Screaming in Silence

The day soon came for me to be released from hospital. Zacky still hadn't left my side and his band mates came to see me, us, almost everyday. I'll admit that I was really beginning to like his friends, they certainly were extremely funny and caring. I could at least take solace in the fact that, when Zacky left, he had people like them to keep him alive and well. They were just looking after him until it was time to return him to me. I needed to remember to thank them for taking care of my brother.

"I'll just go and sign the discharge papers so we're good to leave," Zacky said, kissing me on the forehead and running out the door to find my Doctor. I was left in the room with his friends. Jimmy was sat with his feet propped up on my bed, helping himself to the chocolates that Ethan had thoughtfully brought over for me earlier in the day.

"So," Jimmy started, his mouth full of chocolate, "You happy you're finally coming home?" I nodded, a huge smile on my face.

"So you won't be trying anything like this again?" Matt asked, a slight warning tone in his voice yet there was a caring smile on his face. I shook my head, but I wasn't sure if I believed what I was telling them. "Good, we like you, kid,"

"Yeah, you have to come and stay with us some time when we go back to Huntington," Brian offered. I know that his offer was one of kindness and affection, but it only brought me back to the realisation that Zacky would soon be leaving me again to go back to his old life, leaving me here. Alone. Again.

"Yeah! You can meet the girls, they'd love you. Well, who couldn't?" Jimmy grinned a toothy grin, chocolate covering his teeth. I tried to smile, but I couldn't quite manage it. I didn't want Zacky to leave and he'd promised me that he'd never leave me behind again but he had to go back home soon, he had to go back to his old life before I caused so much trouble. At least this time I knew where he would be and I knew that he had wonderful people like these to take care of him.

"Thank you so much, for everything you've done," I wrote to the boys, Matt read it aloud.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, thank you for looking after Zacky and keeping him alive when he was just a lonely fifteen year old boy with no home and no money. Thank you for bringing him home, even if it was for a brief time. You've no idea how much I owe you for that," I wrote. As Matt read it out the expressions on everyone's face softened and a slight smile appeared on their faces. I don't think the guys knew what to say to that.

"Beth, Zacky's our best friend and we'd die for him," Matt smiled.

"We love the dude!" Jimmy announced in a casual way as Zacky sauntered back into the room.

"Who?" he asked.

"You!"

"Cool," he shrugged. "You ready to leave?" I nodded and swung my legs over the bed. I reached for my bag but Johnny beat me to it and slung it over his shoulder.

I was happy to finally leave the hospital, but I was anxious about returning home. My mother hadn't come to see me the entire time I was in hospital and her absence didn't go unnoticed. I had woken up early one morning to hear Zacky outside my room on the phone, angrily barking insults and such down the phone.

"Where the fuck are you?" he demanded. "You're not even going to come and see your fucking daughter?" he shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Beth needs you... How dare you say that?" he paused. I could hear him sighing heavily and pacing up and down. "Listen to me, Serena, you don't have the right to call yourself a mother. Now I'm warning you, you get yourself down here before she leaves in a couple days and you tell her you love her, you act like her fucking mom, or I swear to God I'll tell her... You know damn well what I'm talking about, Serena. You took on this responsibility so you're gonna stick to your promise and be her fucking mother!" he snapped and slammed the flip phone shut. I immediately closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep as he crept into my room.

I was quiet in the car on the way home. I was nervous about what I'd come home to. Would my mother be there? Would Tony? Would they even care that I was home? I sighed and told myself to stop thinking about it before I got myself all worked up. I had just about calmed myself down when Zacky pulled up in front my house. Tony's car was there, I took that as a bad sign. Everyone else piled out of the car behind us and followed Zacky and I up the path to my house. I gave the door a swift kick and it swung open easily, proving that my mother still hadn't followed through on her promise to fix the god damn locks in the house. We walked in the house and the first thing I saw was a can of beer being thrown my way, hitting my head and covering me in the disgusting liquid.

"You fucker!" Zacky shouted and lunged for Tony, pinning him against the wall.

"It slipped! It slipped!" he protested, eyes wide with fear.

"More like you forgot that I'd be with her. Fuck, you stink!" Zacky winced. "You ever do anything like that again and I swear to god it'll be the last thing you ever do, understand?" Tony just nodded and Zacky let him drop to the floor and escape up the stairs.

The rest of the evening went undisturbed by Tony. Zacky, me and the rest of the guys spent the evening watching films and chatting away like old friends, well they'd talk and I'd write. It was like it should have been all along. I had my brother back. However the time soon came for Zacky and his friends to go back to their hotel for the night.

"I'll see you tomorrow Bethy," he promised, kissing me on the forehead.

"See ya' little V!" Jimmy shouted, walking out the door into the night. The rest of the guys followed suit, saying goodbye as they left. As soon as the door was shut, I no longer felt safe. I soon realised that the only time I'd ever feel safe in my own house was if Zacky was with me. I paused at the front door, listening to the silence in the house before deeming it safe to escape to my room. I ran for the stairs and made it to the top, only to be kicked back down again. Tony's steel-toed Doc Martins came thundering down the stairs after me.

"You little bitch," he spat at me, kicking me in the stomach, hard. "You set your fucking brother on me!" he kicked me again, over and over. "You're not so tough without him now, are you? Hm? Are you!" he yelled at me as he took a shot to my face. I heard a loud crack and felt agony throughout my face, the bastard had broken my nose. I tried to pull my phone out of my pocket, but he stamped down on my arm, forcing a blood-curdling scream to erupt from my throat. The phone went flying across the floor and I attempted to crawl after it, but he grabbed my hair and yanked me backwards.

"You're not getting away that easy, you little whore!" he shoved my head against the wall, making my vision blurry. I could feel blood pouring down the side of my face and gushing from my nose. I could hear the asshole breathing heavily and he briefly let go of me, but long enough for me to scramble for my phone and speed dial Zacky's number.

"Bethy?" I could hear faintly from the other end of the phone, but Tony grabbed me again and planted his foot on my back and stomped down hard.

"So what you gonna do, huh? Without the big bad brother here?" he sneered and punched me in the stomach, winding me. "You little fucking whore!" he furiously yelled at me, kicking me in the stomach over and over. Tears cascaded down my cheeks and painful sobs erupted from my throat. I really thought that was it. I didn't have much more strength left to hold onto. But, just as I was about to give in Zacky and the boys came bursting through the door and headed straight for Tony. He was shocked to say the least, but he didn't have much time to wonder what had happened because Zacky's fist soon collided with his jaw.

"I fucking warned you! You piece of worthless shit!" he screamed at Tony. "No one fucking touches my sister!" he began throwing punch after punch at the Tony, who's only weak defence was covering his face with his arms. The rest of the guys piled in and Tony attempted to run when he saw Matt's angry face and his giant fist coming his way. Tony scrambled for the stairs but Brian pulled him back and slammed him into the wall, causing a crack to appear in the wall and blood spilled down Tony's head.

"You fucking scumbag!" shouted Brian, taking his turn at throwing the punch as Zacky ran over to my limp body.

"Bethy? Bethy are you awake? Please tell me you're ok," he pleaded, my eyes were open and staring at his pain filled expression. I opened my mouth to try and speak, but no words came out. It was a struggle just to breath, so there was no way I could speak. I looked past Zacky and saw Matt pummelling into a screaming Tony.

"Guess what, you little fucker. You touch her and you deal with us," he growled at Tony. Tony was a mess, there was blood everywhere and his nose was severely broken. Matt spat down at him and turned back to me, the rest of the men taking their shots at the scum of the earth.

"Is she alright?" he asked, worriedly. I couldn't see myself, but I could feel all the blood caking my face and the broken bones all over my body, so I knew that I wasn't a pretty sight.

"I don't know, we've got to get her to a hospital," Zack said, slipping his arms under my limp body and lifting me up, making me scream as the pain shot through my entire body.

"Get her in the car, we'll finish up here," Matt growled and turned back to the three other guys beating on Tony. "Jimmy, go with Zacky! Your mad driving will get them to the hospital quicker,"

"Yep!" Jimmy jumped up and darted out the door after me and Zacky. With all the pain and the fear, I couldn't stop myself from balling like a baby until I passed out.

-

The all too familiar sound of the heart monitor beeping brought me back into consciousness. The first sight I saw was of all five men standing around me with looks of fear and worry written across their faces.

"She's waking up," Brian whispered.

"How're you feeling, Bethy?" Zacky asked, stroking my hair. My throat made a gargling sound, but still no words formed.

"I promise you that you don't have to worry about that asshole ever again," Matt promised me. I didn't know what they'd done to him, but what ever it was I was severely grateful. As I looked around at them all leaning over me with worry and I recalled how they stood up for me last night, I couldn't help but feel an immense sense of love wash over me. I realised then that I didn't just have my brother back but I had five brothers. Five brothers who wouldn't let anyone touch me ever again. After that thought, I finally managed to splutter out a sentence.

"I love you all,"