The Truth Is.

Chapter 11

ACE

        Butch stood at our makeshift front door, hands in his pocket and scalp freshly shaved. This was the third time he'd shown up today.

"When is she gonna come out?" The annoying little shit asked yet again.

I'd been asking myself the same thing. When's she gonna come out?

"Give er' some time Butch. She's. . . goin' through lady stuff." The unsure scratch at the back of my neck had Butch rollin' his eyes.

"We both know Paige ain't a lady."

I knock his skull with my fist. "Shut up, just leave her be."

"How long?" His shoulders slumped. The hardness in his face melted away into a sickening desperation. The bruises battering his face had increased. His once straight nose now twisted with spots of purple and blue around the rim.

I was an Asshole, but I was getting desperate. Rotasu didn't eat, sleep, drink; hell, I wouldn't be surprised to walk in one day and find she'd stopped breathing.

She just stopped, everything.

His hopeful gaze chewed away at my anger. The fuck was I supposed to tell this kid?

"She don't want too, Butch. Go home."

The lot was full of kids. Nasty looking rascals with dirt smudged on their faces. They watched us, they always did. Wasn't too long ago when I was one of em'. Sometimes it's like I still am. I hated the way they looked up to us; fighting ain't nothing and dealing is pointless, but they didn't see that. All they saw were a couple of badass teenagers.

Rotasu was one of em', she still is.

Butch left, kicking at bits of gravel and mumbling under his breath.

I turned back into the trailer, and spotted Rotasu. She was hidden away on the couch behind a bundle of blankets. She peeked. "Is he gone?"

"You can't ignore him forever." I collapsed onto the couch beside her

She switched on the TV to play some cooking marathon. "Yes, I can."

She scooted. "I'm not talking about Butch."

She flinched, and closed her eyes. The remote remained in her unmoving hand. She breathed in, and out. "Then I don't know what you're talking about." She looked at me, and noticed the grim look I had

"You can't pretend like it-"

"I'm getting tired." Her voice was quiet, and robotic. "I'm going to bed." The couch dipped. She stood, picked up her blankets, and locked herself inside of her room. I waited to hear her 80s rock, instead there was nothing.

Silence.

I flipped off the TV, and scooted to get comfortable on the couch. Midnight was nearing, and my body was exhausted. I'd been taking every side job I could to earn money, but we weren't even close. Fighting wasn't enough, I'd have to turn to Don if things didn't take a turn.

The unopened bills piled on the coffee table. Mentally, the money added up, and I knew we wouldn't be able to pay them.

My sister was raped, and we were losing our trailer.

The door threw wide open, and in pranced Two-pick, dragging Clove by his elbow. Her threw his hair out of his eyes in a big performance, and stamped his foot.

"Any progress?"

"The fuck do you think?" I swiped the bills from the table and stuffed them under the couch. Without the cash from Rotasu's babysitting job, we were going to sink. My pride refused to let anyone else see my failure.

"Maybe if she talked to us?" Clove offered hopefully.

I shook my head. My face was being crushed between my palms. The pressure built up in my skin. I waited until I felt like my head would explode, and then released it.

"How long until we can see her?"

My vision was turning red from the pressure. "God! Why does everyone keep asking me that? I don't fucking know."

I was being unfair, and I fucking knew it. Hell, nobody knew what to do? Diana had cried when I told, Talon made promises of revenge he had yet to fulfill.

Everything was going to shit.

"What's she think needs ta be done?" Clove shoved Two-pick, and pulled his arm free.

"Nothing," My breathing was rapid and hot. "She doesn't want to a fucking thing about it. She just sits around all day, like she's waitin' to die."

Is this how it would always be? Would she spend the rest of her life haunted by one moment. It's sickening. Rape last a few minutes, and ruins a whole life. Sick Fuck-Os get to do what the hell they wanted and girls like Paige had to pay for it.

"Why don't you come out with us? just for little bit," Two-pick offered. "We can even bust some Magnates around at the track?"

Their offer was hopeful, but pointless. I couldn't leave Rotasu alone right now, not like this.

"Another time, I gotta get back to work on the Shit-bucket."

"It's only a Shit-Bucket because you busted it up." Two-pick howled into a laugh, until a shoe nailed him in the gut.

"Shut your damn trap." The smile on my face faded, and I felt guilty. I was in here laughing with my friends while she was in her room, doin' nothing.

A heavy cloud settled over the trailer. They said their sappy shit and left, while I went outside to work on the truck.

The truck looked like a crumpled sheet of paper. Holes poked through the windshield and windows, glass covered the ground. I rubbed my face looking at it. I was a dumb-ass.

I kicked the sunken tires, and air hissed out. This shit would take weeks to repair, but I didn't have another option. I popped open the door with a creak, and looked inside. The floor was coated with bits of glass, but everything was still intact. If I got a new set of wheels, and repaired the lights, it could still work.

I slid the tight faded t-shirt off my back and tied it around my forehead. The breeze hitting my chest did nothing to cool me down. I still fucking burned.

I threw myself into my work, and tried not to focus on my sister, or how she had been raped.

My fist slammed into the metal.

Damn.