Schrei So Laut Du Kannst

I put my phone on vibrate and sat on a couch. Gustav smiled and handed me a soda. Bill and Georg were digging through the fridge, and Tom was tuning a guitar.

"What's wrong, Katy?"

:"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Please quit. You're scaring me."

"Oh, mein gott. Did Gustav just make a funny?"

"It's not so rare, you know."

"Ah, but methinks it is."

"Come on, guys. Practice, remember?"

Bill rolled his eyes at Tom and stood behind a microphone. Everyone else took their places; they began playing a song I immediately recognised as "Durch Den Monsun." They had played it for me before, and it had quickly become my favourite song of theirs.

"Congratulations, by the way," I announced when they finished their performance.

"Danke."

"Katy, your phone is going off."

I recognised the number that flashed on the screen. "Scheiße."

"Was?"

"It's my house."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Hello?"

"Katelyn Louise Michaels, where in the world are you?"

"Hi, Mom. Does it even matter?"

"Yes. You are my daughter. Now tell me so we can come get you."

"I'm not coming back."

"Like Hell you're not. What were you thinking, running off like that?"

"I was thinking I'm tired of all the abuse. I'm tired of having to lie. I'm tired of being Jerrod's rag-fucking-doll."

"He is your father."

"No, he's not. He's a warden. But I'm happy now. I'm safe and I couldn't be less scared. I'm staying here."

"Where is here?"

"Like I told Erin, it's a place Dad can't touch me. I've gotta go. I'll call you later."

I hung up before she could reply, and Tom stared at me. A smile, though it was small, covered my lips, but he saw right through it.

"Georg, werden wir zu sprechen in Ihrem Schlafzimmer."

He grabbed my hand and led me up to the ground level. Georg's room was messy, and his bed had yet to be made. I stood in the doorway as Tom pushed clothes off the computer chair.

"Katy? Please talk to me."

"About what?"

"How you're feeling. You're upset, but you pretend you're not."

"Because I'll be fine. I promise. I just...it was hard, hearing my mom's voice again after four months, especially since the last time I heard it, she was screaming at my dad to stop beating me."

"Oh. It has to be hard."

"It is."

"We're always here for you, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"Tom! Katy! Time to go home."

"Tom?"

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "Hmm?"

"Danke," I whispered before kissing him fully on the lips.