Too Good to Be True

"D-dad?" I stammered, too scared to turn around. Of course, I didn't need to.

"Of course it's me! Who the fuck else would it be?" My cheek was met with Carl's hand. The impact came so fast I couldn't even feel it. Although it did make me stumble backwards, falling into the coffee table.

"Dad, stop!" I whimpered. I had lost all of the confidence from when I left. I thought that was them out of my life for good, clearly not.

"Stop!? Why don't you stop! Do the world a favour and stop living!" Another slap came with that. This one was even harder, and I felt it.

"OW!" I screamed. He was getting closer to me. This was it. I was gonna die. My dad was gonna kill me, for good.

No wait!

I can't die! I can't! I have too many people waiting for me! Tommy! Iona! Lozza! Lena! Elena!

Frank....

That same feeling came back, bubbling in my stomach like butterflies. Suddenly, all I could think about was getting myself out of here. I coud- MY ROOM! I pulled myself to my feet, feeling the adrenaline build, and started to run, ignoring the shattered wood that gave me more splnters than I could count. Faster, faster...

I slammed the door closed behind me, and scrambled to find my phone. There was one person that could help me right now.

"Hello?" I could just make out Iona's cheery voice over the loud music blasting from her flat.

"Iona," I breathed, so my dad wouldn't hear. "Come to my house as quick as you can. I...I..."

"Hailey? What's wrong!?" She asked. I opened my mouth to reply, but the door swung open.

"IONA! MY DAD'S GONNA KILL ME! HURRY! YOU NEED TO COME-" I screamed into the phone desperately, not caring if my dad heard me.

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH! SHE CAN'T SAVE YOU!" I heard Iona gasp on the other side, but my mind was going so fast, there was nothing I could do but scream.

"IONA! IONA! PLEA-"

...

...

Darkness.....

~*~

Iona's POV

"DON'T STOP ME NOW! I'M HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME, I'M HAVING A BALL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs along to Queen blasting on the stereo, swinging a bottle of Blue WKD from my hands. Thank god Tommy was at his friends' house tonight.

"You look like you're having fun," Frank chuckled, as he walked up. He wasn't the slightest bit tipsy, but after a good few bottles of Vodka, I on the other hand...

"You bet! I've only been drinking an hour or so! Hailey better hurry back!" I managed to see his face fall.

"Yeah, I hope she comes back soon..."

"Awww, Frank misses Hailey..." I cooed, and he chuckled.

"I do, actually. She-"

"Hey Frank!" We were immeditaltely joined by the infamous redhead. "Hey Iona!" He said once he'd spotted me. He didn't look the teeensiest bit drunk. But you know, thats a good thing, right? After all that shit he's been through, right? I mean...wait, what was I gonna say?

"I'll talk to you later, yeah?" Frank said to me, and I nodded slowly.

"See you around, Frankenstein!" I heard him chuckle and walk away, when my phone went. "Hello!?" I called cheerily into the phone.

"Iona..." As if by magic, I felt completely sober at Hailey's terrified voice. "Come to my house as quick as you can. I...I..."

"Hailey! What's wrong!?" I asked, really starting to panic. It couldn't be...

Suddenly, she gasped loudly.

"IONA! MY DAD'S GONNA KILL ME! HURRY! YOU NEED TO COME-" My eyes widened and I looked around desperately for my keys and coat. But then I heard his voice.

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH! SHE CAN'T SAVE YOU!" My entire body trembled, and I let out a loud gasp. No, no no no no no.

"IONA! IONA! PLEA-" As soon as the line went dead, I dropped my phone, and pulled my coat on. The only thing that mattered was getting to her as soon as I could.

"Iona!" Frank stepped in front of me, but I pushed him out of the way.

"Get out of the way! I need to get to her!"

"Hailey.."

"I need to get to her!" I said, looking at him. A spark of fear showed in his eyes, but it didn't stop me from charging right out of the house.

~*~

Watching Hailey's dad run out of the house, and leave quickly in his car definitely wasn't a good sign. Still, I walked slowly over to her front door. I didn't bother with a key, the door was always unlocked., I sucked in a deep breath, and pushed the door open...

~*~

Frank's POV

"Hey man, so what's up?" I asked Gee as Iona walked away.

"Nothin' just wanted to check on you," He frowned suddenly. "What's up?" Oh shit, was it showing that much? Heh, i've been hanging around with Hailey too much...

"Sure. Hey, what's up with Iona?" I asked. She was on the phone to someone, and worry was starting to show in her face...

"I don't know..."

"Hailey! What's wrong?" My eyes widened in shock. H-...Hailey! But...how could something have happened to her!? She was only going home, right? I took a step forward, watching Iona's face scrunch up in horror. Her eyes widened, and she gasped suddenly. Within seconds, she had dropped the phone, grabbed her coat, and was making a beeline for the front door.

"Iona!" I stepped in front of her, trying to ask what was happening, but she kept trying to push me out of the way.

"Get out of the way! I need to get to her!"

"Hailey.."

"I need to get to her!" She said, looking me in the eye. I saw the fear in her eyes, and knew that something had happened. Something bad. But, what could I do? I didn't even know where she was! Wait, her house! Where's her house?

"Whe-" I stopped, realising that Iona had left, probably minutes ago. I decided i'd have to get there on my own. Or follow her, if I could.

"Gee! Can I use your car?" I called out to him, and he nodded, tossing me the keys.

Ok, showtime.

~*~

I managed to find Iona's car a few times, but she was going like 50pmh over the speed limit, and it wasn't helping. It was something urgent, I know that. Shit. What if i'm too late? What if i've let her down!?

Iona's car pulled to a stop in a street, but suddenly ducked down. I looked around, curious. Nothing really caught my eye, apart from a bulky looking man running into his car and driving off, a little too dramatically. What I didn't expect was for Iona to run straight to the house. I need to get in! I found the nearest space, and ran straight to the door.

I could hear...sobbing inside? Shit shit shit. That was all that went through my head as I slowly pushed the door open.

I felt my heart smash into a million tiny pieces seeing Hailey lying on the staircase. She wasn't moving at all. I tried to stifle a gasp, and took a step forward.

Blood.

Coming from her head.

I was seeing nothing but red. Suddenly I was angrier than I had ever been the last few years. The bastard that touched her was going to suffer. He was going to wish he was never born.

But then another though hit me.

I wasn't there for her.

"SHIT!" I cursed, and punched the wall with enough force to break my knuckles. Wether I did or not, I would find out later. I just had to make sure she was ok.

"Frank..." Iona hiccuped, and touched Hailey's face. Gulping, I leaned down, slowly moving my hand down to her cheek. I felt the tears build as I touched her ice-cold skin. I couldn't think, I couldn't see. All I could do was hold her in my arms, and bury my head into her chest, to stop myself from crying too hard. I barely made out Iona dialling a number on the phone.

"I need an ambulance,"