Better Off
Il faut d'abord durer.
Frankie finished cleaning Raphe's cuts, bandaging the smaller ones. He gave her an ice pack for her cheek and led her into the backyard, walking past a large pool and onto the grass, where they sat on a swingset.
"Do you have younger siblings?" Raphe asked. Frankie shook his head.
"No, we've had this since I was little. Dad still likes to play on it." Raphe laughed.
"Your dad is great. My parents would say, 'she's four, let's sell that puppy!'" Raphe said, imitating her father's deep voice. Frankie snickered.
"You don't get along with your parents?" he asked, suddenly very serious. Raphe shrugged and looked away.
"Not really. I moved out when I was fourteen." Frankie's eyebrows shot up.
"And they didn't call the cops?" Raphe shook her head.
"No... They knew if... Never mind." She pulled her knees to her chest, balancing on the wooden seat.
"They knew if what?" Frankie asked softly. Raphe rested her head on her knees and cleared her throat.
"I don't want to talk about it." She heard Frankie sigh.
"Okay." They fell into an awkward silence.
"What time is it?" Raphe asked, suddenly turning to look at Frankie, who was gazing at her. He jumped and checked his watch, laughing nervously.
"Almost midnight. I'd better get you home," he said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. She nodded, and he stood up, reaching his hand out to her. She grasped it, and he helped her up, leading her back to the house.
"DAD!" Frankie yelled, making Raphe jump. "I'm taking Raph home!"
"Use protection!" Tré replied, making Frankie blush with shame and Raphe giggle.
"Bye, Mr. Cool!" Raphe called as Frankie led her out the front door, still holding her hand.
***
"That was fun," Frankie said as the two of them stood outside the door of her house. Raphe nodded, smiling.
"Yeah. We should hang out more often."
"I'd like that." Suddenly, Frankie pulled her into a hug. At first she tensed, but then relaxed into his strong arms.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked as they pulled away. She nodded, fumbling with her keys. She didn't want to go inside; she wanted to stay out here with Frankie.
"Good night, Frankie." She grinned at him. He returned the smile, his blue eyes sparkling.
"'Night, Raphe." She unlocked her door and entered the house, hearing Frankie's footsteps recede to his car. She peeked out the window, seeing that he was still waiting. She flicked her light on, and he pulled out of the driveway.
Raphe felt like she was floating. It was the best she'd felt in a long time. She smiled, making her way to the kitchen, where she checked her messages.
"Hey, honey, it's Mom. I just wanted to say that your father and I miss you very much. He's sobered up now, and we'd like you to come home. Please, hon-"
Raphe deleted the message. That was bullshit.
"Raphe, this is Gary. Just wanted to make sure you got home okay. See you tomorrow, kid."
She smiled. Gary was more like a father than her own father.
"Raphie, this is Amelia. I'm scared, sissy. Mommy-
"Get back here, you slut!"
"RAPHE!"
Raphe shuddered. It was her little sister and her drunken mother. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought of the hell her sister was going through. She picked up the phone and dialed her previous number. Her hands shook as it rang three times.
"Hello?" Amelia said. Raphe smiled with relief.
"Hey Amelia. It's Raphie, shh! Is Mommy or Daddy there?"
"No, I'm alone with Cam."
"Cam?" Raphe asked. Her parents would never hire a babysitter.
"Our baby brother." Raphe's eyebrows shot up.
"Do you know when Mommy and Daddy will be home?"
"They're leaving for a week, they left yesterday."
"Hold on, Amy, I'm coming to pick you up. Pack your clothes" Amelia squealed with delight.
"Camdon too?"
"Yeah, Camdon too. Hold on, honey." She hung up and ran to Gary's house, pounding on the door. A very sleepy Gary answered, in pajamas.
"Raphe? What are you doing?" he asked.
"Can I borrow you car? Please?" She asked quickly. Without an explanation, he handed her the key.
"Bring it back in one piece. Why do you need it?"
"No time to explain. Gotta go. Thanks, Gary!" she hugged him quickly and sprinted to his old Mustang.
She arrived at her old house fifteen minutes later. Luckily, her parents' cars were gone. She peeked in the garage to find that they weren't there, either. She sighed with relief and sprinted to the front door. She knocked, and her six-year-old sister answered, her hazel eyes wide. Even in the dark, she could see the dark bruises on Amelia's small body.
"RAPHE!" she squealed, hugging her sister. Raphe smiled and hugged back.
"Are you packed?" Raphe asked, and Amelia nodded. "Where's Cam?" Amelia led her into another room, where a little boy sat in a cradle, sucking his thumb. Raphe estimated his age to be around a year. She picked him up, gathering his bag with the other hand.
"Did you get everything?" Raphe asked Amelia, who nodded, her red curls bouncing.
"I got his diapers and nighties and wipes and baby powder and food and spoons and bibs and blankies and toys, in case you didn't have any." Raphe smiled and ruffled Amelia's hair.
"You're so smart! What about your stuff?"
"Yeah, I got everything," Amelia replied, grinning.
"Does Cam have a carseat?"
"It's by the door." Raphe grinned, amazed as the intelligence of her sister.
"Good girl. I'm gonna write a note telling them where you are, okay?" Amelia's eyes widened.
"No, Raphie, don't tell them!" Raphe knelt down, giving Amelia a one-armed hug.
"They don't know where I live, it's okay." She stood up and went to the kitchen, writing her brief note.
George and Christina,
I took Camdon and Amelia to live with me, you bastards. How could you do that to your own children?
-Raphaela
Raphe took her siblings to Gary's car, making sure they were safely buckled, and drove back to her house. Cam fell asleep on the way, Amelia cooing to him, promising him a better life.
They pulled up in the driveway, and Amelia stared with awe.
"Your house is so pretty, Raphe," the little girl said. Raphe chuckled and turned the key off.
"Thanks. Let's get you two to bed, okay?" Amelia nodded, and the two of them gathered the kids' things, taking them inside. Raphe locked and bolted the door, carrying Cam to her room, lying him on her bed. He had his father's brown hair. She kissed his head and went back to the living room, where Amelia was standing, looking lost.
"Do you have any food?" Amelia asked.
"I have some crackers," Raphe offered. Amelia shrugged.
"I'm not hungry. Where do i sleep?" The small girl yawned.
"You can sleep in my room. I don't have any other beds." Amelia nodded, and Raphe led her to her room. The small girl climbed into Raphe's bed, her eyelids drooping. Raphe climbed in after her, lying beside her.
"Raphie?" Amelia said.
"Mmm?"
"Thank you."
"Do you have younger siblings?" Raphe asked. Frankie shook his head.
"No, we've had this since I was little. Dad still likes to play on it." Raphe laughed.
"Your dad is great. My parents would say, 'she's four, let's sell that puppy!'" Raphe said, imitating her father's deep voice. Frankie snickered.
"You don't get along with your parents?" he asked, suddenly very serious. Raphe shrugged and looked away.
"Not really. I moved out when I was fourteen." Frankie's eyebrows shot up.
"And they didn't call the cops?" Raphe shook her head.
"No... They knew if... Never mind." She pulled her knees to her chest, balancing on the wooden seat.
"They knew if what?" Frankie asked softly. Raphe rested her head on her knees and cleared her throat.
"I don't want to talk about it." She heard Frankie sigh.
"Okay." They fell into an awkward silence.
"What time is it?" Raphe asked, suddenly turning to look at Frankie, who was gazing at her. He jumped and checked his watch, laughing nervously.
"Almost midnight. I'd better get you home," he said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. She nodded, and he stood up, reaching his hand out to her. She grasped it, and he helped her up, leading her back to the house.
"DAD!" Frankie yelled, making Raphe jump. "I'm taking Raph home!"
"Use protection!" Tré replied, making Frankie blush with shame and Raphe giggle.
"Bye, Mr. Cool!" Raphe called as Frankie led her out the front door, still holding her hand.
***
"That was fun," Frankie said as the two of them stood outside the door of her house. Raphe nodded, smiling.
"Yeah. We should hang out more often."
"I'd like that." Suddenly, Frankie pulled her into a hug. At first she tensed, but then relaxed into his strong arms.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked as they pulled away. She nodded, fumbling with her keys. She didn't want to go inside; she wanted to stay out here with Frankie.
"Good night, Frankie." She grinned at him. He returned the smile, his blue eyes sparkling.
"'Night, Raphe." She unlocked her door and entered the house, hearing Frankie's footsteps recede to his car. She peeked out the window, seeing that he was still waiting. She flicked her light on, and he pulled out of the driveway.
Raphe felt like she was floating. It was the best she'd felt in a long time. She smiled, making her way to the kitchen, where she checked her messages.
"Hey, honey, it's Mom. I just wanted to say that your father and I miss you very much. He's sobered up now, and we'd like you to come home. Please, hon-"
Raphe deleted the message. That was bullshit.
"Raphe, this is Gary. Just wanted to make sure you got home okay. See you tomorrow, kid."
She smiled. Gary was more like a father than her own father.
"Raphie, this is Amelia. I'm scared, sissy. Mommy-
"Get back here, you slut!"
"RAPHE!"
Raphe shuddered. It was her little sister and her drunken mother. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought of the hell her sister was going through. She picked up the phone and dialed her previous number. Her hands shook as it rang three times.
"Hello?" Amelia said. Raphe smiled with relief.
"Hey Amelia. It's Raphie, shh! Is Mommy or Daddy there?"
"No, I'm alone with Cam."
"Cam?" Raphe asked. Her parents would never hire a babysitter.
"Our baby brother." Raphe's eyebrows shot up.
"Do you know when Mommy and Daddy will be home?"
"They're leaving for a week, they left yesterday."
"Hold on, Amy, I'm coming to pick you up. Pack your clothes" Amelia squealed with delight.
"Camdon too?"
"Yeah, Camdon too. Hold on, honey." She hung up and ran to Gary's house, pounding on the door. A very sleepy Gary answered, in pajamas.
"Raphe? What are you doing?" he asked.
"Can I borrow you car? Please?" She asked quickly. Without an explanation, he handed her the key.
"Bring it back in one piece. Why do you need it?"
"No time to explain. Gotta go. Thanks, Gary!" she hugged him quickly and sprinted to his old Mustang.
She arrived at her old house fifteen minutes later. Luckily, her parents' cars were gone. She peeked in the garage to find that they weren't there, either. She sighed with relief and sprinted to the front door. She knocked, and her six-year-old sister answered, her hazel eyes wide. Even in the dark, she could see the dark bruises on Amelia's small body.
"RAPHE!" she squealed, hugging her sister. Raphe smiled and hugged back.
"Are you packed?" Raphe asked, and Amelia nodded. "Where's Cam?" Amelia led her into another room, where a little boy sat in a cradle, sucking his thumb. Raphe estimated his age to be around a year. She picked him up, gathering his bag with the other hand.
"Did you get everything?" Raphe asked Amelia, who nodded, her red curls bouncing.
"I got his diapers and nighties and wipes and baby powder and food and spoons and bibs and blankies and toys, in case you didn't have any." Raphe smiled and ruffled Amelia's hair.
"You're so smart! What about your stuff?"
"Yeah, I got everything," Amelia replied, grinning.
"Does Cam have a carseat?"
"It's by the door." Raphe grinned, amazed as the intelligence of her sister.
"Good girl. I'm gonna write a note telling them where you are, okay?" Amelia's eyes widened.
"No, Raphie, don't tell them!" Raphe knelt down, giving Amelia a one-armed hug.
"They don't know where I live, it's okay." She stood up and went to the kitchen, writing her brief note.
George and Christina,
I took Camdon and Amelia to live with me, you bastards. How could you do that to your own children?
-Raphaela
Raphe took her siblings to Gary's car, making sure they were safely buckled, and drove back to her house. Cam fell asleep on the way, Amelia cooing to him, promising him a better life.
They pulled up in the driveway, and Amelia stared with awe.
"Your house is so pretty, Raphe," the little girl said. Raphe chuckled and turned the key off.
"Thanks. Let's get you two to bed, okay?" Amelia nodded, and the two of them gathered the kids' things, taking them inside. Raphe locked and bolted the door, carrying Cam to her room, lying him on her bed. He had his father's brown hair. She kissed his head and went back to the living room, where Amelia was standing, looking lost.
"Do you have any food?" Amelia asked.
"I have some crackers," Raphe offered. Amelia shrugged.
"I'm not hungry. Where do i sleep?" The small girl yawned.
"You can sleep in my room. I don't have any other beds." Amelia nodded, and Raphe led her to her room. The small girl climbed into Raphe's bed, her eyelids drooping. Raphe climbed in after her, lying beside her.
"Raphie?" Amelia said.
"Mmm?"
"Thank you."