Shiver
Chapter One
She trembled under her jacket, her backpack clutched to her chest, fear almost nailing her feet to the sidewalk.
She knew he'd be angry if she wasn't home in the morning.
She wanted to get away, far away from her step father, that house.
Sora knew that if she returned home, she was as good as dead.
He would kill her, just like her mother had killed herself.
She quickened her pace, a feeling that someone was behind her seizing her mind.
Soon, her best friend Aaylah's house was in sight.
She skipped ringing the doorbell, it was about two in the morning.
Sora ran to Aaylah's bedroom window and rapped on the glass.
She didn't see her coming to open the window, so she knocked on it again.
Sora couldn't count on her fingers how many times she'd arrived at Aaylah's house,
most of it like the scenerio in which Sora was in.
"Sora?" she heard her friend question sleepily.
"Can I stay the night with you?" she hugged her bag closer to her.
Aaylah blinked, motioning her in.
"You know, you could of called earlier.
It wouldn't of been-"
Sora took her outstretched hand and began climbing in.
"It's not that," she whispered.
After she was in Aaylah's room, she plopped to the floor.
Aaylah shut the window, then went to Sora.
"Did he-"
She shook her head no.
"I..I felt like I had to get out," she took her friend's warm hand.
Aaylah was silent.
She moved hair away from Sora's face.
"Well, let's just get you in something warm, and go to bed, okay?
We have school tomorrow."
Sora held up her bag. "I have a nighty in here."
Aaylah shook her head, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
"You can use some of my pajamas."
She pulled Sora up and led her to her dresser.
She shut her bedroom door then flipped her lightswitch.
Aaylah got a clear look of her best friend's face.
Sora had a huge black eye that she hadn't seen.
"How long have you had that?" she turned her back to Sora,
searching for pajamas.
At first, she wasn't sure what Aaylah was implying to.
"Since yesterday afternoon," she answered silently.
Her friend handed her a pair of soft pink pajamas.
"Sora, you have to get help..I hate seeing you all bruised..
I hate it that you won't let me-"
"No, Aay, you don't understand.
He can kill me." Sora's green eyes watered.
Aaylah knew it was time to let it go.
"Okay. I'm sorry." She hugged Sora.
Sora gave a watery smile and went to Aaylah's closet to change.
As she pulled on the button down top, she took in the sweet vanilla scent.
She wished her home and clothes smelled as good as Aaylah's.
No matter how hard she cleaned, Sora could never scrub away the smell of smoke,
alcohol, and blood.
She almost started to cry when she recalled the last time she'd gotten beaten so badly she'd bled for what seemed like forever.
She shook her head, refusing to dwell on her dirty past.
Sora got out of the closet and smiled over at Aaylah.
"Let's get some sleep," Aay turned the light off.
She climbed into the bed and held open the blankets for
Sora.
She slid in the bed, and snuggled under the wonderful smelling
sheets.
She balled up.
"Night, Aay," she said.
"Night," Aaylah laid her hand on her friend's arm.
~
"Sora," she heard someone calling her name.
She stirred and woke up to her stepfather's face.
She gasped.
"Sora!"
This time it was Aaylah.
Sora shook her head, and sat completely up.
"What time is it?" she murmured.
"It's 6:33. We have to get up and get ready,"
Aaylah patted her shoulder and headed into her closet.
Sora rubbed her eyes, then hissed when she hit her bruise.
She got up and hurried to her backpack.
She took out her foundation and powder.
Methodically, she applied both then applied it again.
Sora could still see it and then just put foundation all over her face.
She smeared her eyeliner in to make it seem like she was just tired.
When she was satisfied, she took out her clothes.
Aaylah came back when Sora was tugging on her shoes.
Aaylah couldn't see any trace of a bruise.
Just as she figured.
She'd hidden it.
Sora had almost hidden her entire secret from her, but she had stumbled upon it.
She had immediately wanted Sora to get help, to call an abuse home, instead of just dealing with it like it was a zit.
"Let's go grab some food before we go," Aay held out her hand.
Sora took it.
Aaylah tripped on the stairwell rug and nearly tumbled down the stairs.
Laughing, the girls made it to the kitchen.
"Good morning," Aaylah's mother greeted.
She didn't inquire about Sora suddenly appearing.
Aay's mother never asked questions, but she had to have some clue by the pity Sora saw in her eyes.
"You girls want eggs?" she held up a frying pan.
~
"Were you having a bad dream?" Aaylah asked her as they walked to school after breakfast.
Sora threw her bag more comfortably onto her shoulder.
"I dunno. I can't recall having a dream.
I just saw his face when I opened my eyes," she explained.
Aay patted her shoulder.
"Can you believe Christmas break is almost here?" she swiftly changed the subject.
"I know. It's amazing," Sora said timidly.
"Don't take this in a bad way, but would you like to come over for Christmas dinner?"
Aaylah thought ahead to the two weeks before the break would start.
She knew that Sora would probably get a sack of coal for a present,
then would get the shit beaten out of her with it too.
"Um, sure." Sora beamed.
Aay grinned.
"Ugh, it's so unfair that we have English first hour.
It's sounds so easy, cause we speak it, you know? But she just teaches weird,"
she moaned, giving Sora back her English homework she'd copied.
Sora nodded.
"She could be going through menopause," she suggested, grinning.
Aaylah snorted with laughter.
"Could be. Or maybe she's just wearing her girdle too tight,"
Aaylah cracked herself up again.
Both of them were red faced as soon as they got to school.
"Well," Aaylah threw her books into her locker," here goes nothing."
She wiped away tears that had fallen during her giggle fest.
Sora grabbed her English book.
She didn't admit it to Aaylah, but she enjoyed being at school.
Aay knew her troubles at home, of course.
Sora just didn't want to be the odd ball who adored school, was greatful that it had been invented simply because she could breathe again.
~
Sora felt her body fill with panic when three o'clock came around,
and the last bell of the day rang.
It was time to go home.
She grabbed her books and went to her locker.
She dillydallied, straightening what she already had straightened.
Aaylah popped up, grabbing her bag and ditching her books.
"Ready?"
Sora swallowed and bore a smile.
She knew he'd be angry if she wasn't home in the morning.
She wanted to get away, far away from her step father, that house.
Sora knew that if she returned home, she was as good as dead.
He would kill her, just like her mother had killed herself.
She quickened her pace, a feeling that someone was behind her seizing her mind.
Soon, her best friend Aaylah's house was in sight.
She skipped ringing the doorbell, it was about two in the morning.
Sora ran to Aaylah's bedroom window and rapped on the glass.
She didn't see her coming to open the window, so she knocked on it again.
Sora couldn't count on her fingers how many times she'd arrived at Aaylah's house,
most of it like the scenerio in which Sora was in.
"Sora?" she heard her friend question sleepily.
"Can I stay the night with you?" she hugged her bag closer to her.
Aaylah blinked, motioning her in.
"You know, you could of called earlier.
It wouldn't of been-"
Sora took her outstretched hand and began climbing in.
"It's not that," she whispered.
After she was in Aaylah's room, she plopped to the floor.
Aaylah shut the window, then went to Sora.
"Did he-"
She shook her head no.
"I..I felt like I had to get out," she took her friend's warm hand.
Aaylah was silent.
She moved hair away from Sora's face.
"Well, let's just get you in something warm, and go to bed, okay?
We have school tomorrow."
Sora held up her bag. "I have a nighty in here."
Aaylah shook her head, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
"You can use some of my pajamas."
She pulled Sora up and led her to her dresser.
She shut her bedroom door then flipped her lightswitch.
Aaylah got a clear look of her best friend's face.
Sora had a huge black eye that she hadn't seen.
"How long have you had that?" she turned her back to Sora,
searching for pajamas.
At first, she wasn't sure what Aaylah was implying to.
"Since yesterday afternoon," she answered silently.
Her friend handed her a pair of soft pink pajamas.
"Sora, you have to get help..I hate seeing you all bruised..
I hate it that you won't let me-"
"No, Aay, you don't understand.
He can kill me." Sora's green eyes watered.
Aaylah knew it was time to let it go.
"Okay. I'm sorry." She hugged Sora.
Sora gave a watery smile and went to Aaylah's closet to change.
As she pulled on the button down top, she took in the sweet vanilla scent.
She wished her home and clothes smelled as good as Aaylah's.
No matter how hard she cleaned, Sora could never scrub away the smell of smoke,
alcohol, and blood.
She almost started to cry when she recalled the last time she'd gotten beaten so badly she'd bled for what seemed like forever.
She shook her head, refusing to dwell on her dirty past.
Sora got out of the closet and smiled over at Aaylah.
"Let's get some sleep," Aay turned the light off.
She climbed into the bed and held open the blankets for
Sora.
She slid in the bed, and snuggled under the wonderful smelling
sheets.
She balled up.
"Night, Aay," she said.
"Night," Aaylah laid her hand on her friend's arm.
~
"Sora," she heard someone calling her name.
She stirred and woke up to her stepfather's face.
She gasped.
"Sora!"
This time it was Aaylah.
Sora shook her head, and sat completely up.
"What time is it?" she murmured.
"It's 6:33. We have to get up and get ready,"
Aaylah patted her shoulder and headed into her closet.
Sora rubbed her eyes, then hissed when she hit her bruise.
She got up and hurried to her backpack.
She took out her foundation and powder.
Methodically, she applied both then applied it again.
Sora could still see it and then just put foundation all over her face.
She smeared her eyeliner in to make it seem like she was just tired.
When she was satisfied, she took out her clothes.
Aaylah came back when Sora was tugging on her shoes.
Aaylah couldn't see any trace of a bruise.
Just as she figured.
She'd hidden it.
Sora had almost hidden her entire secret from her, but she had stumbled upon it.
She had immediately wanted Sora to get help, to call an abuse home, instead of just dealing with it like it was a zit.
"Let's go grab some food before we go," Aay held out her hand.
Sora took it.
Aaylah tripped on the stairwell rug and nearly tumbled down the stairs.
Laughing, the girls made it to the kitchen.
"Good morning," Aaylah's mother greeted.
She didn't inquire about Sora suddenly appearing.
Aay's mother never asked questions, but she had to have some clue by the pity Sora saw in her eyes.
"You girls want eggs?" she held up a frying pan.
~
"Were you having a bad dream?" Aaylah asked her as they walked to school after breakfast.
Sora threw her bag more comfortably onto her shoulder.
"I dunno. I can't recall having a dream.
I just saw his face when I opened my eyes," she explained.
Aay patted her shoulder.
"Can you believe Christmas break is almost here?" she swiftly changed the subject.
"I know. It's amazing," Sora said timidly.
"Don't take this in a bad way, but would you like to come over for Christmas dinner?"
Aaylah thought ahead to the two weeks before the break would start.
She knew that Sora would probably get a sack of coal for a present,
then would get the shit beaten out of her with it too.
"Um, sure." Sora beamed.
Aay grinned.
"Ugh, it's so unfair that we have English first hour.
It's sounds so easy, cause we speak it, you know? But she just teaches weird,"
she moaned, giving Sora back her English homework she'd copied.
Sora nodded.
"She could be going through menopause," she suggested, grinning.
Aaylah snorted with laughter.
"Could be. Or maybe she's just wearing her girdle too tight,"
Aaylah cracked herself up again.
Both of them were red faced as soon as they got to school.
"Well," Aaylah threw her books into her locker," here goes nothing."
She wiped away tears that had fallen during her giggle fest.
Sora grabbed her English book.
She didn't admit it to Aaylah, but she enjoyed being at school.
Aay knew her troubles at home, of course.
Sora just didn't want to be the odd ball who adored school, was greatful that it had been invented simply because she could breathe again.
~
Sora felt her body fill with panic when three o'clock came around,
and the last bell of the day rang.
It was time to go home.
She grabbed her books and went to her locker.
She dillydallied, straightening what she already had straightened.
Aaylah popped up, grabbing her bag and ditching her books.
"Ready?"
Sora swallowed and bore a smile.
♠ ♠ ♠
I thought I'd try this one again. Idk, alot of people didn't like it. Lemme know what you think. Im going to try and update any of my stories as much as possible. :)