Relentless

Chapter 6

After seven days in the life of Larson, I am finally allowed to return to my hell hole! Maris said that if I get any questions for my parents about where I've been to tell them that I was with Maris for a summer reading assignment that was so important that I had to stay over for a week.

That excuse is pretty stupid but she thought it was a good one so I let her sulk in her happiness.

I took a pregnancy test which came back negative. I was, still am, utterly relieved.

As I walk in the front door with one of Maris's jackets on and sweats, I make a mad dash for my room and lock the door. I put on a pair or my own sweat pants and un-zip the jacket to look at the scars.

The ones on my stomach have healed properly, same with the ones on my legs. There are still scars, but the wound has closed. As for my arms, there is still some dry blood and a lot of scar tissue. I hate that he did this to me. I hate that I have these scars as a constant reminder.

I put on a long sleeve shirt and sit on my bed staring into the mirror. I look at my eyes, my lips, my hair and my body and realize I'm not the girl I once was. I'm no longer innocent. I'm no longer a compassionate, caring girl. I am no longer Juliet Hayden Summers.

I have so much hate and anger bottled up inside of me that I couldn't release at Maris's, but I can release it in my room. I move to my desk and push all of my papers off of it. Lose songs I've written, pieces of stories, school notes, everything. I take all of the books on my shelves and throw them to the ground, ripping some of the pages out. I move to my bed, lifting one mattress and taking out my diary. I open it and see my signature at the end of one entry.

I let out a frustrated yell and rip all of the pages out. I pull my chair away from my desk and throw it across my tiny room. I move to my closet and remove everything by throwing it to the ground. I take a pair of shoes and chuck them at my dresser, seeing one hit my mirror, causing it to shatter.

I collapse on the pile of papers and book covers and let tears stream down my face. I'm tried of being hurt, verbally and emotionally. I'm so done with this! I-

"Hey, Juliet?" My mother knocks on the door.

"Don't come in!" I say, afraid of her. I open the door slightly and look at her.

"What happened to your face?" She asks, obviously seeing what's left of the cut on my eyebrow.

"I fell. What is it?" I ask her.

"Jackson called asking us to come and pick him up from his friends house. Mike picked him up from a bar a few nights ago and refused to drive him home. I want you to come with us."

No way in hell!

"Um, Mom I can't go."

"It's not an option. Let's go." She says in a much more stern voice. As she walks downstairs I close my door and look for a pair of shoes that are now on the ground. As I am about to walk outside, I hear my phone ring. I look at it and see a text message from an unknown number.

Slut

What the hell! Why would someone call me a slut? I'm a school girl who never goes out and.... Oh no.

As another message comes in from another unknown number, it clicks in my brain.

News travels fast in a small town, sweetheart.

The messages keep coming and I continue to get even more angry and upset.

I guess the book worm has a few secrets, huh?

You are a disgusting whore.

Who would've thought that the nobody would take advantage of a man who is two years older than her? Not me! Stay in your hole, bitch.

You are your mother's daughter.

Your father would be ashamed.

That one hit home and I feel tears welding up in my eyes. It wasn't my fault! I didn't take advantage of him! He took advantage of me! I hear one more message come in and this time, I feel my blood boil.

Tell Mom and Dad to hurry up. Oh, and by the way, you're welcome.

That son-of-a-bitch told everyone I took advantage of him! I'm going to kill him! I'm done being the nice little school girl who never curses, has no friends and would never hurt a fly. This is my breaking point.

I am not Juliet. From here on out, she's dead to the world. Dead to everyone! I need a new name. A name that isn't as pretty or innocent as Juliet.

Jay.

Jay sounds tough. Jay sounds like a bad girl name. I am now Jay Summers.

"Juliet!" My mother yells. I run out the door and charge out to the car. I get in the back while Daniel drives and my mom sits in the passenger side.

After about 30 minutes of driving, my mom and Daniel finally find something stupid to argue about, but are interrupted when they hear my song on the radio.

"Juliet, you haven't given me this weeks pay yet." Daniel says.

"No, I have not." I reply, sitting straight with my arms folded. He's not using my money to buy more drugs and alcohol.

"Well, give it to me."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said no." There is an awkward silence as we near a sharp turn.

"I need that money, Juliet."

"Well, you're not getting it."

"I swear, Juliet, cut the attitude right now or so help me..."

"This isn't an attitude." I interrupt him. "It's my new personality, so get used to it."

"You little bitch." He says, turning to face me, even though he is behind the wheel. "Give me my money!" He yells. He's hitting my leg and I try to get his hand away from me. I'm kicking his arm repeatedly when my mom's shriek snaps me out of my trance. I look up and see a tractor trailer driving right for our car. Daniel gets his hands off of me to turn the wheel, but not before our car flys into the front of the truck.

I hear an explosive crash, glass being shattered and people screaming. I feel my car flipping and it won't stop. My body is being contorted in impossible ways and I feel my panic rising.

Finally, the car stops flipping. When I open my eyes, I am no longer in the car. I'm on the street, looking at a blurry picture of a car and a truck on fire. How did I get in the street? I didn't have my seatbelt on, but the car door wasn't open so how...

My mom. My mom is still in the car!

I try to stand and run to the flaming vehicle, but my legs aren't moving. I feel like my whole body is on fire, engulfed in pain and my vision is getting blurrier. I hear sirens in the distance and a car stop. I turn my head slightly to see a woman running to my aid. I her her mumbling words like "you're going to be okay" and "help is on the way", but it doesn't calm me down.

I look to the right to see an ambulance speeding down the road, when everything goes dark.