Milly's Wrath

{Part Twenty_Eight}

The rest of the weekend was a complete and utter...blur. I couldn't talk to anyone, and I wouldn't let go of my sense of betrayal. I don't even know how many arguments Anthony and I got in, let alone Nicole, Rick and I. My mind seemed to be split in two, where one half told me it wasn't their fault but the other wanted to shut out everyone. It was a Survival of the Fittest with myself and I didn't know which would win.

I couldn't find the courage to call the cops and tell them what I knew. It was obvious Shelly continued to beat London after I left. I don't know why; but she did. And I would be the one to pay the price. Even if I did tell the entire story, up to me calling the police, Shelly's father was one of the most pronounced lawyers in the district; no doubt he could easily get her off the line and hook me on it to drown. I couldn't tell Anthony or Kimbrea or Jessica or Nicole or Rick or Xavier or Nicki...and I was officially alone. Again.

I managed to get through the school day with no interaction with anyone thanks to my headphones and continual school lectures. Still, without the hearing the words I still sat the pity faces on teachers and saw the movements of murmured words between students. All I wanted was someone to hold me, but I had pushed Anthony so far he barely sat next to me in any classes we shared. During lunch I escaped to the library just to avoid seeing my 'friends'.

But my phone battery eventually died. And all of last period I had to hear the vibrations of phones as people texted throughout the last lesson of the day, and hear the whispered rumors because everyone knew my past except for me. So throughout the last class I focused as much as possible, lingering on every word the teacher said and staring at the clock as it counted down the last seconds of the day. I had to be one of the first people out of the room, and I knew I should stay for dance practice but my feet were already leaving the school long before that registered.

"They dodged a bullet." I heard a girl say as I walked past. "I mean, have you seen her lately? If I were her parents I wouldn't want a girl like her either."

Before I even knew what I was doing my book bag was on the ground and I had punched her in the jaw. She came back quick, back slapping my cheek. I used one hand to grab her neck and punched her again but she used her foot to trip me. We both went tumbling down the few steps to the front of the

school and I landed on top of her. A crowd had formed but I continued to punch her, uttering no words. She clawed at my face and even landed some solid blows but that wasn't enough to stop me.

I let all of my frustration out on her, and it felt good to be that girl again. The girl who talked with her hands rather than her mouth and took nothing from anybody. Where had she been all this time?

Eventually I felt familiar hands pulling me off of her. With one final kick I let myself be dragged away, just until we were outside of the circle now tending to the wounded girl. As soon as we were out I shrugged Anthony's arm looses, but he just grabbed my arm and dragged me over to his car. Opening the door with his free hand he shoved me in and closed it. Naturally my first instinct was to open it back but it was child locked. He got in on the driver's side and started the engine with no words to me, throwing my book bag in the back seat.

"What the hell is your problem?" He asked when we were a block from the school. "So now you're going to pick fights with random people?"

"She wasn't random. If she kept her mouth shut, and didn't comment on my family issues, there would have been no problem."

"If you thought instead of acting on impulse like and idiot none of it would have happened."

"So now I'm an idiot?"

"To be perfectly honest, yeah, that's what you're acting like."

His words stung. It felt like a cut burning in acid with lemon juice in it.

"Well I guess I'll continue to be a fuckin' idiot then as long as people have something to say." I sniffled to stop the tear from coming. I hadn't cried yet, and I didn't want to cry at all. It was weak. Old Milly didn't cry, and she didn't go through half the stuff this one is going through now.

He didn't say anything until we pulled into my driveway. He unbuckled his seat belt. "Look, I may not have went through whatever you're going through, but it doesn't mean I can't understand where you're coming form. You're hurt, okay? We all understand that. Nicole, Rick, Kimbrea, Jessica- all of us, we just want to help you. Did you read the entire thing?" I shook my head, still not willing to look at him.

"Well neither did we. We gathered as many of the papers as possible, and the janitors got the rest. To be honest, majority of the school have no idea what it said only a few. The rest are hearing exaggerated versions of it. But that's not the point- Nicole called me crying asking what should she do. All those two ever did was try to love you and help you and give you everything you never had but they can't do that if you're going to act like a bitch all the time around them. Listen to them, let them talk and stop being defensive. Maybe they should of told you, but maybe they didn't know how to tell you anything...Think of it this way, they knew whatever things you did in the past, whatever happened to you, and they still

decided to let you in and have done nothing to purposely hurt you. They don't deserve your bullshit, okay?"

Before I could even say anything he was out of the car. I grabbed my book bah from behind the seat and got out as he opened my door.

"You know where to find me if you want to talk." I went to my door, and he didn't pull of until I entered the house.

As soon as I closed the door I slid against it. Putting my knees up to my face and folding my arms round them, I let my face fall. The tears left my eyes and drenched my clothes, but I didn't care. All I cared about was how was I going to apologize to Nicole and Rick, because they did nothing wrong.

Hours later(Only two)I was sitting in the living room when I heard Nicole and Rick coming in the door. I met them just as they entered, throwing my arms around both of them in a hug, almost making us all fall.

"I am so sorry for being a bitch." I said, words almost rushing together. "I was just so hurt and I didn't know who to be mad at but neither of you deserved that and you are my parents and I love both of you more than anyone else and I am so, so sorry for ever saying anything different."

"Sweetie," Nicole said, pulling away and rubbing my cheeks with her hands. "It's okay, it's okay. We should of told you."

"You had a good reason not too." I assured them, letting my head rest in Nicole's embrace as Rick pat my back.

"We love you too." He said.

And I felt like I had control over some part of my life again. The only thing left was to clear things up with Anthony and hope I didn't push him too far.