CHAPTER 19: letters from dad

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I woke up on a Saturday morning at around seven am. Okay, so that was boring. Anyway, I woke up, went downstairs and walked to the balcony before opening the sliding door and feeling the cool air hit my face. It had been raining the night before so there was a smell of nature. The environment around me was warm so it was a bit humid and I'm pretty sure I can feel my hair poofing up at the humidity.

Mom wasn't at home when I woke up so she was probably at work. As I walked over to the counter, I started making myself some coffee and looking through cupboards to see if there was anything I could eat. I settled for a bowl of cereal and went to the fridge to get the milk before seeing my lunch on a plate with a note on it.

Hi! This is for your lunch, dear, okay? Just heat it up when you want.

- Love Mom xxx

I smiled before getting the carton and pouring some into my bowl. Cocoa puffs are my favourite, I thought as I settled in front of the TV with my fluffy blanket and my hair in a high ponytail. Well, I guess this is what I'll be doing for a while.

I got a few calls from Nicole and even a few messages, some of which tells me how upset she is. Wow and I slept through all of that. Opening the twelve messages and thirty phone calls she left behind, I scrolled through all of them.

Nicole x: Please help me, Brielle

Nicole x: Like seriously. Nobody's awake and I need you right now.

Nicole x: Something happened with Jaxon. Please text me back.

Okay, now I feel really bad for not answering her text messages, but I was asleep. I can't just wake up the second my conscience tells me someone's in trouble and to be honest, my conscience lacks the brain cells to be able to tell me anyway.

What's wrong? :Me

Nicole x is typing...

Nicole x: If you're free right now, can you come over? I'll explain when you get here.

Sure. I'll be there soon. :Me

Nicole x: Ok, I'll see you in a minute.

Well, It looks like I won't be lying in today, I thought as I headed upstairs to my room to get ready. Nicole didn't live as far from me now so going to her house took less time. The more I thought about it, the more worried I got. What if Jaxon went cold turkey on her? If he did, then I could make him feel my wrath for hurting my best friend.

Things between them have been tense and I did tell her to talk to him about it. If something happened, it's my job to find out what before it gets any worst. God, I sound like a doctor or something.

Nicole's parents were rich people of business and they were always abroad on trips. Their house was pretty big and her parents owned a car each and a family car. Nicole wasn't stuck up or spoilt. She was a down-to-earth kind of girl, who loved everything and every moment of being a teenager.

Except for this moment.

When I got to her's she was a blubbering mess. Both her parents were away on a business trip, which explains why she's not very close to them. I looked at her with a sad look in my eyes. I really did hate seeing her like this all upset. She had red puffy eyes and red cheeks due to her crying. Her makeup was slightly smudged and she was just so down about everything. I stood in her kitchen making her a cup of tea that she can enjoy as she calmed herself down.

Suddenly, her younger brother entered the room. He was quite tall for a fifteen-year-old, standing at nearly six foot two. His hair was messy as he came down this morning, stifling a yawn as he stared at me in concern.

Thomas was never good at asking people if they were okay. He looked at them weirdly until they say they're fine and Nicole told me he stayed up late last night to check on his sister. Thomas wasn't an isolated boy, but he felt like that sometimes. He just wasn't interested in the same things boys at his school were. Whilst the others preferred play fighting and beating each other up, he preferred music and playing baseball.

"You've gotta help her. She's been like this all night. Mom called last night and asked why she was crying, but she wouldn't tell her. Then, I had to spend the whole night ignoring calls and texts from mom. I swear to god if my phone's fucking—"

"Okay, Tommy, she gets it and please stop swearing whilst you're at it." Nicole sat on one of the stools and smiled. It was small, but it was something. I have never seen her so worked up over a boy, but it has really hit her hard. She was worn out and muddled up. I handed her the cup of tea I made for her and she silently thanked me for it.

"I think you need to relax about all this. Jaxon's just as confused as you are so maybe talking to him might help solve whatever's going on and—"

"I don't think I have the guts to actually face him right now. He was so pissed off the last time I spoke to him so I'll only make it worst," she said as I noticed the bags under her eyes. I don't think she's had a decent night of sleep yet. What the two need right now is time away from each other to think things through and chill out.

"I understand. You don't have to talk to him now. Some space apart would do both of you some good, but talking things out soon would help," I said, my hand on her back, rubbing circles.

I stayed at her house and watched films with her until she was feeling a lot better and sleeping on soundly on the couch. What she needed right now was rest and time to herself so I left Thomas to look after her and left to have lunch at my house.

When I got back, there were letters on the carpet, a few bills, magazines and a letter written from someone, but the handwriting was unfamiliar. As I held the envelope in my hand, a strange feeling settled itself in my stomach and a chill ran down my spine.

I shook my head and brought the letter into the kitchen, placing it down on the table and getting the lunch my mom made me out of the fridge, heating it up and settling on one of the stools. The whole time, my eyes wouldn't leave the letter. It was addressed to me in particular and something about it made me feel weird. The letter kept distracting me as if it was urging me to open it.

Open it, open it, open it, my inner voice said.

In the end, I opened it, the voice in my head driving me crazy and my eyes widened at the piece of paper in front of me. There were bloody fingerprints on the top left edge of the paper and a coffee stain smeared on the paper.

Dear Brielle,

This is your dear old man writing to you. How is my sweet daughter? Dad misses you lots and he wishes you were with him right now. I'm writing to just check on you and see how you and your mother are doing. Good, I hope.

Because it's only going to get worst for you and that wench you call your mother. You've made a grave mistake messing with me. You seem to be a strong young lady, standing up to my habits, but really, you're just stupid. You and your mother.

How could you do this to your old man? Who was it that sheltered you from your mother's shouting? Who was it that treated you like daddy's little princess? Are you really going to throw away all the memories we shared just because I got a bit carried away? Wow, you really never loved me in the first place, did you?

You're also pretty stupid for involving yourself with that Owen boy. He's bad news, love. He'll abuse you because he doesn't care about anyone but himself. People from the Bowers' Gang are like that and they won't stop until they ruin you.

Come back to dad, darling and I promise I'll never let the world hurt you ever again, but I warn you now, don't come back and the Fire Devils and I will pay you and everyone else you love a little visit.

Kind regards,

J . T

That same threatening voice of my father replayed in my mind. No, this has to be some kind of prank. It can't be true. It can't be true. My fingers went numb and I struggled to stay upright in my seat.

I shouldn't tell Owen about this. He'll only be mad at me for causing more trouble. Gulping, I placed the letter back in the envelope and tucked it neatly in my purse. Mom didn't need to hear about this either. I don't want her to worry any more than she is already. This is something I have to sort out for myself. It was my fault it started so it's going to be me that ends it.

Now, I have to be more wary of my surroundings because I had no idea who was in the Fire Devils except for Liam and I highly doubt any of them are going to wait for me to agree. They're just going to take so I need to be careful of who I talk to and who I pass in the streets because if I let my guard down even for a second, it may make the difference between surviving and being taken away.

END OF CHAPTER 19

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hey guys, this isn't exactly my best chapter, but I really hope you enjoy it nonetheless. A girl on her period with cramps like knives being shoved in her isn't the best thing ever so whilst I currently lay here feeling like death, enjoy this chapter that I've published for you beautiful people :)