he used rubbing alcohol on my burns he cleaned them as carefully as he could. He was very gentle though. Then he started to bandage them wich was worse he tightly wrapped the bandages around my whole midsection. When he finished I took the rag out of my mouth and hugged him he held me gently while I sobbed.
"Thanks" I said "If you want you can take your sisters over to my apartment then we would be taking care of them," I told him
"That sounds like a good idea okay I'll bring them over,"he said.
He grabbed his sisters he has four little sisters Tess, Silvia, Katarina, and Vienna.
I opened my door and let them in "Eli, Will I brought some friends over" I said and waited to hear them coming running out of our room once I heard the familiar sound I said "now slow your roll it's not like it's Christmas or anything"
"You always say that even when it is christmas" said my little brother Will he's like 13 "well at least I walk in the apartment" I said
"Well aren't you going to take your guests to the main attraction around here" I said.
"Sure" Will replied. "Ladies come with me and I will show you the cleanest room in history" Will said then he added "you too Eli" who was staring up at Theo like he was the biggest giant she had ever seen.
But give her a break when you're four feet even and see someone who's almost 3 feet taller than you, you have a lot of confusing moments especially when you're four.
After I saw then pop out of sight I turned to Theo and dragged him into our tiny living room. "So what do you want to do?" I asked him.
"Do you want to make out?" he mumbled.
"Ha ha ha... wait are you serious?" I said.
"I mean if you want too?" he replied.
"You're so weird," I told him and grabbed his face and kissed him. I pulled away. "See wasn't so bad, was it" I looked down at my chest. " I'm not wearing a shirt am I?" I said.
"Nope," he said while shaking his head. I laughed and kissed him again. I then got up grabbed his hand and dragged him into my room while I searched my drawers for a shirt. I found one of my dad's old band t-shirts I got from a box in his old room and put it on. It was so big it hung off one of my shoulders. I looked at him with my short green hair. He came up to me all of sudden pushed my hair out of face to show my dark brown eyes I closed my eyes. I opened them and looked at his light brown skin that were complemented by his dark brown almost black eyes. I kissed him again but this time I held it longer when I pulled away and looked at his face. I studied his expression but I couldn't tell hoe he felt about it but then he kissed me.
"We've lived across from each other for almost our entire lives how come we never did this?" I asked.
"I don't know but I wish we did. Shit what time is it?" he said.
I looked at the clock in my room. "About 8:00" I said.
"I would love to stay but I have to go." he said.
"Okay goodbye," I said.
"Goodbye," he said. I watched as he left and thought about what this might mean now.
"Wait! Will you go with me to the dance?" I asked.
"Yeah!" I yelled back.
After they left I waited around 3 hours for my mom to come but eventually I fell asleep when I woke up I found all of my mother's things gone some money and a note it said,

Dear Lola, Will, and Eli I'm leaving you I feel this is for the best I left some money for you for rent and food if you get in any real trouble I left you're father's address if you want to leave the apartment and live with him that's fine too although I advise against it. I will send money each month so you can stay at the apartment
Sincerely,
your Mother Adaline

I could feel the tears rolling down my face I heard a knock on the door and went to open it. When I got there I saw Theo in tears he immediately tried to pull himself together, but it looked like it was just a waste of energy.
"Hey what's bothering you?" I asked quietly.
"She's Dead" he said hoarsely.
"who's dead" I asked knowing that no matter what I would break down too.
"M....m...my mom" he said I knew that he was going to crumple to the floor so I fell with him he rested his head on my chest and we just sat there me stroking his chocolatey brown hair while tears streamed down my face listening to his heart wrenching sobs.........