Invisible

Mom was completely knocked out with sleeping pills, but Ashton, Alec, and Jake weren't.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, AARON?!" Alec schreeches up the stairs, announicng their arrival.

Corrie hides in my bathroom, slamming the door. "Way to ditch me," I say through the door. "Open up, they'll see you eventually, especially if you're staying."

"GET DOWN HERE!" Ashton screams.

"Go deal with them!" she hisses.

"You with me!"

"Why?!"

"Because this is about you, after all, and you're my girlfriend now."

"Exactly. Now go."

"NOW, AARON!"

I sigh and go downstairs, where my speechless friends are waiting.

"Quit screaming, or you'll wake up Mom," I sigh.

"Why didn't you go to school?! Was it because we took your stupid truck?!" Ashton hisses. "It was our first day, and we were stuck with Jake!"

"Hey!"

"I think Corrie's a bit more important than you two," I say dryly. "I went to pick her up this morning and she's covered in bruises. She has a nervous meltdown. Guess what I found out today? Her dad's a drunk, and he beats her, and he rapes her, and get the fuck over yourselves!" The anger was completely unwarranted, and my voice got louder as I went on.

Their looks of shock would be rather amusing, if I hadn't wanted to hit them.

"Aaron we're so sorry," Alec gasps. "We had no idea-"

"Of course you didn't, I shouldn't have yelled at you," I sigh. "I'm just pissed."

"God, you mean..." Ashton whispers, running his hands through his hair.

"Is she okay?" Jake asks.

"No," I answer dully. "She's staying here."

"Dammit, I'll go move my stuff."

"You don't have to. If we can manage it, then she's staying with me."

"So you did screw her?" Alec asks.

"Is that all you two think about?! No! Of course I didn't!"

"Are you ever going to make a move?"

"You just found out Trinity's home life-"

"Were sorry, but man, she loves you. And you adore her," Ashton says.

I smile now, and go back upstairs. "Will you come out now, lovely?" I say to the bathroom door.

"I don't want too," she whispers, just hardly enough to hear her. "I wish we had our own little world where its just us."

"They care about you too, you know. Come on out, angel."

The door opens, and Corrie drags me inside, shutting the door with her foot. She buries her face in my shirt. I sigh and breath in the smell of her hair.

"Beautiful, strong, lovely, brave, smart, a singer, an artist, amazing, did I already say beautiful?"

I can tell she's smiling. "Maybe, but you can say it again."

"Beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. Sexy."

She laughs and straightens up, kissing me softly. "You're pretty cute yourself." She's got music playing, and she sings softly with it. "The angels singing say I am alone with you. I am alone and they are too with you."

"And were in a bathroom. We should go outside and let them admire our beauty."

Corrie snorted. "No one's ever admired me before, except for you."

"Its because your hair is always in your face. No one can see you." I open the bathroom door and usher her out.

"I really don't want too. Can't I just hide until the bruises begin to fade?"

"No. We've got the project due tomorrow."

She squeaks. "DO I have to go to school tomorrow?"

"I'll get Lorrie to show you how to cover it up with make up."

"Not Lorrie too," she groans.

I lift her into the air, over my shoulder.

"AARON PUT ME DOWN!" She screams, wriggling.

"No!" I say, marching down the stairs. "Now that I've got you you're coming out of your shell."

"I like my shell." But I can hear her smile.

I get off the last stair and set her down. She takes one look at the three guys vying for a position to see the bruises, and she shrinks against my side.

Alec comes forward and pries Corrie off of me, hugging her and lifting her off her feet. "I'm sososososo sorry Corrie," he gasps. "Aaron should be a gentleman and let you stay home tomorrow."

"I-" I begin, but Ashton cuts me off. "Say the word, lovely, and I'll ruin your father."

"Or give us any signal," Jake says.

Alec sets Corrie down, and she's fighting back tears. I pull Corrie back towards me, and wrap an arm around her waist. She's pulling back towards the stairs. "Go on," I sigh, and she runs.

"Did we do something wrong?" Alec asks, dsimayed.

"No, today's just been stressful for her. To much, all at once."

"We should throw a party!" Jake says.

"No!" The twins and I chorus, then I go on. "That is such a bad idea, you stupid drunk. Corrie's dad is a drunk. Do you want to end up like him?!"

Shamed, Jake looks down. "Just an idea."

"A bad one," Ashton snaps.

"Don't get mad at him just because he has no sensitivty," Alec says.

"I can be sensitive!"

We snort.

"You didn't even hold out your date with Morgan," I say.

"She was a freak!"

"And I bet she cried," I say. "I'm going up to Corrie, do whatever you like."

"If you can, bring Corrie back down," Alec says. "You know, whenever she's feeling up for it."

I nodd, I'm already halfway up the stairs.

"Corrie?" I call into the bedroom. Corrie's sitting in my desk chair, elbows on my desk, head on her laced hands, and she's staring out the window.

"You can look at them, if you want. My drawings," she says, her voice dreamy.

Happy, I pull the bag filled with her sketch books out.

"Look at the one with the red cover. Its from this semester."

I pull it out and sit on the bed. All of the drawings are in pencil, most uncolored. A lot of her pictures were rally dark, and desolat, getting increasingly more and more creepy until I saw one of a tiny girl with a man pinning her to the ground, tearing off her blouse. I bite my lip and continue on.

I get to a picture of me. I'm a little startled by it, as the last picture was of something trying to pull itself out of a hole. I'm in my desk, bent over my work, my face hidden, but I know its me. The picture's also covered with smudges from drops of water. Or tears.

The next picture is a Starbucks cup and I smile. The next one is of Jake and me. He's leaning against a locker and I'm laughing. They're amazingly detailed.

The next one is reverting back to the dark side. A silhouette of a girl scribbled in words like dirty, ugly, bitch, slut, whore, worthless, pathetic. my smile fades.

The next one is covered in tears. Its me holding her hand, and were walking with our backs turned. The one after is similar, and in tears. Then its the last one in the book. The word USELESS.

I get back up and pull Corrie's face out of her hands. She looks down and I kiss her on the ofrehead, loving the fact I could do that now. "Were getting you a new one. And you're amazing."
~
The worst part for Corrie was trying to face my parents. I had to do all the talking while I forced Corrie to be present, but she basically hid behind me until Mom burst into tears. Then she had hidden against him, shaking.

Lorrie had been stupified, completely unsure of what to do. Corrie was about to have a nervous meltdown, so I stuck her in my room and she fell asleep in moments.

"See what I mean?" I say when I get downstairs. "You're overwhelming her."

Dad didn't say anything, but just ushered Mom upstairs.

Jake looked at a txt. "I've got to go home. I'm sorry, man."

"No, its probably best you go." I run my fingers through my hair.

Everyone retreats to their respective spaces but me. I dtay on the couch, and get on ym laptop, going onto Facebook.

I'd posted the pictures, and I had 134 notifications. I was allready feeling awful, but now I seriously consider rushing to the bathroom. With a sick, sick feeling I clicked the little box, thinking about the txt about Kaylee from earlier.

Yes, they were negative. Most all of them. Not all were from Kaylee. A lot were comments of shock and who the hell is this?

Poor little Corrie.

I shut my laptop and listen. Silence.