Everyday Life

Taking a Beating

Malissa was in her room. Her parents were yelling and screaming and breaking things. She was safe in her room, but for how long? Malissa was worried about Johnny. He was in his room and she knew they would go to him first. She was hoping Johnny would come in her room, but the fighting continued and he never came.

Malissa stood up and opened her door. She walked down the hallway and knocked on Johnny's bedroom door. There was no response.

"You!" She hears her father say. She went tense. She thought he was talking to her, but when she turned around she seen he was talking to Johnny. "You little piece of —"

He smacked him across the face but Johnny didn't even let out a whimper. Malissa backed up and stood in the corner where no one could see her. She wanted to do something but she was scared, frozen in her tracks. She couldn't take a beating like Johnny does, but she would if she had to.

Yes they treat her better, but not by much. And today her parents were drunker and madder than ever. If things get too bad you have to do something, she told herself. But Malissa didn't want to get hurt. She was scared of what her parents would do to her if she intervened.

"You're a worthless piece of —! You hear me! Worthless! We don't love you, we never had! I'm surprised your sorry excuse of a sister even looks at you."

That made Johnny mad. They shouldn't talk about Malissa like that and he was going to make sure they knew that. "Don't talk about her like that! She's not a sorry excuse of a sister, she's the most nicest person I know. You two are a sorry excuse for parents."

Johnny felt proud of what he said. It was the truth. But that happy feeling immediately dwindled away. "What did you say?" His father got right up in his face. The smell of alcohol was strong. "You don't appreciate anything we do for you!" He shoved Johnny against the wall causing him to fall to the ground. "You're never home. You always wonder off somewhere. I hope those Socs kill you. They should have."

Anger was boiling inside of Malissa. They shouldn't talk to her brother that way. They shouldn't talk to their son that way. Johnny was lying on the ground and just as her Dad grabbed an empty bottle Malissa ran in front of him. The fear that she felt immediately turned into anger. She was mad at her parents for everything they have done. They could have drove them apart because of how they got treated. How one got better treatment then the other. It hit her then. That's why Johnny was being distant. But she couldn't worry about that now. Now she had to help Johnny. She had to make things right.

"Stop!" She yelled. Her father was taken aback but his features immediately hardened. "I've had enough of the way you treat him! He's right, everything he said about you was right! You both are sorry excuses for parents! We don't deserve to be treated this way! It's not right."

Her father pushed her against the wall. He was right against her, blocking any form of escape. "You little —" He muttered. "And I at least thought you appreciated us." He had a devilish grin on his face. "Guess it's time we teach you a lesson too."

Her Dad took the bottle and smashed it against her arm. Little pieces of glass flew in every direction across the room. Malissa let out a whimper. Her father pushed her to the ground next to Johnny.

"What was that? I didn't here you," He said. He then kicked her hard in the stomach. She let out another cry. She tried to bite it back but couldn't. "You need to learn to speak up, sweetheart."

Malissa knew not to do this. It would only make things worse. She had seen what has happened to Johnny when he was younger. She spoke up a lot more when they were kids...it only made things worse. Not for him but her. But she would rather it be her, no matter how bad the beatings are. But that's also why she doesn't want it to be her.

Johnny stood up and pushed his Dad away. He was sober enough to know what he was doing, but not sober enough to keep from almost falling and swaying from side to side. Johnny pulled Malissa to her feet and they ran out of the house.

Malissa was struggling to run, her stomach hurt and the running was making it harder for her to breathe. "J-Johnny...s-stop for a...minute."

She was still clutching her stomach when she sat down on the ground. Johnny sat down beside her and she buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry," She said. Tears already forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry that you have to go through all that. I'm sorry that I don't protect you as much as should. I know that's not enough to make for everything but I'm sorry." By this point tears were streaming from her eyes. "I'm a horrible sister. If I wasn't so scared I would have done something a while ago."

"Hey, hey, hey, you're not a horrible sister." He cupped her chin and made her look at him. "I understand why you never-" Malissa cut him off.

"It was never that bad. At least it didn't look too bad to me. I know to you it was hell and I'm sorry. I always tried to help when things got really bad. I didn't want the same thing to happen to me. I know I'm selfish, I'm sorry. You were, you are, way tougher than me, you always have and always will be. I always get too scared. I freeze up. I'm horrible! I'm stupid! I hate myself! I hate myself!" She screamed. She punched the concrete and cried into Johnny's jacket as he held her.

"Malissa," Johnny's voice was serious, stern. "Please don't say that about yourself. You're the best sister anyone could ask for. I understand, I understand. Please don't beat yourself up over this."

"But it's true! Everything that I said is true!"

"I don't care! I don't care, as long as you are okay then I'm fine!" What Johnny was saying was true. The feeling of jealousy had vanished. He just wanted to comfort his sister. And after seeing what she did today he felt different inside. "I love you and I want you to be okay."

"I love you too. I want you to be okay too." Johnny smiled at his sisters words. "I just want to be there for you."

"I know, baby, I know." Johnny rubbed her back, tears running down his cheeks as well, and held her until she had calmed down.