Saved By Carli

I

Sage's POV

I have to get away. I have to get away. I have to get away from that house and more importantly from her. I don't understand why my mom does the things she does to me. Does she not realize it hurt me to that he is gone?

Looking down I see all the scars and bruises that she has caused. I don't think there is a part of me that isn't covered in scars or bruised over to where there is no flesh color. It's either black or blue and I will have scars for life now because of her.

After running for 20 minutes I arrived at a park that not many people know about so I was the only one there.

She use to be a good mother, I think, but all that changed whenever my dad died while in the military when I was 12. I'm 17 now and all my memories are of her beating and scolding me. Everyone took it hard, but my mom couldn't cope so she turned to the bottle which just made her angry and I was the only thing there for her to take out her aggression. So every night I get punched, smacked, kicked, cut, and verbally abused until I pass out. I couldn't take any more of the abuse. I had to leave that hell hole. I cant go back their ever again. But where am I going to go?

I hear footsteps to my left. Hopefully they wont bother me. Shit they're coming over toward me. A lady is trying to talk to me, but I just block it out not wanting to be bothered. Good she stopped talking. Maybe they'll go away now.

"PLEASE NO, STOP, I PROMISE I WONT DO IT AGAIN" I scream as she touches my shoulder.

My breath starts to pick up. Not another panic attack I cant take much more of this crap. Wait what's she doing. Oh no please don't touch me again. Or touch me thats fine. Wow this lady gives good hugs.

"Hey you're okay I got you. Just listen to my heart beat and try to slow down your breathing okay? There you go. Breathe just breathe. In out in out."

Wait why is this working? Ive never been able to stop a panic attack. I have so many questions right now. Why is this working? Why is she helping me? Who is this woman?

- - - - -

Carli's POV

"Is everyone ready to head back to the hotel?" Christen asked us.

We all nodded and headed toward the door.

Christen, Ashlyn, Ali, Alex, and I were at a local coffee shop on our free day in Denver before the game against New Zealand.

As we were walking through a park to take a shortcut back to the hotel I notice a teenage girl crying and even from here I can see the bruising, so either she is being abused or she fell out of a very high tree and because there isn't a large enough tree in the vicinity that could cause that much bruising or scaring I assume she is being abused which breaks my heart. From the available skin I can see there isn't a part of her body that isn't either scarred or bruised. Who could do this to a child?

"Hey Ash, does that girl over there look okay to you?" I ask.

"Uh no she doesn't. Why don't we go see if she needs anything." Ash says.

Walking over there I see her tense up and I'm guessing its because she knows people are coming over to her.

When we reach her I ask, "Hey sweetie are you alright? "

She doesn't respond so I tentatively reach out to try to get her attention, but I only end up making her scream in panic.

"PLEASE NO, STOP, I PROMISE I WONT DO IT AGAIN"

She's breathing fast, too fast in fact. Oh no she's having a panic attack. We are all just staring at her. Looking at the other girls next to me none of us know what to do to help her.

I need to do something before she passes out. That's when I remember something an old friend taught me to do for her panic attacks.

"Hey I'm going to try something ok?" I ask.

She doesn't respond so I try it anyway. I sit down with her and pull her into a hug. Then proceed to tell do what my friend told me worked for her.

"Hey you're okay I got you. Just listen to my heart beat and try to slow down your breathing okay? There you go. Breath just breath. In out in out. I got you. It's okay. I promise I wont let whatever you're scared of hurt you ever again. You're safe now. Nobody will hurt you. And if they tried they'd have to get through me and my four friends here."

She looks up at us and I think she realizes who we are because I see her smile for a second. All the girls sit down.

"Hey sweetie whats your name" Ali asks

"Sage"

"Hey Sage, will you come with us to the hospital to get you looked at?" Christen asks

- - - - -

Sage's POV

Looking up I try to see who the girls are. My eyes widen when I realize that the girls are some of my idols. Christen Press, Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd are in front of me. Why do members of the US Women's National Team care about me?

"Hey Sage will you come with us to the hospital to get you looked at?" Christen Press asks me.

I furiously sake my head no and look down. "I can't. I don't want you all to get hurt. You girls have careers to look forward to. I don't want you to risk everything over something as worthless as me."

"Sage you are not worthless. Who told you that you're worthless?" Ashlyn Harris asked.

"My mom" I mumble hoping they didn't hear me, but I guess they did because I hear them all try to muffle their gasps.

"Well I tell you what if you come with us to the hospital I guarantee that we will show you how much you are worth. We just met you and I'm sure you will have an impact on all of our lives forever." Ashlyn says.

That made me smile internally. I wonder if she truly means it. She doesn't mean it does she? Well I guess there's only one way to find out if its true or not.

"Ok."