Saviour

“This is Lizzie, my girlfriend.” I said looking up at my parents.

Both of them looked at Lizzie and smiled.

“Hey, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lizzie smiled nervously.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and gave her a reassuring smile.

“You too, Sweetie.” Mom smiled. “I’m Amy, and this is Chris, but he’ll refuse to answer you unless you call him Brock.” Mom laughed.

Lizzie giggled along with her and nodded in my Dad’s direction.

We all stayed silent for a while, Lizzie looked at the menu to see what she wanted before closing it and placing it back in its holder on the table and turned to Hayley and they both started talking quietly. I sat staring at the table, lost in my own little world, that I didn’t realise the waitress had approached us until I felt someone nudge me. I jumped and looked around.

“Huh? What? Sorry.” I said, sitting up straight and coughing nervously.

“What would you like to order, sir?” The waitress asked.

I gave her my order and watched her write it down, before she walked off, and I turned back to look at everyone, to see them all smirking.

“What?” I questioned raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing.” Hayley giggled.

“No, tell me.”

Hayley shook her head, no and continued giggling. I looked at Lizzie to see if she would give me an answer as to what’s going on, but she just shrugged. I sighed and looked over at Mom and Dad to see if they would answer.

“Someone just fucking tell me.” I groaned, getting frustrated.

“We just find it highly amusing that she stood there trying to get your attention for around 3 minutes. You had completely zoned out.” Dad chuckled.

“Why is that so funny?” I asked, confused.

“I’m not sure. I think it’s because we were all calling your name and you just completely ignored us.”

“Sorry.” I muttered.

“What were you thinking about, Andy?” Mom asked.

I looked at her and shrugged.

“Nothing.”

Truth be told, I was thinking about how, me and the rest of the band head over to Europe for about a month in a few weeks’ time, and it’ll be the first time I’ve performed since my Grandpa passed away. I wanted to think of a way of letting him see that I was going to continue this band, for his sake, how I was going to dedicate the shows to him. It’s tough, because he played a huge part in my life, every time I’d come home from tour, he’d have a chat with me, encourage me to go further with my dreams, and now I don’t have that. I might I know I get it from my parents, but there was always something special about it coming from my Grandpa.

**

We had finished lunch; we all stood up and made our way out, after paying. As we neared the car park, I stopped and turned to Lizzie and Hayley.

“What are you both planning on doing now?” I asked.

“Go home and sleep after a stressful day at work.” Lizzie complained, leaning on me.

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her to keep her up, before looking at Hayley and waiting for her to reply.

“I’m off to Ellie’s. She’s got this project the school have given her to do, and her partner as dumped all the work on her, so I volunteered to help.”

“Well I can drop you off, if you want.”

Hayley looked at me and shrugged.

“I dunno, Andy. If you don’t need to go round that area then there is no need to drive me there. I’m okay with walking.”

“Don’t be silly. We’ll take you there.” I smiled.

She sighed and nodded. I looked at my parents and made sure it was okay with them and they were fine.

We made our way to my car and all got in. Lizzie, Hayley and my Mom decided to sit in the back, while Dad rode in the front with me. Lizzie was sat in the seat behind me, Hayley was in the middle and Mom was behind Dad.

I started the car, and made my way out of the car park and let Hayley tell me the directions to Ellie’s house. We eventually made it, and I pulled up outside the house. I rolled the window down so I could have a smoke as Lizzie got out letting Hayley out. They shut the door, and Lizzie, leant in the open window.

“I’m just going to go and say hi quickly.” She smiled.

I nodded and gave her a quick peck on the lips and lit my cigarette.

We sat in silence in the car, watching the three girls chat and laugh, when I noticed a man who lived a few door down from Ellie’s, come storming out and over to the girls. Hayley and Lizzie looked around, and both their eyes widens. I undid my seat belt, ready for if I needed to jump out, and I heard my Dad do the same.

“What did I warn you not to do last time?” The man shouted at Lizzie.

I looked at Lizzie and saw her trying to look away from him as Hayley spoke to him. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, she was shouting like he was, but she sure as hell didn’t look happy. I looked over at my Dad to see him getting ready to jump out of the car, and my Mom looked like she was about to do the same.

When I looked back over at them, I saw him gripping Lizzie’s arm, squeezing it, while pointing at her. At that point I jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind me, and made my way over to them. The man didn’t turn round to look and see what was going on, but Lizzie saw me and her eyes widened.

“Sir.” I stated. He completely ignored me. “Sir!” I shouted.

This time he looked round at me, and gave me a questioning look.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked when I stood face to face with him.

“None of your goddamn business.” He growled, turning back to Lizzie.

“I think you’ll find it is.” I said, moving over to Lizzie. “You see, this is my girlfriend you’re hurting right here. So I suggest you back the fuck off, before I give you a taste of your own fucking medicine.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to say something, when he busts out laughing.

“Girlfriend?” He laughed. “Well top this, she’s my daughter and I can do whatever the fuck I want.” He said, grabbing hold of Lizzie.

“I don’t think so.” I said, moving Lizzie behind me.

Just then my Mom and Dad jumped out of the car, Mom came rushing over, grabbing hold of Lizzie and pulling her into a hug, while Dad came and stood by me.

“Aw, does little emo boy need help by his Daddy to stick up for his little freak of a girlfriend?”
I growled before going after him, only to have my Dad hold me back.

“Andy, he’s not worth it.” Dad said harshly.

“Yes he fucking is.” I growled. “I know what this fucker has done, I’ve seen the cuts and bruises. Don’t worry, Lizzie has told me everything you’ve done to her, and it makes me fucking sick.” I spat.

“How fucking dare you treat such a wonderful young girl like that. She’s your fucking daughter, show some fucking respect.”

Dad still kept his hold on me and I stared at Lizzie’s Dad. He looked at me then at Lizzie before storming over to her, ripping her out of my Mom’s grasp and hit her.

“I fucking told you not to tell anyone. You’re my daughter and you’re meant to do as I say.”

“You’re not my Dad.” Lizzie spat, trying to get out of her Dad’s grip. “You never were. As for doing what you say? Well that’s gone out the fucking window. I’m 19 and I don’t live with you anymore. I don’t have to do a single thing you say.” Lizzie cried.

I could see the pain in her eyes as his grip tightened around her wrist.

“Let go.” She cried pulling away, only for his hold to tighten even more. “You’re hurting me.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, I forced myself out of my Dads grip and pulled Lizzie’s Dad off her before punching him.

“You lay another finger on her again, and you’ll be dead.” I said through clenched teeth.

I turned to my Mom and asked her to take Lizzie back to the car before turning round to my Dad to see him now shouting at the man who claims to be Lizzie’s Father. I looked over to the front door and saw both Hayley and Ellie stood there staring at us wide eyed.

I sighed and made my way over to them.

“Andy, you shouldn’t have done that.” Ellie whispered.

“I really couldn’t give a fuck. He needs a taste of the pain he has caused her.”

“Andy, I’m serious.” Ellie said. “He’ll try as hard as possible to get you now. You haven’t heard how angry he gets.”

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“You knew about all this?” I asked.

“Kind of.” She shrugged. “I’ve heard a man screaming at someone and a girl screaming beginning him to stop a few times. I just couldn’t figure out who or where it was coming from.”

She looked down at the ground before looking back up, and I saw the tears in her eyes.
“I now feel really bad, because I could of tried stopping it, but I didn’t I just let it happen.” Ellie cried.

I looked at Hayley and told her to get Ellie inside and calm her down and walked over to my Dad and we made our way back to the car. When I got in my seat, I turned round and looked at Lizzie curled up to my Moms side crying. It broke my heart seeing her like this. I sighed and started the car before making my way back home, taking Lizzie with us.

**

As soon as we got home, Mom rushed Lizzie upstairs to the bathroom to clean up the cut on her cheek, and bandage her wrist up.

I went into the kitchen, grabbed myself a drink, before turning round and seeing my Dad stood there watching me. I looked at him, knowing he was going to say something.

“What you did back there made me so proud, Andy.” Dad smiled, walking over and giving me a hug.

I pulled away and nodded.

“I wasn’t going to let him get away with it again.” I sighed. “Plus it reminded me of when I first saw her.” I said looking down.

“What do you mean?”

“Some fucker was about to attack her at our show the other month, but I managed to stop it before things got too bad, I mean he still hit her, but it could have been worse.”

My Dad stayed silent, almost as if he was thinking.

“Keep it up son. Don’t just give up helping her one day.” He said. “You mean the world to her, I can see it in the way she looks at you and the same when you look at her. I think you’re both good together. Help each other through things.”

I nodded.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” I smiled slightly.

Just as me and Dad were about to walk into the lounge, Mom came running down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Andy, I need you to go and talk to Lizzie.” She said, close to tears.

“Why? What’s happened?” I panicked.

“It’s nothing that’s happened right now, but I think she’s been y’know.” I looked at her confused, waiting for her to tell me.

“What?”

“She’s been self-harming.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

“Your room.”

Before she had the chance to say anything else I went running up the stairs, stopping just outside my bedroom door, before pushing it open slightly. I poked head round, and saw Lizzie sat on the edge of my bed, crying slightly.

“Lizzie?” I asked, stepping in completely.

She looked up and pulled her sleeve down the second she saw it was me. I gulped and made my way towards her.

“Let me see.” I said as I sat down next to her.

She looked at me confused.

“I know what you’ve done, Mom just told me.” I said.

She moved her arm towards me and turned away as if she was ashamed. I gently grabbed her arm, and pushed the sleeve up to see her arm covered in scars, some looking fresher than others. I let out the breath I didn’t realise I was holding in as I stroked one of the scars with my thumb as a tear slowly made its way down my cheek.