The Space Between

Chapter 2

~~~~~~~~~~~Daxton~~~~~~

Briella scampers into the room, her hands shaking the entire time. I follow her, glancing around at what is a normal sight. The dingy room with broken lights, moldy wall, a ripped-up couch, as well as beer bottles and trash all over the space. We would have cleaned this all up, but with our paranoid 'mother' she would instantly assume we were messing with her stuff and flip out. Bri and I's room is the only clean room in the entire apartment.

Clayton walks slowly into the room, eyeing everything within it, us included. His gaze shifts from suspicion to pity and all I want to do is jump up and down. Pity is the best tool for keeping things hidden. You give them a piece of the puzzle to focus on while hiding the bigger picture.

"Daxton, Briella, I'm so-" Officer Clayton begins to say before he is interrupted by a door slamming open. Stumbling out of Sara, our so called mother's, room comes one of her on off boyfriends, Derek. He is one of her drug dealer buddies. They only hook up when she wants a high, or some cash.

"There you brats are... knew you'd be back soon. Where the hell is Sara?" he hollers out, clearly drunk and mad, not a good combination.

"She's at work," I tell him as I pull Briella to me. She cuddles into my side, her eyes locked on the ground, her hands shaking. She hates yelling, violence, and Derek. Three things that are happening now.

"Yeah and I'm a billionaire."

"It's true, she just got it two weeks ago." Total lie.

"Oh yeah kid? Last I heard she was high as a kite in New York City and that was a week ago." He slurs out, his face turning an ugly shade of red.

"If that's true then why are you asking around here for her?" I glance over at Clayton, his hand resting on his gun as he watches Derek, ready to intervene if necessary.

Dereks smirk grows at my word before saying, "Heard she just got back in town a few days ago, thought this would be the perfect time to get the money she owes me." Briella flinches into me as my hand forms a fist. She is back. We thought she had finally skipped town and we could get on with our lives.

"Sir, as you can see Ms. Sara is not here at this time so perhaps you should leave. Now." Clayton says, his eyes flashing with an anger that had not been there a few minutes ago. Do not get me wrong, I hate cops, but this guy is not too bad. Plus, he loves football. How on earth can I hate him when he likes the Giants?

"Who the heck are you?"

"Officer Clayton at your service." He then flashes his badge, a cocky smile glued to his face.

"An officer huh so this is how you kids do things? Your ma runs off for a few months and you run to the cops? Pathetic oh what would your mother think if she saw you now?" He stomps toward me as he speaks, shoving me hard. I stumble but stay upright as Bri stands in the corner of the room shaking from his loud tone.

"Hey, back off now before you do something you regret." Claytons words go ignored as Derek reels his fist back, ready to punish me for my 'betrayal.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Briella~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dereks fist is in the air, ready to punch. I want to do something. I want to yell, scream, move, do anything to help, but I am frozen. Locked in place just like I am locked in my own mind. Memories threaten to rise to the surface, but I push them down to focus on the scene before me.

Clayton moves to stop Derek but does not get there in time. His fist slams into my brothers nose, a sickening crunch echoing through the room. My brother's body hit the ground with a thud. Time slows down; Clayton fumbles to remove his gun from his holster as he moves to Derek; Derek leaning down, spitting in my brother's face as he whispers something to him, something that makes my brothers eyes fill with fury. All this happens while I stand, frozen.