Stand Up

Lizzie's PoV

I groaned and rolled over on the pull out couch I was sleeping on, falling over the edge.

"Finally awake I see." Leah laughed from the kitchen.

"Ha. Ha." I said annoyed as I got up from the floor and walked to where Leah was. "What are you making?" I asked smelling the food.

"Pancakes and bacon." She said and I gave her a look. " What? I was feeling nostalgic." I laughed. Before I lived with my mom I lived with my grandmother in a small town. We lived in an apartment complex and Leah's nan lived up the hill from me. Every time Leah was at her nans she had pancakes and bacon. I smiled at the thought.
Things were different back then.

"How many pancakes do you want?" Leah asked tearing me from my thoughts.

"Just one." I said and she sighed, placing 2 on my plate. Along with a hand full of bacon.

"I swear to god Elizabeth, if you do not eat every last crumb on that plate we will not go to Warped Tour tomorrow." She threatened. I groaned.

"What are you my mother?"

"Just eat." She demanded. I sighed and unlocked my phone. I had about 20 messages from twitter, 3 from my sister, and 1 from my mother. I sighed and read the one from the 'queen' first.

Mak shur 2 b home tonite. I ned ur help with somthing.

I groaned at her horrible texting skills.

"Your mom?" Leah asked when I put my head on the table. I nodded my head.

"Why do you even live with her. You are 19 years old. Going to be 20. You finished high school and got a full annual scholarship to an ivy league school. And you turned it down. You always said when we ere kids you'd do anything to get out of this state. So why the hell are you still here? Why stay with the one woman who you truly hate on this planet?" She lectured me. I had heard this rant a million times, and as much as I agreed with her, I never left.

"I can't. As much as I want to. I'm trapped." I said in a small voice. Leah sighed.

"How about we go shopping. We need something to wear to Warped tomorrow." She asked me and I nodded my head. I stood up.

"Just let me change." I told her and she nodded. I went to my the wardrobe Leah and I had built for when I stayed overnight here. I grabbed some ripped jeans and a black sweater with a white outline of winnie the pooh on it. I went into her bathroom, changed quickly, brushed through my hair, and applied makeup. I grabbed some sunglasses out of my bag and looked toward Leah. She had changed also, and was wearing some shorts with spandex underneath since they had rips, and a blue shirt. "Ready?" I asked, she nodded and we left her apartment and headed for 3rd street promenade.

We were about half way to Santa Monica when I told Leah to plug in my phone and play the new playlist I had made the previous night. We both smiled when we heard Andy Biersack's voice come through the speakers of my car. The car ride was quiet, neither of us spoke. Just listened to the music.

-Time Skip, I don't think you want to read what shopping is like. It's not that interesting.-

I dropped Leah off at her apartment and headed home. I sat in my car outside my apartment thinking back to what Leah had said.

"If you aren't going to leave the city, or go to college, at least leave your mom. She messes with you head too much. Just come stay with me, you practically do anyway."

As much as I wanted to accept her offer, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Like I had said earlier. I'm trapped. I sighed and got out of my car, locking it and walking inside.

"Mum? Where are you?" I yelled. No answer. Whatever. I thought to myself and brought the shopping bags I had to my room. I had gotten the perfect outfit for tomorrow. I couldn't wait. All I was hoping for was that nothing would bring me down from my happiness high. That was when I heard the door slam shut.

"Elizabeth Lee Glenn! Get your ass out here!" I heard a slurred voice yell. Of course. I thought, She is drunk. There goes my night.

"Yes?" I asked.

"You're coming out with me tomorrow. Bruce has a son your age. And I want you two to become close. Don't fuck this up." She said and wobbled to her bedroom. I followed.

"Listen. I can't tomorrow. I have plans. Bring Alexis." I told her.

"I already asked her. Plus she has her life figured out. While all you do is sit on your ass. Forget your plans. You are coming with me." She demanded. And here is the mental abuse. I thought.

"I am not forgetting about my plans. I am actually looking forward to something. And for once, you aren't going to ruin it. Have fun. Good night." I yelled at her as I went to my room and grabbed my shopping bags, purse, and whatever else I would need tomorrow. "I'm leaving." I said, almost out the door, but she grabbed my wrist. She was always mean and rough, but it got 200% worse when she was drunk.

"No you aren't." She slurred. Tightening her grip. She just had to grab that wrist. I thought, wincing at the pain from cuts from a few days ago. I had gone deeper than I meant to.

"Damn it Mary! I'm leaving and unless you let me go right now, I'm never coming back!" I yelled. Tears in my eyes. Her grip kept getting tighter and tighter. It finally loosened. She let go, but only to slap my cheek hard with the back of her hand. I stumbled back from the force. I thought she was about to say something, but she didn't. She just walked back into her room. Slurring about something.

Tears finally fell from the brim of my eyes, everything I'd done for her, and this is what she does. I leave, slamming the door behind me. I got in my car and drove. Not surprised when I found myself at Leah's. I knocked. When she opened the door she gasped at the sight of me. I was still crying. My cheek was bright red, and my left wrist was bleeding.

"Get in here!" She said. I obeyed, and we sat down on the couch. "What the fuck happened to you?" She said quietly. So I told her the events of the night. She was shocked. She knew it was bad, but she never knew it was this bad. "What about your wrist? When did you start doing that?" She asked. I was quiet for a second.

"Seventh grade. I had scars on my stomach and thighs too." I said quietly. She was silent.

"You aren't going back there." She told me. " You are staying with me. And tomorrow we will go to Warped Tour. We will have fun. You will meet your favourite bands, and you know what? You never have to see that bitch again." She assured me. I nodded my head, knowing that I would end up going back anyway. I always did. "Now go to sleep." She told me as she went to her room.

It took forever to finally fall asleep. I put my headphones in my ears and put on Black Veil Brides. I fell asleep sometime during Knives and Pens.

When I woke up, I still had tears in my eyes.