Broken, Battered, and Badly Bruised

“Faith, wake up, You need to go to school!” Jackson yelled. Faith sat up, her head was pounding. The memories from last night came flooding back.

'” LEAVE HER ALONE!” Mark yelled at his father. Faith heard a loud thump.
“Get off of me!” His father yelled. A loud crack like bones breaking was heard. Then a whimper.
“Stay here bastard, You don't deserve to come home,” he said, soon after a door slammed.

Faith trued to her left and there in a fetal position was Mark. Jackson slammed the door and Mark jumped awake. He was holding his right arm. Faith got up and picked up a few things from around the room.
“Stay still, you don't want to hurt yourself more,” she said with some confidence, “We have an hour before we have to leave to go to school.”
“I don't think I go to the same school you go to,” Mark said and the groaned.
“I told you not to move, and you do go to the same school I go to, I've seen you,” Faith sat down in front of Mark with two towels, a curtain rod, and safety pins, “Hold still this might hurt,”
She held his right arm and put the curtain rod up to it, she broke the rod in half. Faith took his arm gently put the two rods up to his arm, and wrapped the towel around them tightly.
“Ow!” Mark said while looking at Faith with pained eyes.
“Sorry,” Faith said quickly not looking up. She made a sling out of the other towel. “Come on, lets see if we get to eat this morning,” Faith got up and walked to the door, “Come on, do you want to get fed or not?”
Mark nodded his head quickly and got up awkwardly. They walked out of the room, Mark following Faith.
“Stay here, this might not turn out well,” Faith said to Mark when they were right outside of the kitchen.
“Uh, Okay?” Mark said even though he was worried about Faith.
“Good boy,” Faith walked in to the kitchen, “Jackson? Sir?”
“Yes!” Jackson snapped, “What do you need!”
“Mr. De Valle left his son here. He is wondering if he can eat, I will take him to school, and then he will go home,” Faith said in a pleasing tone, trying to keep her foster dad from blowing up.
“YOUR EXCPECTING ME TO FEED SOMEONE ELSE!” Jackson yelled while turning around. He dark face was turning scarlet. The hot skillet in in his hand raised, and fell across Faith's shoulder. Faith made no noise while she fell to the floor but said in a quiet voice.
“He can have my portion,” Faith raised herself up and faced her foster dad, “please it's only for one day,”
“Fine! Here!” Jackson said as he gave her a small bag of stale dry cereal.
“Thank you,” Faith rushed out of the kitchen. She hands him the bag, “here Mark, that's all I could get you,”
“Thanks...” Mark said to her retreating back. He quickly caught up with her, “so when do we leave for school?”
“In a minute I have to change quickly,” Faith quickly went in to her room and got out dark skinny jeans, a dark blue tank top and a black baggy hoodie, “I'll be right back, If you want if anything fits you in the upper drawer you can change into that,”
Faith went into the joining room, which was a bathroom. Mark quickly looked into the drawer, and pulled out a smaller Sweatshirt. He put that over his stained tee shirt. Faith came out looking very pale against the black of her hoodie. She grabbed her messenger bag.
“Come on let's go,” Faith said as she walked out of her room. Mark followed her like a little puppy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“You might not want to be seen with me, so bye,” Faith said once they reached Main street. The school was only a few blocks farther, “you can get there right?”
“Yah,” Mark said. Faith walked on towards school.
“Hey Mark, were you talking to that loner bitch?” Matt, Mark's best friend, said.
“He would never, He knows how his rep would plumet,” Mike said.
“Yah, I know,” Mark said.