Red

Chapter 6

It was my dad and to make it even worse, he was drunk, well trashed. I couldn't take another beating, I was still in pain from the last one. 

"I have to go pick up a friend." I said as he stepped in front of me. He shoved my chest and I stepped back. "Can you just let me go please? They need my help." My mind was still foggy from the drugs and the small nap that I got. 

"You don't tell me what to do, little boy." My father said. I felt a sharp pain as he hit me against my already injured right cheek. 

"Fuck." I moaned under my breath. He started to kick me with his steel toed boots on my already bruised stomach, I was already starting to go numb and my body was shaking, I didn't know how much longer I could take it. He eventually stopped and stood there just looking at me and walked up stairs.

I started to couch, then I realized I was coughing up something I thought was mucus, I coughed it up onto the floor and looked at it, it was red. Blood? I thought. I tried to move, to hurry up and get the hell out of here before my father came back but my body ached with every small movement. I placed my hands on the cold hardwood floor and propped myself up, I leaned against the wall to keep my balance and opened the door that led out of my house. I walked down the walkway and got into my car, I got out the keys to my car, unlocked the door and got in, as soon as I got in I locked the doors immediately, I didn't want to risk my dad coming out and beating me again. I caught my breath and got my shaky hand to put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.

I eventually made my way to Michael's house, and Red was standing outside. I unlocked the car and she got in. The light was on in the car and she saw my face. "Holy shit! What the, what happened to your face!?" She said practically screaming, her mouth was wide open. 

"It was my dad, look Red I can't go home, please, you have to understand." I was hoping she would say that I could go to her house, I couldn't go home, not with him there.

"Um, we can just go to my house, my dad should be out with his girlfriend and if he's not I can just explain. Where was your mom when this happened." She said.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see this honey, I'm sorry you had to see this, I wanted to keep this a secret but he's never been this bad and-" Red cut me off.

"It's okay let's just get to my house. Do you want me to drive?" She said. The only reason I said yes was because I was feeling incredibly weak. I had a pounding headache and it hurt to sit up straight. We switched seats and Victoria drove us to her house. We got out of the car and she handed me the keys. 

"What are you going to say if your parents see me beaten?" I asked.

"I'm going to tell them the truth." She said looking me in the eyes. 

"You, you can't. My dad will go to jail and he's our only source of income, my mother and I would perish without him." I said, tears filling my eyes but trying to be man enough and not let them flow over.

"But you'll be dead with him, pick your poison." 

I was caught off guard by that comment and had nothing to say so I followed her inside her average sized home. The first room I saw was the living room, there was no one in there but the lamp was on. We walked down a hallway and Red opened a door which I assumed to be her room but I was wrong, it was the bathroom. "I need to get you cleaned up." She said as she opened the cabinets under the sink. I looked into the mirror and I couldn't believe my face, it was bruised and bloody and I barley looked like myself. She pulled out peroxide and neosporine sat it on the counter and shut the cabinets. "I need to get you cleaned up." She said turning around and getting into the bathroom closet and grabbing a washcloth. I sat down slowly on the toilet seat and watched her wet the washcloth with the peroxide. "This may sting some, I'm sorry if it does." She said placing the damp cloth onto my bruised and bloody face. I cringed and whimpered.

"Fuck." I moaned. "It fucking stings." I complained. 

"I'm sorry, but I've got to do this. You look like a complete wreck." She said, and I knew she had to do this but it just hurt so bad.

Victoria looked down and so did I, I saw blood seeping through my ACDC shirt. Just then I started to feel light headed so I grabbed onto the edge of the sink. "Just lean back so I can look, okay?" Victoria said sweetly. I did as she told me and leaned back onto the back of the toilet. I felt her gently grab the hem of my shirt and pull it up. "Can you take off your shirt for me?" Red questioned. I obeyed, I looked down and what I saw looked like it belonged in a horror movie. "Jesus." She sat there looking at my bloody and bruised stomach. "What the fuck did he do to you?" Everything was going black. She was saying more but I couldn't understand, it just sounded like mumbling. 

"Ashton, Ashton!" I felt shaking and someone calling my name. I opened my eyes and everything was fuzzy.

"Wha-what?" I questioned.

"You passed out."  I realized that I was somewhere different. I was in a twin bed in a dark blue room. I guess I was looking confused because she said. "You're in my room, don't worry, my dad's not home and he won't be until later tomorrow. Everythings going to be okay Ash, I promise." I then faded into a deep sleep.