When They Cried (5)

Chapter 5- Save Me or Love Me?

"Train!" Nathanial cheered. Lucas was nodding off in his car seat. He was tired from such a long drive to our new house.

We were moving for fifth time. Driving in that old car. Me just holding my legs praying. Lucas leaned his head back in his seat and fell asleep. Ryan was holding the steering wheel so hard.

"Yeah, buddy!" My mother chuckled laughed. "A train."

"A train that go around the track!" Nathanial sung loud upsetting Ryan. "Train! Trains!"

"Would you just shut up already!" Ryan screamed at Nathanial. Nathanial flinched in his seat holding his ears and rocking back and forth.

My mother sat back and bit her nails. I looked at her. My mouth opened to tell her to tell Nathanial he did nothing wrong but my voice was stuck somewhere inside me. Tears fell down my face. I remember that house. The house of hell. I remember my mother and my brothers were asleep when his shirtless body and his bare feet against the wooden floor as he stood on my doorway. Just inching and inching. I want to scream but I can't. His feet are coming closer and oh just those fingers going to--

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June screamed the most ear piercing scream ever heard. It was just a nightmare. Ryan, Audrey, Lucas and Nathanial bolted into the room all at once. June was crying as she realized she wet her own bed. It made her shiver. Was she that afraid of him?

"What happened to you?" Audrey felt her daughter's head. "You have a fever or something?"

"No." June gulped. "I am sorry I woke you all up. You can go back to bed now."

Audrey hesitated at first but she took her sons back to their beds. Ryan, however, stood in the doorway. He looked at her and smiled. June smiled back but it wasn't a happy smile. A scared little girl smile. She bit her bottom lip.

"I'll change the bed sheets while you go clean yourself up." Ryan made his way towards the bed.

June jumped out from the bed quickly and closed the bathroom door locking it behind her. She showered up and dressed in new pajamas. When she returned to her room, the stench of pee was gone and her sheets were dry and clean. She didn't want to walk in but that's when she felt a tap. She jumped.

"June?" Lucas stood there looking up. "Don't be scared. He won't hurt you. I promise not to let him."

Nathanial was holding Jeremiah is his arms. "He won't stop crying. I don't know what his problem is. I guess he wants you."

June picked up her little brother and rocked him to sleep. He probably had a nightmare too and wasn't able to run to June.

"H-he made you s-sc-scream." Jeremiah whispered, he was sucking his thumb silently in the dark as June paced back and forth for him.

"Why are you buggers out of bed?" Ryan turned the kitchen light on. He took a long swing of his beer.

"We want to sleep with June tonight." Lucas held onto June's thighs. He knew his daddy would object but he could dream, couldn't he?

"Boys aren't supposed to share the same bed with girls. Not unless you are having relations with her." Ryan took another gulp of his warm beer.

"Yes but you and mommy share a bed." Lucas defended. June picked him up and he cuddled close to him.

"That's because I love your mother." Ryan wiped his mouth and eyed June with a smile. "And I love June too. Don't I do, June?"

"You just want to hurt her! You do nasty stuff to June!" Nathanial was angry now. He was going protect himself.

"You are nothing but a piece of trash. Your daddy was the one hurting her." Ryan spat at Nathanial. "He was to be teaching her how to be a lady. Not buying her stuff and pampering her. Some rich wise ass of a man!"

"You are just a child molester!" Nathanial accused sharply at Ryan. "My teacher told me about people like you."

Ryan slapped Nathanial's face. Nathanial didn't even cry or flinch. He kicked Ryan in a very not nice place. Ryan was in pain but he got striking anger as he bent up.

"You little bastard!" Nathanial ran into his room locking the door behind him. "You better open this door you little shit. I am not playing. Take it like a man since you think you are so bold and manly."

"Go to hell!" Nathanial cried out from behind the closed door.

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"What is the square root of one hundred and forty four?" Mr. Catcher asked writing it down on the board.

June had been so sleepy. She wasn't really paying attention to the today's lesson. She spent the entire night listening to Ryan going mad over little Nathanial's conduct. Nathanial never did open that damn door. Jeremiah cried the entire night clutching onto June for protection. Audrey had to excused them from school so they could sleep in. June couldn't miss school. She needed the attendance and the grades for college two years from now. Tristan was playing with her hair in the desk behind her. He had become very protective and friendly over June these past few days.

"Twelve." June said raising her hand.

"Thank you, Ms. Macashire. You look tired." Mr. Catcher noted. "Got bags under your eyes."

"Yeah rough night." June shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, I shall excuse you just for today. Your class work mark is the highest in the class." Mr. Catcher turned back to the board. "I would suggest some of you step up the game. And quickly too."

After class, June lazily packed her stuff up. Her head was pounding and her stomach growled. She had forgotten to pack lunch for herself. Tristan was waiting by the door for her. Lunch was next. He would probably offer her lunch but she didn't think she would want it as much as her stomach growled at her.

"Rough night?" Tristan asked looking down at June. "That's the lamest excuse ever heard. What was so rough about last night?"

"Just some things that should have been forgotten a long time ago." June claimed softly shivering. She felt cold and her eyes were brimming up with moisture.

"June, are you okay? I mean you seem like you are upset about something." Tristan stood in front her trying to make her stop.

"He won't leave!" June cried sliding to the floor. Her tears were just falling helplessly now. "He just won't leave me alone! He keeps haunting me. He keeps coming back. I want him to leave. I want her to leave him. I don't get it. I remember it everyday."

"Aw, June." Tristan hugged her. "You got to tell someone. It's no use holding it in."

"I don't want to get him in trouble. I just want him to leave me alone." June said leaning her head against Tristan's chest sobbing.

"Tell me. I won't judge." Tristan softly stroking her hair.

"I don't know how old I was. I guess I was pretty young. When Lucas and Nathanial were around. It was the first time we moved to that house. We only rented it for a few weeks because it cost a lot of money to stay in. We couldn't officially buy it. We all had our rooms. I use to be afraid of the dark. I use to leave my bedroom door open when I went to sleep. I remember I had a cold and my mother gave me so water to drink before she kissed me goodnight. She left. I don't know where she went. She said she was going to get me some medicine. But it seem weird because it took her like an hour to get it. When she left, he came home. He was angry because he lost his job." June was trembling in his arms now. "He took a shower and stood in my doorway with bare cold feet hitting the wooden floor. It was like a squashy noise. At first I liked him. A whole lot at the time because he was cute and he smelled nice but that night he looked scary in the dark. He closed the door and I wanted to scream but I couldn't. Nothing wanted to come out."

"I fear the worst." Tristan kissed her forehead. June took a deep breath and continued. She seemed to relax a bit. She could trust him.

"He said I was pretty. He said a lot of nice things but they meant nothing to me. His hairy chest heaving in and out. He didn't exactly do it to me. He just used his fingers that night. Oh how it hurt and how I cried. He said I would like it. But I didn't." June let go and stood up. She wiped her face. "He did it for two years. Just his nasty fingers. Sometimes in public places like in the park when I rode the swing. He stopped after that. I never told my dear mother the truth for all my tears or my bruises that I covered so well."

"June, I am sure your mother loves you with all her heart. What Ryan did to you was child abuse." Tristan frowned. "But I still like you no matter what. Now how does it fell to let it out?"

"Yes it feels much better but there is nothing no one can do." June walked away and shivered more.

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked putting an arm around her comfortingly and warmly.

"They'll just separate us. They don't care. I can't afford a lawyer to keep my brothers. None of that can happen and I am tired of dreaming for better days." June shrugged.

"Don't worry. One day, we'll fix this." Tristan kissed her cheek. If only his father were understanding as he. Then maybe June wouldn't be crying every night as her brothers clutched to her sweaty body.

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"I saw Tristan kissing June in the hallway." Quinn giggled as she told Paula and Emma as they were eating at lunch the juicy news.

"She would treat him so better." Emma smacked her lips and smiled. "Its crazy but true. Layla can be a bitch to him. Bossing him around and making him do things for her like a slave . Plus I think Milton has gotten a fancy for her anyway."

"My brother?" Paula shook her head and laughed. "He would want her to be honest. But its possible since you know he goes for the bossy stuck up girls in this school."

"Hmm. I would love to have Tristan as my boyfriend. He must be like an awesome kisser." Quinn smiled imaging it all. "We should try to get them together."

"How? He is dating Layla remember?" Emma asked eyeing Quinn with curious eyes.

"Billie!" Quinn called the boy that was sitting behind her. "Come here for a sec."

"Sure." Billie is this little shrimp Junior. He has long hair tucked under his Phillies hat and dark green eyes that look sweet. "What's the service, Quinn baby?"

"I dare you to pledge your love to Layla during her class time." Quinn smiled. Billie stroked his imaginary beard and nodded.

"Sounds like a fair deal. What do I get in return?" Billie asked.

"A kiss." Quinn batted her eyelashes and winked. Billie choked on his milk.

"Oh boy!" Billie stood up and ran to Layla's History class.

"How is that going to get them together?" Paula said shocked as ever. "Slut by the way."

"Haha! Not funny." Quinn flipped her hair back, crossed her legs and leaned forward. Her glossy lips sparkled as she said "I think the bitch deserves what is coming to her. After that, we will think of a plan."

"She is our friend." Paula stated sadly. Was Layla ever truly their friend?

"Do you know what she said about you guys right?" Quinn pulled out her phone and played the video she took of Layla yesterday afternoon.

"Have you see Paula? Ugly as ever. I hear Tyler liked her but I told him not to waste his time. I set him up with Crystal." Layla combing her hair as she spoke to Quinn complaining. "Emma is worse. A slut. Particularly did every boy in our school. Does this hairdo look nice on me?"

"Hmm, if that Billie don't do good enough, I am allowed to bash her face in!" Emma crossed her arms across her chest.

"Wow, she knew how much I liked Tyler and that is what she does to me!" Paula frowned and pounded the table.

"I thought she was our friend." Paula shook her head. "all those times we skipped class for her? It was all a big joke. Lets go find June and Tristan. We can make them a happy couple!"