Speechless.

Three weeks into the tour and the boys of the All Time Low bus were used to the silence of Amelia Flyzik.

In fact those who had worried about the added estrogen were relieved in a sense when everything on the bus went on as usual. No make up was left strewn about, no horrid tampons stashed in the bathroom drawer just waiting to jump out at the boys. But there was one man on the bus who did not feel as the others did. He did not feel relief in Amelia's actions or lack there of. In fact it down right scared him.

Matt Flyzik was scared for his sister even if she wasn't.

Anyone whowasn't Matt Flyzik didn't know Amelia Flyzik would see her as a normal nineteen year old girl.

She ate. She slept. She had a typical teen attitude. She liked music. She liked spending time with her friends.

But those who did know her, those like Matt saw something different. Matt saw his sister as a living shell. When she thought no one was looking, Amelia would space out, remembering a world that Matt couldn't even begin to fathom.

Matt knew that everything Amelia did was done with care and precession. He knew that 9 out of 10 times Amelia reached into the cabinet to produce a Milano cookie that she was making sure at least one person saw her. So at least one person could vouch that she was in fact eating. She wanted there to be no suspicion that she wasn't eating; that she didn't have an eating disorder--which Matt was pretty sure she did... He just couldn't prove it yet.

Matt couldn't prove that his little sister had done heroin more times then he had fingers on one hand. He couldn't prove that she was either anorexic or bulimic. He couldn't prove that someone had physically abused his sister, probably male considering how he observed her reaction around them.
Matt couldn't prove any of it.

And that made Matt burn.
Knowing that there was something wrong with her, knowing that someone had hurt her and he hadn't been able to stop it. Knowing that she had hurt herself--it was getting to Matt.

But the one thing that Matt could prove, the one thing that he could help was the abuse on her arms. Amelia was cutting and he knew it. She was smart of course, after the first day Matt had seen her arms the hairline marks began to fade. But Matt had glimpsed them on her legs, heard the snap of the rubber band on her wrist.

For three weeks Matt had felt helpless toward his sister but not anymore.

"Mia I want you to meet someone." Matt began carefully. He knew one wrong word, one wrong enunciation of a word, and she would shut down. So
Matt had waited until the boys had gone out to do interviews to approach her.

Mia narrowed her eyes at him, already suspicious. For the past three weeks Matt had suggested little things to try and challenge Mia--all of which had been failures. Mia didn't plan for that change today. So she reached for the Trackfone Jack had bought her four days ago and began typing furiously at the abused keys. When she was done two simple letters spelled out what Matt had predicted. 'no'.

"This isn't up for debate Mia." Matt told her and mild surprise flashed a crossed her face before it was replaced by pure determination to fight whatever Matt had planned. "There is someone I want you to meet, someone who I think can help you." Mia rose to her feet defensively. "Her name is Renee Yohe, she doesn't expect you to talk. She knows you won't. She just has something to say." as though to prove a point that even though it didn't require anything from Amelia other than to listen, she clasped her hands over her ears. "You can be so juvenile." Matt mumbled rolling his eyes before he moved toward the entrance of the bus.

She wore heavy black eyeliner, that was the first thing Amelia noticed, followed by admiring her hair. But then she remembered that this woman and her brother had conspired against her and a frown instantly appeared on her face as Amelia glared at the woman.

"Hi," she smiled slightly but they both knew it was only out of politeness. Renee didn't try to tip toe around Amelia's feelings as she boldly crossed the space of the bus and sat down next to Amelia on the couch. "I'd like to tell you the story of my life."