I'll Stand By You
1. Sophia & James
Sophia had tears streaming down her face. They had been there for hours now. That's how long he'd been yelling at her. There was a few pieces of broken items around her from when he got angry enough to throw something. But it wasn't always like this, she thought to herself. She tried to hold on to those good memories as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"You're worthless, Sophia. You can't do anything right!" He voice echoed through the house as he yelled at her. She was sure the neighbors could hear as her eyes shot back open. He threw another plate and it crashed against the wall to her right. She cringed away from shattering pieces in hopes to not get hit. Whatever food was on the plate now stained the wall. "God, Soph, you are so stupid! I can't even look at you anymore. Why you gotta make me so mad? Just get out of my sight!"
She didn't hesitate at leaving the room. She scurried down the hallway quickly as she found the front door. She stepped out onto the front porch, the night sky with the stars shining like diamonds had engulfed the neighborhood. Her tears were burning at her eyes. How did it get this bad, she asked herself. She could still remember the day he pushed her in the hallway. It was hard enough just hurt a little bit. He had been drinking that night, whiskey stained his breath. She felt so helpless that night.
Sophia braced herself against the railing of the porch and stared up at the sky as she tried to shake the memory. The stars blurring together from her tears. The stars seemed so inviting tonight. She wished so much to be able to fly up there. Maybe sit on the moon and just relax for a few days. She had let her dreams go when she chose to stay with him. She couldn't deny that yearning that still laid in her heart.
With a deep sigh, her eyes moved from the sky to the house to the right. Her neighbor was sitting out on his porch looking at her with saddened eyes. There was no doubt he heard the fight. She felt embarrassed that she was now standing out on her porch. He had heard the fight, she thought. She could tell just by the way he looked at her.
James kept his eyes on her, his heart breaking as his mind played the words the man yelled at the woman. She looked so fragile, so broken as well. It took every ounce of energy to not go over there and show that man a real fight. She didn't deserve the abuse, rather it be by words or by hands, she shouldn't have to endure it.
James could remember when he first moved in how vibrate and beautiful the woman shined. He would watch her as she tended to her garden in the back. Or when she would be cleaning and had the music turned up. Though, he would have heard no matter the volume. But to watch her dance around happily brought joy to him.
He sighed, he'd been in this neighborhood for years and it had been years since he saw her that happy. He could easily see the embarrassment that washed upon her face when she noticed him watching. He knew he should tear his eyes away but he couldn't. He couldn't stop imagining the way she felt inside when that man yelled at her. He wanted so badly to help her.
Finally, he looked away from her and to his watch. Three am. It had been a long night for her. He heard the first word and first crash at six pm. It had been going on nonstop from that point. He shook his head softly. He just didn't understand how a man could treat a woman that way.
The sound of a door opening pulled his attention back over. The man, presumed to be her boyfriend, stepped out. James watch the man intently, readying himself to stop any fight that might take place. But when the man softly cupped the woman's face, he dropped his guard a bit.
"I'm sorry," he said softly as his hands stayed cupped upon her cheeks. Sophia just stared back at him, fully aware of the man watching them. After a moment, she nodded to her boyfriend. A smile swept across his face as he pulled in her for a hug then lead her back into the house.
She knew she'd never forget each word he yelled at her. When he leaves in the morning she'll properly cry about the situation. She always did. She'd call Ella and update her on her events. Ella was her best friend who happened to be going through the same thing as her. She frowned inwardly and hoped Ella was doing okay.
James was in shock. How could she just forgive him like that? She was obviously too weak to resist him. He cracked his knuckles angrily and walked back inside his house. He'd be over stepping he walked over there. What would he say to her?
"Excuse me ma'am but I noticed you and your boyfriend there haven't been so good. Wanna come live with the neighbor you've never met but seems to be super nosy?" He said mockingly. He shook his head at his stupidity. "Right, that would work," he mumbled to himself.
James paced back and forth in his kitchen. He knew he shouldn’t get involved but he had to. Someone had to save her. She didn’t deserve the way he treated her. But he had to think of way to interfere without coming off as a creep.
"You're worthless, Sophia. You can't do anything right!" He voice echoed through the house as he yelled at her. She was sure the neighbors could hear as her eyes shot back open. He threw another plate and it crashed against the wall to her right. She cringed away from shattering pieces in hopes to not get hit. Whatever food was on the plate now stained the wall. "God, Soph, you are so stupid! I can't even look at you anymore. Why you gotta make me so mad? Just get out of my sight!"
She didn't hesitate at leaving the room. She scurried down the hallway quickly as she found the front door. She stepped out onto the front porch, the night sky with the stars shining like diamonds had engulfed the neighborhood. Her tears were burning at her eyes. How did it get this bad, she asked herself. She could still remember the day he pushed her in the hallway. It was hard enough just hurt a little bit. He had been drinking that night, whiskey stained his breath. She felt so helpless that night.
Sophia braced herself against the railing of the porch and stared up at the sky as she tried to shake the memory. The stars blurring together from her tears. The stars seemed so inviting tonight. She wished so much to be able to fly up there. Maybe sit on the moon and just relax for a few days. She had let her dreams go when she chose to stay with him. She couldn't deny that yearning that still laid in her heart.
With a deep sigh, her eyes moved from the sky to the house to the right. Her neighbor was sitting out on his porch looking at her with saddened eyes. There was no doubt he heard the fight. She felt embarrassed that she was now standing out on her porch. He had heard the fight, she thought. She could tell just by the way he looked at her.
James kept his eyes on her, his heart breaking as his mind played the words the man yelled at the woman. She looked so fragile, so broken as well. It took every ounce of energy to not go over there and show that man a real fight. She didn't deserve the abuse, rather it be by words or by hands, she shouldn't have to endure it.
James could remember when he first moved in how vibrate and beautiful the woman shined. He would watch her as she tended to her garden in the back. Or when she would be cleaning and had the music turned up. Though, he would have heard no matter the volume. But to watch her dance around happily brought joy to him.
He sighed, he'd been in this neighborhood for years and it had been years since he saw her that happy. He could easily see the embarrassment that washed upon her face when she noticed him watching. He knew he should tear his eyes away but he couldn't. He couldn't stop imagining the way she felt inside when that man yelled at her. He wanted so badly to help her.
Finally, he looked away from her and to his watch. Three am. It had been a long night for her. He heard the first word and first crash at six pm. It had been going on nonstop from that point. He shook his head softly. He just didn't understand how a man could treat a woman that way.
The sound of a door opening pulled his attention back over. The man, presumed to be her boyfriend, stepped out. James watch the man intently, readying himself to stop any fight that might take place. But when the man softly cupped the woman's face, he dropped his guard a bit.
"I'm sorry," he said softly as his hands stayed cupped upon her cheeks. Sophia just stared back at him, fully aware of the man watching them. After a moment, she nodded to her boyfriend. A smile swept across his face as he pulled in her for a hug then lead her back into the house.
She knew she'd never forget each word he yelled at her. When he leaves in the morning she'll properly cry about the situation. She always did. She'd call Ella and update her on her events. Ella was her best friend who happened to be going through the same thing as her. She frowned inwardly and hoped Ella was doing okay.
James was in shock. How could she just forgive him like that? She was obviously too weak to resist him. He cracked his knuckles angrily and walked back inside his house. He'd be over stepping he walked over there. What would he say to her?
"Excuse me ma'am but I noticed you and your boyfriend there haven't been so good. Wanna come live with the neighbor you've never met but seems to be super nosy?" He said mockingly. He shook his head at his stupidity. "Right, that would work," he mumbled to himself.
James paced back and forth in his kitchen. He knew he shouldn’t get involved but he had to. Someone had to save her. She didn’t deserve the way he treated her. But he had to think of way to interfere without coming off as a creep.