Tearing Down Walls

Tearing Down Walls 18

Chapter 18 Havannah

We pulled into Kat's driveway and I ran up to her door not waiting for the car to stop. The crisp November wind made my cheeks numb. It was pitch black outside and the few stars in the sky made intricate patterns. I didn't even have to knock. Kat opened the door and hugged me. It was a relief to be around her. She was my only friend who knew about my mom and I felt completely at home with her. She let go and stared at me finally looking at my blood and tear stained face. "It's a long story." she nodded then looked behind me. Harry was getting out of the car. His pants had dirt on them as well as his hands. "Harry I'm sorry I got you dirty." he looked up at me as he walked over to us.

"What the hell was that back there?" his face was bewildered. I knew this was coming though so I prepared myself. I knew that he deserved the answers he wanted. "You could've gotten killed and now your homeless!" Kat's eyes widened and her breathing sped up.

"He kicked you out?" I nodded. She returned to her normal breathing pace after doing a few weird arm movements. "How could he do that?" Harry sighed. I could tell he was upset and that his patience was wearing thin and I didn't blame him. I kept the biggest secret in the world from him.

"I want to know why you've never mentioned your mom before. I want to know why you just let him punch you. Why your going to go back." Harry said and I bit my bottom lip.

"May we come in?" I asked and Kat nodded and stepped inside the house. Her house smelled like pumpkin and cinnamon, obvious signs that she had been baking. Paul had gotten out of the car and followed us into the living room. Harry leaned against the opposite wall with his arms crossed. "Kat will you take care of Paul while I talk with Harry?" Kat nodded understanding that we would talk later. I led Harry back to my designated room in Kat's house. Ever since I started running away I stayed in this room. The purple walls always comforted me after all my fights. I sat down on the quilted air mattress and motioned for Harry to sit beside me, but he just shook his head and remained silent. I sighed figuring out how I was going to word this for his sake and mine. "When I was eleven my mom and dad had been divorced for three years. I was always taking care of Hailey and Heaven when we weren't in school. We told mom that we didn't care how bad the living conditions progressed as long as she didn't send us to live with dad. She hated seeing us live like that and promised us that she would do her best so that we could move. One day I had to stay home from school to watch the girls because they were sick and mom had to work. We had no other family all my grandparents had died on both sides and mom was an only child as was my dad." I paused and looked up at Harry was staring at my face covered in new tears. All the feelings about my mom exploded and I could barely hear Harry move to my side and tell me to calm down over my sobs. He was rubbing my back and kissing my forehead all while telling me that it was okay. After ten minutes of crying I fell silent. Harry was sitting next to me holding my hand. All the anger from earlier was replaced with worry and love. "She was walking to her car and someone shot her." I held back the new wave of oncoming tears. "She was immediately dead because whoever shot her had aimed for her head. When they came to the house to deliver the news I was shocked. We were immediately sent to my dad's. He had remarried and had a son on the way. Heath was my stepmom's son and when we moved in he was twelve." I shook my head and drew my knees up to my chest. "He beat us. All of us. He mostly beat me since I always tried to intervene or stick up for them. All I had to do was sigh and I would find myself off the ground and against the wall then thrown. I was lucky. As I got older I fought back. Although I knew I would always lose I fought. When he started beating my sisters more often I jumped in. That earned me many nights in the emergency room for being 'clumsy' and 'falling down the stairs'. When I entered high school he found it funny to take away everything that I had. I ran away to this room several times a week." I looked around the room. There was clothes everywhere and overnight bags piled in the corners. "Kat was the only person I could tell. We've been friends forever." I pulled up my sleeve and showed him the scars. "I was cutting myself when Kat first started listening to you guys and watching your interviews." I remembered the first interview I ever watched of the boys. 

"Vannah! Come watch this!" Kat said bursting into laughter. The cool spring breeze was blowing through the open window. I sat next to Kat and her laptop. "This band called 'One Direction' i think that's how you say it is freaking amazing." I rolled my eyes.

"You love every single celebrity."

"No I'm being serious. They are so down to earth and funny. Here watch this." she plopped the laptop in my lap and hit play.

Int: "What's the first thing you buy when your young and you suddenly become rich?"

Band member: "We wouldn't know we get paid in chocolate covered peanuts!"

We watched the remainder of the interview then all the other interviews we could find. After that our lives were dedicated to the truly amazing people in that video.

I told Harry about this little moment who worriedly pulled my sleeve back down over the scars. "I stopped cutting a week later because of you guys and me and Kat promised to help each other stay strong." I looked at Harry who as playing with the edge of my pockets. "You guys saved me. I literally owe my life to the boys, you, and Kat." He bit his lip. "I didn't tell you about my mom because I've never told anyone besides Kat. I didn't want them to feel sorry about me. I knew you would be mad and if you don't want to be with me anymore because I'm a freak the-" Harry stopped me.

"Leave you? Do you think I'd really do that now that I know what has made you so perfect? I overreacted. I should've never been that mad at you. But for the record, what you just told me makes me love you even more." he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. This kiss wasn't like our first one or the little ones in between. This kiss was full of passion. All the fears my dad had planted about Harry leaving me vanished. Through thick and thin he was going to be there for me and love me. "I love you." he said brushing a finger across my dirty cheek.

"I love you too." he smiled obviously knowing that was going to be my answer. 

"Let's get you cleaned up." Harry winked and I led him to the bathroom.

********************

After I washed off Harry's hands and face and forced him out of the bathroom, I took my shower. Leaving my hair down, I changed into shorts and an over-sized sweatshirt before joining the others in the living room. Harry was drinking hot chocolate. I sat down next to him opposite of Paul. "Where's Kat?" Harry nodded his head towards the kitchen.

"She makes incredible hot chocolate." I rolled my eyes.

"Kat is this the original hot chocolate recipe or yours?" she entered the room carrying my drink. I took a sip and instantly knew it was not the original. I turned to Harry. "It's spiked." he stared down into his cup then back up at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Really?" I nodded. " How do you even get the a-"

"Just because we're underage doesn't mean anything." I said and looked at Kat. We laughed. Harry finished his cup of hot chocolate then started rubbing my back. 

"So where are you going to stay?" Harry asked. I really wanted to stay with him, but I still had school to finish.

"School ends in six months until then I have to stay with Kat." Harry nodded his head looking a little disappointed. "Then we'll go to England with you guys." his face lit up.

"Really?" i laughed.

"Yes really! Ever since we became directioners we wanted to go there." Harry laughed.

"Our crazed fans never stop. But you can come up whenever you like. The concert in California is our last one in America before we head back to England." I nodded.

"Well we will go to that concert and fly out to England during Christmas break. Sound good?" He gave me a crooked hug which was awkward because of how we were sitting.

"Yes. It sounds perfect. Thank you." I shook my head no and all three of them looked at me weird.

"It's not a thank you until it's massive. You guys taught me that." Everybody started laughing and I knew this was where I belonged.

*Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long but I absolutely have no time for updates ahfoiuriohfrhioutio it's frustrating. Any way I love all you guys who are my fans! Even though it's a little number you encourage me to keep writing :) Thank you (massive) haha