The Story of Steps

The Argument

Just to mention it, this chapter contains abuse so you don't need to read it of course!

_

Faye:

Upon arriving at our house, I can already hear the music playing loudly. Travis usually does this when he's angry or stressed, so it seems to be obvious that he read that article. For a moment I hesitate, thinking about just driving back to the studio or to talk to Lisa or Claire - but what would be a good explanation if the others would ask anything around the relationship between Travis and me? They shouldn't know he his so talking to him, explaining that this article is nonsense and that we obviously love each other is a great solution. So I make my way towards the house while thinking about a few good words to say to him. Would he really accept it if I just say that these things are just claims? No, he won't. That'll make him even more angry. 

Walking past the garden, I quickly greet our neighbour with an apologetical expression. He smiles, seeming to understand by now that Travis is angry yet again - he hears the music too after all and isn't overly fond of him to be absolutely honest. Well, Travis also says he doesn't like our neighbours back but oh well. "Arguments?" he asks through the loud music.

"Yes, sorry. We will talk to each other." I reply back, opening the door. Seeing our neighbour smiling back at me encouraging, I close the door behind me - immediately being pinned against the wall.

"Hello, my dear. Good to see you." Travis says with a faked smile, carrying me over to a chair and placing me down as if I'm part of the furniture. "How was the band meeting?" he asks. "Enjoyed your rehearsals?"

"Yes." I reply shyly, not wanting to talk too much, knowing that this usually annoys him. It's almost weird how nicely he seems now. "And yours?"

"Very good. But I assume yours was far more interesting." Travis finally says. I tense at these words, wishing to hide from him and his actions. I close my eyes, imagining to be somewhere else; at the dance studio, rehearsing and singing and- and these thoughts are interrupted when Travis angrily pushes me down the chair. My head is banging on the ground, immediately sending pain to it. "You should listen to me!" he snaps. 

I rub my head while crying slightly, my mind racing while thinking about how to tell him about the articles, about how our relationship is developing. "Sorry, I'm sorry, listen there's an article that says-" 

"I already know! Do you even know how I look now to the public? Or to my own bandmates? You cheated on me!"

"No, that's not true!" I say equally loud as him, while he's looking full of hate. "That's just a claim. We aren't flirting, really not, it's just a stupid claim!"

"Don't be such a liar, cutie." Travis says, now sounding completely relaxed. For a moment we look at each other, partly confused, before he takes me by the arms to slam me against the wall with all of his energy and I swear I could hear something cracking - most likely a rib. "I hate you!" he shouts, kicking me against the back as I fall to the ground. "I gave you all my love and you just ignore it - and you even decide to flirt with this stupid guy? With your bandmate? Really? We could live a beautiful life together as a couple, I wanted this relationship!"

I look at him absolutely shy and with a silent whisper I dare to tell him my thoughts. "But I don't want it anymore."

That seems to freak him out completely. He starts to kick me against the back like crazy and I close my eyes, wondering what to do, while he starts to slam me against the wall repeatedly. He seems completely out of his mind.

"Can we talk?" I ask him, probably too silent for him to understand because of the room spinning around me.

"Talk? You really want to talk?" he asks loudly, letting go of me and walking around in the house like he's asking himself what to do or say. That's when I try to stand on my feet, opening the door as silent as possible to sneak outside. He usually only slaps me when we're alone so if I could indeed sneak outside, I could tell someone. Maybe our neighbour? He must be still in his garden, he already looks at Travis suspicious when we walked past him previously so maybe it wouldn't need much of an explanation. I limp towards our garden, but of course Travis realises this attempt. He takes me by the hair to pull me back into the house, angrily kicking me against the head to make me silent while I let out a little scream.

"Please, we can talk! I promise I won't tell anyone what you did to me. I promise, they don't need to know you're like this!" I try, but he just laughs it off.

"You're listening to me now." Travis says while he holds me as tightly as possible. "You're stupid for thinking that I ever loved you. You were just a part of my career as a singer, but you're not important. I already told you that cheating on me is absolutely stupid as well. Journalists will think that I'm as stupid as you, when it's actually just you who's a worthless girl." he continues before kicking me against the back again and again there's something cracking. I'm not able to say anything else and my vision slowly turns blurry. And Travis is only focused on his hate towards me for, probably, just being me. After a while he stops his actions as someone rings the doorbell and apparently demands him to open the door. "Don't you dare to enter the house!" he shouts back, now taking my hands to pull me over the ground like a package. "Cutie? Are you listening?" he asks, quickly slapping my cheek. I blink at him, not knowing at all where we currently are. "You're coming with me so you can't tell them anything. And you're staying quiet." 

I wonder where he wants to go, not knowing it. The room is spinning and my body is bruised and hurts from his actions of abuse, it's like I'm about to faint. So I simply let him continue to pull me around before realizing that he tries to leave the house through the door that leads to our garden at the back of our house. "Where are we going?" I whisper confused, my eyes closing again.

"You're staying quiet, I said!" he shouts, kicking his feet to my forehead. 

"Please, where are we going to?" I whisper again, half-crying. Travis takes me by the hair to lift me into his arms, apparently saying something that I don't understand through my pounding head.

It seems like he wants to say anything else, trying to make me look at his angry expression, but suddenly the door swings open and people enter the house.  "Leave us alone!" Travis shouts, his sentence starting to drift away from me as my eyes go heavy and fall close. "She's mine!" he adds, pushing me to the ground yet again, while still thinking about how to go through the back door. But just as he's saying this, he's pulled away from me, swearing hatefully, while I keep laying on the ground and watch the room shaking. Only briefly I realize how Travis leaves through the front door now, before someone starts holding my hand and it seems like this person is talking to me.

"Can you hear me?" someone asks. All I see is a blurry figure that holds my hands tightly. "It's all okay. You're okay. We called the police and you're safe now."

I exhale at these words, just before drifting off into an unconscious state.