Innocent

Chapter 1

The morning sun was high into the bright blue sky, already even though it was early the summer heat was make me sweat. I had to pull my hair up into a messy bun to keep it off my sweating neck.
"Sis what's going on, you're so quiet" I turned my head to looking up at my older brother.
He towered over with height; Unlike my brother I was short and petite.
I shrugged.
"I don't know, I mean, just thinking" I told him quietly looking at the sidewalk.
"Is everything alright Jaydee?"
I nodded slowly.
Jesse and I were walking home from his girlfriend's end of the year party. I found it pretty boring since Jesse ditched me when we got there, for his girlfriend. I didn't know anyone there, one guy tried to flirt with me, but I wasn't interested eventually he got bored and he left so I sat on the sofa with a glass on punch listening to the loud music, When I got tired I found Jesse and he told me sleep in the guest room. Jesse and I had a close relationship; though we have had our little fights, it never took us long to realize we don't hate each other. I was like the little sister cling-on. I went almost everywhere with him. He never complained though but he didn't have much of a choice.

We walked up the driveway; Jesse reached his hand towards the door and reluctantly twisted the golden knob. The door swung open with a loud squeak. The lights were on and the silence echoed though house. It scared me even though it was my own home.
"Is mom home?" I whispered
"I think so" Jesse replied under his breath.

Our mom was not the motherly type, in fact she had a life of her own and Jesse and I sure weren't in it. She didn't care about us; she cared more about her world. She was one of the reasons home wasn't safe without Jesse. I remember when I did stay home alone with my mother; Jesse had left to go some where. When Jesse came home, I was in tears and bruised. I couldn't tell him that our own mother had beaten me. He knew it though, and he comforted her. It turned into a screaming match until Jesse got fed up and we walked out and went to his girlfriends for a few days. No matter what, Jesse always had my back, and he wouldn't let anyone hurt me.

"Jesse, I don't want to face her. She hates me" I whispered.
Jesse sighed. He put his arm around me.
Jesse ran upstairs, and I followed him closely, I shut the chipped white door behind me and watched Jesse turn on the TV and sat down on his bed. His room was a disorganised mess, and everything seemed to stuff into one corner. I sat my self down on a chair beside his bed and turned to watch the TV. It was some a movie I had seen before, but it was one of Jesse's favorites, ''wedding crashers''. Outside the door I could hear footsteps loudly coming up the stairs. I looked over at Jesse; a rush of fear went through me, I tired to stay calm. He reached his hand out towards me, I put my hand into his.

"You're not scared of her" he forced smiled.
But I could see it was hard for him, since he was scared too. Just then the door swung open hitting the wall with a thud and Jesse let go of my hand. We both looked at her.
"Oh look children are home!" she said with a sly smile on her face. I didn't say anything.
"Don't you look pretty Jaydee? Where were you tonight?"
I kept quiet, I didn't want to talk to her. I just glared at her.
"Jaydee Thompson I asked you a question! Did you not hear me young lady?" she screamed at me.
She gave me a unfriendly smile as she walked away from the door and towards me. I wanted to jump out the window and run away from her, but I couldn't. Jesse moved closer to me.
"I heard you mother, I just didn't want to say anything" I told her feeling confident that I said the right words.

She stood in front of giving me 'that smile' the one where you fear for your life with just one look of it. I looked up to her dark brown eyes. Her cold hands grabbed my wrists violently, and she pulled me up with a hard force.
"Take your hands off her!" Jesse yelled.
My mother tightened her hands. "Ow! You're hurting me!" I cried into her face. "Jaydee!" she whispered. She held my hands in her face and stared at me. I glanced over at Jesse; he was kneeling on the bed.

"Now tell me where you were!" I looked up into her face.
"She doesn't have to tell you anything!" Jesse told her.
She let go of me and pushed me back hard on to the chair. Her hand raised, and she hit Jesse across the face. "Jesse!" I screamed.
"Shut up child!" She told me in hard, mean tone. I watched her stare my brother in the face with 'that look', like she was going to kill him or something. "I don't want you to bring her along with you anymore, like some stupid rag doll" Jesse looked at me and smiled as my mother spoke. "I will go if I want" I told her. She didn't say anything to me.

"You think she would be better here with a horrible mother like you? I don't want to come home and find my baby sister beaten to death!" Jesse voice was hard, as he screamed.
Mother laughed. "I can do a lot better than you. After all, I am her mother" Jesse shook his head. I wanted to hit her back as she rose her hand to Jesse's face hitting him hard, I winced at the sound of the impact of her hand to his face. But I was helpless and all I could do was watch, I was paralyzed with fear. Jesse pushed her back from him, even though that only made her madder.
"God remind me why I had children!" she screamed.
Her breath was heavy, She grabbed me by the hair and pulled me out of the room. I screamed tears falling down my face and Jesse darted off the bed after us.
She pushed me against the wall and wrapped her hands tightly around my neck. I couldn't breath and my arms hit her with no force at all. Jess screamed at her, and punched her hard in the side, she gasped and let go. She turned on her heels and stalked away from us.
Jesse said nothing to me, he wrapped his arms around me tightly holding me. I sobbed into his chest. I hated her so much. My neck ached with pain, and I was still trying to catch my breath, I gasped for air through my tears. Jesse rubbed my back as I cried. What would I do with out him? I don't think I could live a day without him.

After I calmed down a bit, my head and necking still aching, Jesse wiped my tears from my eyes with a quick sweep of his thumb.
"Come on, we are getting out of here for a bit"
We walked down the stairs, I pulled my long dirty blonde hair over my neck, trying to cover the bruises that were probably already forming. I tired not to look at my mother as we passed the living room where she seat with a glass in one hand and a cigarette in her other. Her face was cold, she looked angry. The clear liquid in her cup was not water. It had to be straight alcohol. That was when she was the worse, when she was drinking. She glared at us as we walked by, she didn't say anything, only rised her glass to her lips and took a sip.
We put on our shoes and we walked out the door shutting it behind us.

When we were away from the house, I spoke.
"Jesse, Do you remember when mom was not so mean?"
Jesse took a deep breath then let it out, he didn't say anything for awhile. After a few passing minutes he answered.
"Yes, before Dad died"
I nodded, trying so hard to think of the times when she would smile and instead of hitting us she would hug us. My memories were so faded though, since I was so young. I barely even remembered my father. I wish I had more memories of the better times. Jesse said nothing more to me as we jumped on a bus leading us into town. We rode the bus for a few stops then Jesse and I got off. We walked down main street, it was busy. I followed Jesse as he tuned into a Ice cream shop.
He let me order first, "I will have Strawberry please in a bowl"
The woman smiled and scooped the ice cream into yellow bowl. She handed it to me.
"Thank you" I said shoveling a mouth full into my mouth.
Jesse ordered Chocolate chip cookie dough. He paid the lady and we sat down at a red table to eat our ice cream. The summer day was hot, but the ice cream was a perfect way to cool us down. Ice cream could always make me feel better. I hoped that the bruises were not noticeable. The red spot that she had left on Jesses face was already turning a light shade of blue. I wish that we could just stay here forever, just eating our ice cream, in peace.