Their Violence, Your Silence.

I’d trudged to the mall and back to school in the past two hours and had been completely unsuccessful at finding a job. Although I had found a flyer for the hotel, it said they were looking for maids to clean the rooms…

Not a very appealing job but if it paid well enough, even if it didn’t it would still be a start. It would get me out of the house on Saturday maybe even Sunday and I’d be earning some money. It would help me get rid of the guilty feeling every time my parents came home.

I knew they were really tired, working so hard. They always went to bed really early so I never really saw them anymore and I missed them a lot.

I sat down on one of the benches near the parking lot and stared around. It was starting to get dark and it was cold out, with winter approaching quickly.

It was ironic how my parents called me Winter when I in fact hated winter but loved the summer. Winter was always so cold and it was dark so soon… It made the waiting for a ride tiresome and lonely and a little scary at times.

I smiled when I saw Jared’s old beat up car turn the corner. Rushing over to get inside as quickly as possible. My coat wasn’t warm enough for the winter and had a hole on the left side. But I didn’t want to ask my parents for a new one…

‘Hey Winnie, how was your day?’ said Jared as I got in the car. He pulled away immediately, obviously in a rush to get home. I bet he was really hungry, I knew I was.

‘It was fine, how was your day?’ I said, hoping replying like that didn’t sound too stiff and formal.

Jared’s eyes darted towards me for a quick second before returning to the road. His body tense all of a sudden. ‘Then why the hell is there blood on your face? Can you explain that?’

Oh…

I guess I didn’t get all of it when I cleaned up.

‘It was nothing, just a bloody nose during gym alright? You know how blind I am without my glasses… Got hit by a ball.’ I mumbled hoping he wouldn’t catch the lie. I really didn’t want him to get in trouble.

It was quiet in de car as we neared our block. I could tell Jared was mad and thinking of how to react. He wasn’t buying it. I sighed softly, if he kept his silence till we got home I might be able to escape to my room.

‘Didn’t that guy, Caleb say he watches out for you? Though you and him were friends?’ Jared was definitely mad. His low voice sounding like a grumbling bear.

I flinched, how was I going to react to that?

‘Where was he? Who did this to you? Winter come on tell me!’ Jared was raising his voice now but we were nearly home.

‘Winter! Talk to me already!’

‘It was in the girls locker room alright! And I really don’t need you to blow up about it as well okay? I’m fine and it won’t happen again,’ I yelled back frustrated by his question’s. Couldn’t he see I wanted to deal with this on my own? I didn’t want to be weak and have to run to my big brother for help.

It was quiet as Jared pulled up in front of our house. ‘How do you know it won’t happen again?’ his voice gentle and concerned now.

‘Because I’m going to get mom and dad to free me from gym, with my eyesight I’m sure it won’t be a problem… One note of them to the principal is all it takes.’
Jared stared at me for a long time.

‘You sure sis? I’m just trying to look out for you… I hate not being there at school with you…’ he placed a gentle hand on my cheek to wipe away the last remnants of blood I’d obviously missed.

I couldn’t help but snort unattractively in amusement, ‘No you don’t, you love working at the shop you moron… I love you Jared, really, but I can handle this myself.’

He ruffled my hair with a smile, ‘love you too.’ Then he hurriedly ducked out of the car.
Slightly embarrassed by our display of affection.



The next few days past by in a blur. Jared, thank god, hadn’t told our parents about the incident at school so they weren’t concerned but he had told me I’d been making new friends. They really wanted to meet those new friends so I was in a bit of a bind.

Maybe in a week or so I could ask Cassandra to meet them sometime… She’d joined me at lunch on Thursday and we’d had a nice conversation. She was definitely a lot like Katie.

Katie had picked me up that same Thursday after school and she’d taken me home with her where I’d been able to play the piano.

I really missed doing that and since I wasn’t always allowed inside the auditorium all the time after school I wasn’t getting as much practice as I wanted.

I hadn’t seen much of Caleb but Shane said Hi to me every time we saw each other in the corridors. I think maybe Caleb was sick because after Monday he hadn’t been in school at all. Except that I saw him come in for swimming practice when I left with Katie that Thursday.

I was feeling really well because I’d seemed to really have made a friend and maybe two if I counted Cassandra’s boyfriend Shane and I had in fact got that job as maid at the hotel. The one I got that flyer from.

I was both sad and happy about not seeing Caleb at all that week. After that run in with Marley in the locker room I really didn’t need them to see me with him. Sad because well… I missed seeing his green eyes focused on me in class or during lunch.

I was on my way to the hotel now, Jared was again dropping me off before he went to work himself but I’d have to take the bus home because he didn’t know what time he’d be done today and he thought it might be really late.

I’d somehow managed to pull my unruly wild hair into a ponytail since it was required for work and already put on the work uniform that I’d been given when I signed the work contract.

Jared had been pissed about that, saying the skirt was too short and that with the matching blouse and apron he was afraid I’d be raped on the way home. I really thought he was exaggerating. I mean at school guys didn’t even notice me so I doubted the work uniform would change that.

I was early for work but eager to get started, someone would of course first have to show me the ropes but I was determined to do the best job possible. Maybe I’d get promoted early or get a raise, that would be really nice.

As I stepped inside the warm lobby air and made my way towards the desk to sign in and ask where to go to get started I fixed a smile on my face. I really would do this right and not be shy if I had to deal with other people or guests.

‘Excuse me Sir, this is my first day of work, where do I go to get started?’ I asked to the guy behind the desk, he had his back turned but I had the feeling the Sir part was a bit over the top. Oh well…

The guy turned around and my breath hitched in my throat. Green, oh so green those eyes as they stared at my face in utter surprise.

Well wouldn’t you know he worked at this hotel as well. Wait no, his name Thornleigh oh how could I’ve been so stupid? His dad probably owned this entire hotel chain…

It was quiet a really long awkward time as we stared at each other. I saw him open and close his several times, swallowing audibly.

Then scraping his throat: ‘Uhm… yeah right down that door on the left. Helen, she’s the head housekeeping will tell you what to do.’ He looked away quickly turning his eyes back to the computer screen that was situated on the desk, the dismissal loud and clear.

I nodded, damn my plan to escape him on Saturday sure backfired on me.

I was nearly at the door he’d pointed out to me when he said: ‘Oh and Winter, make sure to do your best because I’ll be inspecting the rooms you cleaned at the end of the day.’

I swallowed, nerves settling in the pit of my stomach. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.

How can this situation get any worse?