Together We Made It

Later that night, after she had managed to make it upstairs and her stepfather had passed out on the couch, Lyric climbed out her window and into her roof, hoping not to fall off. At least not until she was on her way back down. She managed to make it onto and over the railing of the widows walk that circled her roof.

She leaned against the railing and let out a breath. She was finally grateful for playing sports so that she had the arms strength to even get out her window and onto the roof. She looked out over the beach, glad that her mom had at least been able to get a house on the shore. She comtemplated how her life had gotten to the point it was at as she watched the tide rollo in.

After her dad had died, her mom had immediately started dating her current stepfather. Because of timing of his appearance, Lyric was certain the her mom had been cheating on her dad. She had never had the courage to ask, but she was sure that she was right. While they had been dating, her mom hadn't known about her stepfathers drinking habits. She didn't find out until after they were married and they started fighting everyday about the littlest things. Lyric's mom had quickly become depressed and lost her job. Her stepfather had never had a job because of his additction, and had been relying on Lyric and her moms money to pay for it.

He had never shown the tendency to be a violent drunk until Lyric had interrupted the fight the other night. After that night, it seemed to be the only thing that he did when he got home, before passing out on the couch that is. Thinking about how her life had turned reminded Lyric that she needed to find a new job. She had lost the last one when they moved, and the house was getting low on food. She had been using the money she had saved up from her last job, but even that was getting low, and she needed to go out and buy contacts that actually worked.

Lyric sighed and added the job hunt to the list of things that she would have to do tomorrow after getting home from school. She had enjoyed the visit from her sister, but disliked the memories of her old life that it had brought up. After her mom had married her stepfather, they had decided to move and get a bigger house, resulting in the move. Lyric was glad that they had managed one on the shore, with a widows walk right above her window because it gave her a place to go and think when things got tough. She never thought that she would use it as much as she had been recently.

As Lyric was watching the waves highlighted by the light of the full moon, she heard a sound from behind her. She spun around, and after seeing the no one was there, raced to the other side of the walk. She didn't see anyone except for what appeared to be a boy about her standing on the widows walk on the house next to hers. She tried to leave quietly because she didn't relish the idea of meeting her neighbors in the middle of the night on her roof, but she heard her name being called.

After checking in all directions but next to her, she turned back around to the house and realized that it was Ethan that was standing on the roof.

"You haven't been answering me on myspace."He commented looking at her.

"So?" Lyric asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know you just moved in and was just trying to be nice." He replied still looking at her intently.

"Oh." Lyric mumbled and looked down.

"I heard about the fight at school. That's pretty good to be the new girl and manage to kick Chase Anthony's ass. Even I haven't managed that yet." He turned away from her as he said this.

Suddenly Lyric remebered what Cheryl had told her earlier about Brooklyn and Chase. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came. Ethan turned to look at her when she remianed silent.

"What happened to you? I know you didn't get those from the fight." He observed.

He must have of been talking about the cuts and bruises that her stepfather had given her that night. She had forgotten that it and was a full moon and had not realized that he could see her as clearly as she could see him.

"There nothing." She told him trying to turn away, but really having no where to go.

"Thoses aren't nothing."He replied as he did something that she didn't expect.

Jumping over the distance between the house and scrammbling up to her widows walk, he managed to pul himself up.

"Was it someone in your family? Your stepfather maybe?" He asked rasing an eyebrow.

Lyric stared at him. How had he known? She hadn't told anyone, not even Cheryl. How had he of all people figured it out?

"H-h-how'd you know?" She asked him bewildered

He took a step closer to her.

"I didn't."