Each Other's

Chapter 5

I woke up the next morning feeling like...well, like someone had punched me in the chest. Hard.

Groaning, I lifted myself up from the floor, shaking out my sore limbs. I shuffled to the full length mirror next to my bedroom door, and pulled up my shirt to examine my chest. Just as I'd suspected, there was a huge purple bruise right under my collarbone.

I sighed. I'd sort of been hoping that maybe --just maybe--last night had all been a bad dream.

It hadn't, though. The bruise was proof that my father was now really and truly abusive. Abusive. That word just sounded so wrong. My father, the quiet but caring man, the man who'd had nightmares about me dying and leaving him alone...abusive? How was that even possible?

Before I could dwell on my gloomy thoughts for too long, I was distracted by a shrill, excited shriek from Melanie's bed.

"MASHE!"

I dropped my shirt and turned around to face Melanie, who was standing on her bed with a huge grin on her face, as usual. She looked utterly ridiculous, with sleep lines from her pillow on her face, and a couple of locks of hair sticking up on her head like small, curly horns.

She laughed cheekily once she'd caught my eye, and I couldn't help but chuckle as well, if a little exasperatedly.

"You're completely oblivious to how messed up our family has gotten, aren't you?", I said with a half-smile.

Melanie only looked confused at my "big" words, so I just shook my head and ruffled her hair with another quiet laugh. Somehow, I felt better after that.

With a start, I remembered that I was supposed to go to school. I glanced at the little blue alarm clock on my bedside table, starting to panic a little.

I relaxed after seeing that it was only 7 am, though. I had plenty of time to get dressed and walk to school...but what about Melanie?

Dad had said he'd "arrange something", but he wasn't exactly someone I could depend on anymore. Despite the fact that I'd only really known Melanie for a few weeks, I already kind of cared about her (I cringed at my mushy thoughts. Yuck.), and I knew that I definitely couldn't leave her at home alone. I would be so worried at school that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on studying.

Still unsure of what to do, I got dressed and helped Melanie wash up and brush her teeth before taking her downstairs and making us both some breakfast.

Just as I had finished cooking the omelets and was peeling a banana for Melanie, I heard the doorbell ring.

Frowning to myself, I wondered who it could be at this time.

"Stay right here, okay?", I said to Melanie, who was seated at the table.

She nodded in response, her mouth full of omelet.

I went over to the front door and put my eye to the peep-hole. A rather old looking lady was standing on the porch.

It then occured to me that she might be the "arrangement" dad had mentioned.

I opened the door and said, "Hello?"

The lady turned towards me and smiled brightly. "You must be Mason.", she said. She had an energetic, cheerful sort of voice, so I immediately liked her.

Her hair was in a long braid that went down to her waist, and was the same colour as her narrow eyes--dark grey. She wore a plain cotton dress with long sleeves, and ,overall, had a pleasant face, in spite of her many laugh lines and wrinkles.

"I'm Maggie.", she continued. "Your father hired me to come here from 7:30am till about 3pm to look after your...step-sister, was it?"

I considered her words for a moment. "Kind of.", I finally replied.

I wasn't really sure if Melanie was still my step sister now that Laura was gone.

I fully opened the door. "Come in, please.", I said politely.

Maggie entered the house, and looked around until she caught sight of Melanie, sitting at the kitchen table with banana smeared all over her face and bib.

"How adorable!", Maggie exclaimed, smiling and clasping her hands together. "She looks a little like my grand-daughter. They're nearly the same age, you know."

I smiled a little and awkwardly said, "That's nice."

Then Maggie noticed the eggs and fruit and toast I'd laid out on the table, and she turned to me, her eyes wide.

"You prepared breakfast?", she asked, sounding thoroughly impressed.

"Um...yeah.", I mumbled, embarrassed. I didn't exactly want people to know that I made all of Melanie's and my meals, for fear of being thought of as "girly". I knew that people could be pretty cruel sometimes.

Maggie didn't seem to think it was girly, however.

"You are such a mature young man! I wish my son had been like you when he was your age. It would've been such a comfort to me if he'd have helped out with the younger children.", she said with a melodramatic sigh.

Now eager to escape, I quickly said, "Whoops, I think I'm late for school."

I picked up a couple of apples from the kitchen table and stuffed them into my backpack.

I then bent down so that I was at the same level as Melanie, who was still eating.

"Melanie, I'm going to school, okay? I'll be back soon.", I said cautiously. Melanie wasn't much of a crier anymore, but she hadn't been without me at all for the past couple of weeks, so I wasn't sure how she'd handle me leaving.

She pouted a little, but, to my immense relief, didn't cry.

Just as I was about to walk away, she grabbed my sleeve. I raised my eyebrows as I turned to face her again.

She stared at my face for a moment, as if she was thinking of how to phrase what she wanted to say.

"Want mama. I miss mama.", she finally whimpered, her eyes wet.

I felt the corners of my mouth turn down a little.

Melanie asked about Laura nearly every day, and the fact that I couldn't give her a proper answer hurt me more than I'd thought it would.

In response, I just gave her small, plump hand a gentle squeeze before walking away.

I went over to Maggie, who'd been watching us from a distance, and hurriedly said, "Her toys are in her room. I'll be back a little after 3pm.", mortified by the way my voice was breaking a little.

Before Maggie could reply, I ran out of the house and kept running until I reached my school.

Lately, all I ever seemed to feel was pain. It was like I discovered a different way to hurt every single day.

A/N:

Hi guys! Tell me how you're liking the story in the commentsssss xD Updates might be a little less frequent now, since I have mock exams, but I'll try to write whenever I have free time :D