Chapter 6

Yelenas pov:
I go to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep once i escape wandas excited ramble about love. I do not have a crush. Slight attraction at most. I lay in bed and despite my overwhelming tiredness i cant sleep. All i can think about is her, in that house with him. What if somehing bad happens? What if i dont get to talk to her again? I eventually fall asleep but thats when i start dreaming. Im being held back by invisible hands as a mystery guy, covered in shadows hovers above an unconscious yn. I scream and kick, desperately trying to help her. I see peter watching. No not watching. Hes dead. I spot the knife plunged in his stomach and see the lifelessness in his eyes. The mystery figure turns to me and somehow smiles before holding a gun to yns head. But when he pulls the trigger i burst awake, sweating and on the verge of throwing up. I run to the toilet and vomit, when nat comes in and sits beside me, holding back my hair. She gives me a concerned look as she speaks, “Whats wrong?” I take a moment before speaking “i had a nightmare.” Her concern grows. “About what? What could possibky make you throw up?” I dont answer. Im too embarassed. “Why are you up?” I see her visible frustration with my question, knowing theres a reason im avoiding hers. “Its 8:30am, i just came back from my run. Now whats wrong?” I dont answer and move to brush my teeth. “You cant avoid the question” i pretend to answer the question while brushing my teeth which sounds like a bunch of jargon. “You know i cant understand you.” Yeah thats the point. I shrug my shoulders and when im done brushing my teeth i look at her and finally speak. “If you didnt hear me, thats on you, im not repeating myself” i supress a grin and she folds her arms. “What happened to you? When i first found you after the redroom, you were chatty and fun. Now youre just quiet and lifeless.” “Wow thanks tasha, way to cheer me up.” She tilts her head and sighs. “I just mean that yesterday, when you were with yn, you seemed better. Happy. You. Now youre just closed off again.” Shes right. Yn reminded me of who i was and it messed me up from my cool, i dont care attitude. I dont mean to be this way, i just dont feel comfortabke around these people, even tasha sometimes. I give in and decide to try “the nightmare, it was about yn and peter in that house with their dad. Peter was dead and her dad was this silhouette who was going to kill her.” She laughs for a moment and im caught completely off guard. This doesnt seem funny to me. Yn would probably laugh though, tell me ive gone soft and that she can hold her own. “You care. You havent stopped thinking about her have you?” “How is that funny?” “Its not funny, but its unexpected. You never care about anyone. Im not even sure you care about me that much.” “I just dont show it. Im not intentionally showing it for her, i just cant help it. What do i do?” She laughs and my cheeks go red with embarassment. “Okay stop making fun of me and help.” “Im not making fun of you. Its sweet. Just go to her house, make  her listen to you, and invite her out somewhere. Be her friend first.” I think about it, deciding if its creepy or not. It definitely is, but we spent 4 hours together and then she just lied and left. “I dont even know where she lives.” “Tony can help you.” Tony can absolutely not help me. He doesnt like me, but im willing to try anything just to see her again. I guess im going to lose a little of whats left of my dignity and ask him anyway. 

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Yns pov:
We walk into the dirty apartment and i get deja vu, remembering how that went the last time. Me and peter split up, searching the apartment. Hes been really quiet and i feel terrible for going off on him like that, but he needs to face the reality that this is our life. Once we realise that our father isnt here, we finally talk. Really talk. Peter starts, “why cant we tell them?” “You wont understand.” He folds his arms “you know what, youre right, i dont understand. How can you let him do this to us and defend him?!” I shake my head but he sighs and turns away. He wont forgive me for keeping this secret. He will lose his mind, maybe even kill our father, if you can call him that. “You dont want to know what he can do. What he has done.” He just lets out an annoyed huff, not even looking at me. Ive already lost everything because of my father. I dont want to lose pete too. But i dont want to shatter his whole world either. I feel stuck. Like if my legs even wobble underneath this crushing weight, then the world will disintergrate. “You wouldnt forgive me if i told you.” That gets his attention. He slowly turns his head and furrows his eyebrows. “Why? What happened?” I feel a lump grow in my throat and tears fill my eyes. He doesnt say anything just comes over and hugs me as i cry. Eventually, once ive stopped crying, he breaks the uncomfortable silence. “You dont have to tell me. You obviously have your reasons.”

We ended up going to sleep to keep what little peace we had left before my father returns. I barely sleep, thinking about my lies. I was so stupid. I didnt want to lie to her. I just wanted to keep us safe. No one will belive us. Its 2am when i hear the front door justle open. Hes here. I had hoped to have a few more hours. I know his first move will be to get revenge on peter. Dread fills my stomach as i realise what i have to do. I move towards my bedroom door and when i slowly open the door a loud creak sounds and i hear stomping come towards my room. He forces the door open, nearly hitting me and i jump back. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!” I feel my heart thrumming in my ears. This feels wrong. Hes never been this angry whilst sober. We went too far. “ANSWER ME!” I cant speak as i look at his enraged eyes. He grabs my shirt and shoves me against the wall, digging his bony fists into my collar bones. “YOU COULDVE KILLED ME!” He screams so loud my head starts to hurt. “Im sorry, he just wanted you to stop, i shouldve stopped him.” He plunges his fist into my stomach, making me double over, clutching my abdomen.
He takes a bat that i have from when i was younger and hits me in the back, making me drop to the floor. He then kicks me again and and again in the stomach before getting bored and walking away. Pain spreads through my body and i dont think about moving. Theres a slight calm between being hit and having to get up and carry on, its like the whole world stops, like you get a break from this pressure thats almost always there. Pressure to protect your family and to be better. Theres never time to think about yourself outside of that one moment when the world stops. A few minutes later i see my door somehow quietly inch open and peter scurry in. He keeps his distance, not wanting to cause problems or make anyone angry. Hes like that. He’ll lose his shit every now and then but mostly he just avoids conflict. Not me. I hate my father and i always choose the difficult way. Peter finally speaks, “Im sorry. I didnt think about the aftermath. Why didnt you just let him get me?” Because youre my only family and i swore to protect you when our mother was killed. “Because your still a child, you dont deserve it.” I move to lean against my old, rickety bed frame. “Im old enough to know that no one deserves that.” Yeah no shit. Im gonna have bruises everywhere. Guess im stuck wearing jumpers and baggy jeans for a while. “Just go to bed, get some sleep. Ill be fine.” He looks at me unsure. “Go.” He hesitantly leaves and i let out a painful sigh as it all starts to get to me. Tears fill my eyes again and i bring my knees to my chest hiding my face in my knees. I just want to leave this place.

The next morning i wait for my father to leave for work before i make a pitiful attempt of getting out of bed. When i finally get up, im pale and weak, its taken everything out of me. I look at my partially broken mirror as i get changed and see black and purple bruises starting to form all over my back and stomach. I quickly finish getting ready for the painful day ahead of me. I hear the bell ring and let out a tired groan as i slowly move off the sofa. Petes already at school and i took the day off of work. I slowly drag myself towards the door and check through the peep hole. My heart stutters. Its her. With the beautiful blonde hair and the funny jokes. I cant. I cant let her see me this ill, she’ll kniw somethings wrong. “Hey yn, i know youre in there. I just want to talk.” She speaks through the door and i start to panic slightly. “I only need 5 minutes and then ill leave.” What does she want? Why is she here? How did she find out where i live? My curiosity gets the best of me and i slowly unlock the door.