I'd Encourage Your Smiles, I'll Expect You Won't Cry

I awoke in the same immense pain as I had felt the night before. Slowly getting out of bed I then steadily walked over to my full length mirror. Pulling up my top I saw a bluey purple bruise taking up most of my stomach, that definitely was not a dream, it must have been Mark, probably because I came in late last night, only by 3 minutes though and I thought they wouldn't notice, how wrong I was. I searched through my closet for something decent to wear, eventually I found a black top that wrote 'me? Weird? You must be joking!' in red writing, then a pair of black shorts and red fish net tights with black converse. Then I shoved my books into my bag and ran down stairs to grab an apple for breakfast.

“Did you enjoy your punishment you little shit?” Lottie asked as she snarled at me. I just glared back at her whilst I grabbed my apple.

“Don't look at me like that you ungrateful bitch!” she screamed before the back of her hand slapped me right across the cheek, I reached up for it instinctively out of pain and then ran back into my room, I just can't take it anymore, I’m moving out, I don't know where I’ll go but I sure ain't staying here any longer. I stuffed all my clothes and junk into a duffel bag and by the time I was done there was barely anything in my room, I left the bag and bass in my closet until after school when I would pick it up and leave. Thinking that it wasn't such a good idea to go down stairs again I decided to leave through my window and climb down the guttering. I ran my way to school and when I got there I was still 5 minutes early, searching through the crowds of preps I eventually spotted Gerard, Mikey and Frank sitting on the front steps so I walked over to them.

“Hey Rain ... what happened?” Gerard asked, his chirpy voice suddenly got more serious and he looked at me with worry-filled eyes.
“What?” I asked confused.

“Your cheek, i-it’s ...” Mikey started but I guess he didn't want to say anymore. I reached up to my cheek and when I pulled back my hand was covered in blood. I guess it was probably one of Lottie’s rings that scratched my face from the slap.

“O-oh, its nothing, I’m fine, really.” I said, trying not to make a scene.

“That’s not nothing, come on we need to get you cleaned up.” Mikey said before dragging me to the disabled toilet. He wet a cloth and dabbed it on my face, it stung a bit but pain was nothing I wasn't used to. I looked down at Mikey and he looked so concentrated, he then saw me looking at him and started blushing, he looked so cute when he blushed. When he'd finished I looked in the mirror, all the blood was gone and all that was left was a bruise and a small gash that was starting to heal.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Mikey asked, looking me dead in the eye.

“Yeah, I’m alright, I’m used to it.” I said but then covered my mouth when I’d realised what I’d said.

“Fuck.” I said mentally slapping myself, Mikey looked down at me in misery and disbelief. –

“You mean this happens a lot?” he asked, gesturing to my cheek. All I could do was nod slightly, I didn’t dare to look him in the eye.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked again, I contemplated on what the consequences would be but I took a deep breathe and started.

“Well, you see when I was 12 my parents and baby sister were murdered and then I was adopted by Lottie and Mark, he has anger issues and will beat me and when he's drunk he will abuse me and Lottie gets angry at me because I’m not her ideal daughter and she slapped me this morning for no good reason and that's why my cheek was bleeding.” I said in all one breath, by the end of it I had been reduced to tears, Mikey just looked down at me and then pulled me into a hug. It was a caring hug in which I felt safe and protected, he was so nice to me even though we just met and I’d basically just told him my life story.

“How do you live with it?” he asked whilst stroking my hair.

“I dunno, I’ve never told anyone before and Mark said that if I did he'd beat me again. I really can't take it anymore, I’ve packed my stuff and I’m leaving.” I said into his chest.

“But where will you live?” he asked.

“I don't know” I said, still crying.

“Well, you're welcome at my house, if you want?” he suggested, pulling back from the hug to look at my tear stained face.

“That’s really nice of you Mikey, thanks” I said, giving him another hug, he then bent down and kissed my undamaged cheek.

“No problem, we better go or we'll be late for class again.” he said before opening the door for me, the halls weren't very crowded but we headed off to history once again and met up with Frank.

“Hey, are you okay Rain?” Frank asked as I sat down in between him and Mikey.

“Yeah, fine.” I said before the teacher came in to the class. He set us some work but I don't think anyone did any of it since he later left the classroom and the class started up with loud chatter.

“So ... what was all that about?” Frank asked, pointing at my slightly purple cheek.

“Oh, erm, i-it was ...” I started but couldn't think of anything else to say except *my adoptive mother hit me after my adoptive dad beat me in the night*.

“She walked into a lamp post.” Mikey said saving me, I looked at him and mouthed *thank you*, he just smiled in return.

“Oh okay, well are you gonna come to movie night tonight?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, she is.” Mikey said before I could answer, it wasn't like I didn't want to come but i was a bit embarrassed by all the questions, nobody usually talks to me at all.

“Yay!” Frank said, clapping his hands together like a girl on happy pills, I couldn't help but giggle.

“Ha, I told you she could laugh!” Mikey said to Frank.

“Well I knew that, ‘cause she's hot.” Frank said, I blushed a deep crimson colour and Frank just wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at me and did that *call me* hand thing.

“In your perverted dreams Frank” I said, as I started doodling.

“How did you know?” he asked faking a look of shock, I lightly punched him in the arm.

“Ouch, that hurt, can you kiss it better?” Frank asked, I just hit him upside the head.

“Point taken.” he said whilst rubbing his head as the teacher came back in.

“Alright, class dismissed!” he said. A herd of teenagers struggled to get out of the door first, along with Frank, whilst me and Mikey, being smart and all, waited until everyone got through the door before we left because that way we won't loose our glasses in the process. We finally got through the door and then we all headed to lunch.