And so we're back to Kendall! This is still so strange to us that we're on chapter 54 when this is from chapter 12 of the original draft back when we first started to write this. We're about halfway through what we originally had in terms of story events, and even then we have a ton more planned after that. We hope you look forward to it.
Content warning: Self harm, and Tarmon gets a lot more rough with his wording and just what he says in this chapter.
Discord link: https://discord.gg/Gbh2t4UpAt
"You're going to end it like that after being together for years?"
"We only started dating a couple weeks ago," Sophie said.
"Seriously? I thought you two have been dating this entire time." I adjusted myself against the wall. "Whatever. Look, just let me rest a bit and I'll explain it. It isn't Robbie's fault. I pushed him and I deserved it."
"It's not about you deserving it or not. It's about him choosing to beat you up over being with me."
Even if I wanted to help Robbie and Sophie fix whatever happened, which I did, I was in no position to even try. So I leaned my head against the wall and just waited for Emma to get here.
That's what I wanted to happen at least. But when I heard someone come down the alleyway, I looked over and it was a guy. I tried to scoot away but I was in too much pain. Meanwhile Sophie walked up to him. "Sorry for the wait."
"It's alright. I expected to wait awhile," he said as he came closer.
+++
It's Sophie's dad. We don't know what he's like, and we're not able to fight him off. He'd be able to do whatever he wants to us.
+++
This is already a shit day. I don't need to freak out anymore.
"Sorry about this. I'm Sophie's father. We met before if you remember."
—
Him trying to talk to me at school.
—
"I do." I shot back as I shifted more to get some distance from him.
"It's alright. I used to be a doctor, and I wanted to see if you had to go to the hospital or not."
+++
He's going to touch you and give the 'I'm a doctor' excuse.
+++
He stopped where he was, but I still kept scooting away. "I'm fine."
"Can you at least tell me where you were hit? I don't want to cause you any stress, but it's important to know if there's any serious injury."
I tried moving different parts of my body. My back stabbed with pain. Same for my ribs when I put some pressure on it. "My ribs and back."
"Does it hurt to breathe?"
Taking a deep breath in, it was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt hurt.
"No."
"Is there any numbness in the lower half of your body near your toes or anywhere else or any difficulty breathing aside from the blow to your ribs?"
Wiggling my toes. Nothing. It all felt like before. "No."
"Good. Are you able to stand up?"
This was going to take some working up to. I took in a few breaths and braced myself by planting my hands on the ground.
+++
If Sophie wasn't here, then how far would he have gone?
+++
I lifted myself up and slowly worked to my feet. Sophie walked up, "Don't touch me." I demanded, making her back off as I worked my way to my feet. But I could barely stand. Both because of the pain, and because my entire body may as well have been jello.
+++
He put us in a spot where he could do anything and get away with it.
+++
Even my thoughts became monotone from how tired I was of all this.
Please. I'm at my limit so just please stop with-
+++
And Robbie would deserve to do anything he wanted to you after what you did to him for years.
+++
I knew it was pointless begging him to stop, and I didn't have the energy to argue. I just wished he wouldn't do it right this second.
+++
It's only a matter of time until someone comes along that wouldn't hesitate to kick your ass and treat you like the useless slut you are.
After all, if someone like Robbie can cripple you like this when we were prepared for a fight.
Then every single person we see can do the same.
Every.
Single.
Person.
+++
A car door sounded from outside the alleyway that sent my entire body in panic as I tensed up and put every last bit of my focus on who made that sound.
+++
Someone's going to come down here and take you away and lock you in their basement for the rest of your life.
+++
Soon after, Emma came walking down the alleyway, but that did nothing to keep my body from shaking.
She walked towards us as Sophie and her dad looked at her. "Kendall," she said as she marched past them and up to me and gave me a big hug, but I pushed her off gently because her grip was hell on my back. "What happened here? And why are you limping?" she asked as she looked down and grabbed hold of my cut and bruised hands.
"It's not what you-" I muttered as best I could.
"Are you serious right now? You got into another fight?" She looked into my soul as her worried look turned to a frighteningly scary kind of pissed.
"Please just let me-"
"No. I'm done with your excuses. I'm taking you home so get your ass in the car."
"But if I didn't-" she cut me off by grabbing my wrist to pull me with her, but Sophie got in front of her and stopped us.
"I don't know what's going on," Sophie said as she looked Emma up and down, "But after what I heard I don't like how you're looking at her."
"I don't know who you are or why you mean by that, but I'm taking Kendall home, so please move."
"Excuse me, but who would you be?" Sophie's dad said.
Emma peeked over at him, "My name's Emma. I'm her sister."
"Well your sister as far as I can tell wasn't the one that did anything wrong."
She held up my knuckles. "I know what these hands mean. She started another fight."
+++
Soon even Emma's going to give up on your useless ass. You should just lock yourself in your room for the rest of your life so you stop hurting everyone around you.
+++
I wanted to try and argue what really happened, but she wasn't going to listen to me right now and I wasn't sure I could talk…
"A fight did break out, but that's because my daughter and her boyfriend brought her to this alley and tried to corner her with two other people."
"Yeah," Sophie added on, "He just told me that we were going to talk to Kendall, but it got out of hand. And those other people he brought gave me really bad feelings. I really didn't mean for all that to happen."
"Speaking of which, I've also been wanting to personally apologize in person about what my daughter did to your sister. With sending her to the hospital."
A quick, but painful squeeze to my wrist later and she let go to cross her arms. "So you're the one that sent my sister to the hospital?"
Sophie looked so god damn small, and I didn't mean just the size difference. It was like she was visibly shrinking into her shell. "Sorry…"
Emma looked back at me for a moment as I stared forward without any emotion whatsoever. Before she turned back to Sophie. "You're just a kid, but don't ever try to hurt my sister again." She turned to her dad. "And thank you for paying for it. That really did help a lot. But what happened here?"
+++
By the way. You're a fucking idiot for bringing Sophie and Emma together.
+++
Tell me that again when I can care. You might get a reaction then.
"No need to thank me. I was partly responsible, so I wanted to right a wrong. And before I get to what happened." He turned Sophie around. "Go wait in the car. I need to speak with them alone real quick." Sophie peaked behind her to us for a moment, but walked away and out of sight. Once she was gone, he turned around to us."I'm sure Kendall wants to get out of this situation as soon as possible, but I know what PTSD episodes look like. As I told Kendall, I used to be a doctor and I've seen this time and time again. I also know that for kids like Kendall. It's almost always a problem at home. So I can't in good faith let her go without being sure that she'll be safe."
With an audible sigh from Emma, "He's in jail and she's perfectly safe. Now what happened here?"
"As long as it's safe. As for that, perhaps I should tell you alone. Kendall I think's been through enough for tonight."
"Alright," Emma said as she turned around. "Go sit in the car."
+++
He's going to tell her how we bullied Robbie and then Emma will get pissed at us and get tired of helping our useless ass.
+++
I seriously can't bring myself to care right now so you might as well give it a rest.
I started to limp away, but Tarmon appeared next to me.
+++
The first person that doesn't seem to be faking nice just because of what we've been through and actually checks to see if we're safe and you don't even give him a thanks? You're an ungrateful bitch.
+++
I stopped and turned around. "Thanks for looking out for me."
"Just trying to help," he said as I turned back around and went to turn the corner, when who do I run into but Sophie.
"I don't want you going with her unless you're safe," she said.
+++
She's treating you like some homeless animal, because that's what you are. Something to see on the side of the road and pity so she can make herself feel good. Before walking off without a care in the world. Nothing she says is real, and nothing she says is to try and help you. And that's exactly the kind of treatment you deserve.
+++
Can you please. Just give me five minutes of silence. I'll listen to whatever you want to say after. But please just five minutes is all I ask…
+++
Why do you deserve five minutes of peace?
+++
I don't know, but can I please have it? I'll do whatever you want if you give me that.
+++
No.
Once he tells Emma that you've been bullying Robbie, then she'll probably leave you here, where you'll run into someone and then they'll kidnap you and sell you to the first person willing to buy you.
+++
Staring blankly at Sophie as I gave up. "Leave me alone," I said as I walked to the car, but she kept to my side as I opened the back door of the car and looked at her. Eyelids half shut, no expression on my face and I couldn't make my voice more monotone if I tried. "Why are you following me?"
"I just want to know if it's safe for you to go with her."
"If she wasn't then I never would have called her in the first place. Are you done pretending to be nice to make yourself feel good?"
"I'm not pretending anything. I just didn't want anything messed up to happen."
"I have no clue why you're so obsessed with trying to get on my side when Robbie was practically begging for your attention the way he was looking at you. What kind of person cares more about a stupid bully more than their boyfriend? I'm the one he beat up and even I can say I deserved it. But you just up and left him like nothing. Some girlfriend you are."
I opened the door and got in, but as I was closing the door, Sophie grabbed onto it and leaned in. "Don't fucking talk to me like that," she spat, "Robbie lied to my face about why we were bringing you there. Almost pepper sprayed me along with you, and when I told him to stop he ignored me the entire time. Worse than that he basically told me he doesn't want to be with me if he couldn't beat you up. So excuse me for trying to be nice to you, fucking asshole." she slammed the door, which finally gave me some peace from her in my own little world. Of course immediately after, Tarmon appeared next to my seat.
+++
Now we get to fully focus on how fucked you are as a person without any distractions.
+++
Why are you doing this to me? You never went this hard before…
+++
Because you deserved all that back there.
You went ape shit on Robbie's 'friends.'
You may not have caused the break up yourself, but if you didn't exist then they would still be together.
Mom and Emma are going to find out you've been bullying Robbie and lying about it all this time, and they're going to disown you.
And to top it all off, you think Holly could ever like you? Holly doesn't give a shit about you! Why do you think she gave Robbie her pepper spray? She never would have done that if she liked you.
You're not going to have anything, and there's only one person to blame for it.
You.
What little life you had left is going to break apart all because of you, and inside your head it's constant freaking out.
That's why I'm doing this.
+++
I didn't stop staring forward once during his talk. When he finished, my only response was to calmly slide my hand up my arm and under my sleeve.
+++
And now you're going to claw yourself?
That won't fix anything.
+++
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and clenched down as I waited for Emma to get back.
