Fear grips ahold of my chest and I suddenly fell constricted, I feel faint and dizzy but I stay relentless.

Kisha takes a step towards me and stops, "See you in class jerk face, that's if you're able to make it alive after this."

Smiling she flips her hair and I couldn't help but allow a tear fall off my eye, "Kisha you don't have to do this, KISHA!" I breathe out but it was all in vein as she continues to walk off.

Trembling I turn to look at Liam, he narrows his eyes at me, shaking his head.

I hide my shaking hands behind my back, staring at him as he approaches me slowly. Instantly he grabs my head dragging me farther away from school.

An agitated moan slips off my mouth and I try pushing his hands away, but to no avail as I ended up gaining a sharp slap on my face.

My brain is reeling and I can't help but panick as he pulls me farther away from school, what his he going to do to me.

"Help!" I yell but it isn't loud enough, I quiver when I see where he's heading to, the uncompleted store few distance from our school becomes visible and I squirm harder around his hold but all effort proves abortive.

"Please."

"Fuck you!" He spits on the floor throwing me against the wall of the uncompleted building.

I'm about to run when he grips my hair and slam me against the wall again, my sight is blurry and the pain is overwhelming but I stay sober.

"you don't have to do this Liam," I plead when I see his hands pulling his belt off, "you-you keep getting into trouble because of Kisha, who doesn't even give one fuck about you!"

His face calms down and I could easily tell he was becoming affected, so I continued, "look at you right now, bruised, injured. For someone who doesn't even notice you, about to beat up an innocent girl all for the sake of Kisha."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!"

I flinch but continue, "And I don't argue that fact, nobody knows you, all they know is that you're Kisha's ex, don't you want to be more, more than just being a minion to kisha." He frowns and I swallow hard rethinking my words.

"More than just been a bully, being abusive."

"I'm not a bully!"

"Look at you right now," he stops to stare at himself, "then look at me... You don't have to do this...... please."

He stares at me deeper this time around, "she promised to have sex with me if I do this."

I feel more sick knowing that I'm about to be beaten and in result he gets sex? "Please.... You don't have to do this."

He shakes his head disagreeing, "Kisha won't forgive me, she won't look at me again if I don't do this."

"Please......" I whisper feeling even weak, "please." I shift away from him and he quickly notices it.

"I SAID I CAN'T!" With that I'm pushed against the wall again, and this time my head bangs hard against the cemented wall.

He quickly pulls his belt and aims it at me, hopelessly I close my eyes turning away from him.... Untuning everything around me.......waiting for the impact.......waiting to get beaten..... waiting for the searing pain........ waiting..... But nothing came.

"I leave for just five minutes and you get in trouble milkshake?" I stay on the floor unmoving as I cried, I'm so ashamed of myself, so disappointed, sometimes It felt like I was better of dead than alive.

"Milkshake?"

Sometimes I wish I had a different life, with a different story, but who am I to wish for better things when the world itself isn't better.

"Hey Milkshake!" I feel cold hands wrap around my body soothing my hair, a hand snakes into my coiled form, tilting my chin up.

"Look at me Maria." I shake my head ashamed of my self, what should I say, how can I explain to someone I just met today, what if he tells his Grandma and Sarah finds out that I've been lying to her all this while.

She'll hate me for sure, what happens if she tells mom and dad.

"Please open your eyes Milkshake." Slowly I part my eyes only to meet the concern eyes of Josh staring down at me.

His hand gently cups my face carressing my tears away.

"What happened?" He questions distressingly and I shake my head. "But I saw a boy close to you the minute he saw me he took off."

"It's nothing." I insist but he doesn't seem to buy it.

He raises an eyebrow, "Then why are you crying? I thought you were strong, brave when I saw you this morning about to break my head with that fry pan."

"I am." I whisper breathtakingly, but deep inside I knew I'm not.

"Get up, let me take you home."

"No!" I quickly get up patting the grass off my body. "I have class right now, I need to go."

I try, ignoring the pain lingering inside my body.

If I went home now and mom and dad finds out what happened, they'll definitely question me and worry too much and that's the last thing I want, I'm their only kid and I didn't want to over stress them.

"Are you sure?"

I nod enthusiastically wiping the bead of tears away from my eyes, finding my voice I question, "what are you doing here by the way, I thought you went home."

"I was about to then I forgot my way, I'm having problems with the road milkshake."

I shake my head and turned to the opposite direction before us. "Just take straight, then you'll see a traffic sign, take your left, follow the green Ariana grande concert poster, I think you can find your way from there."

He smiles and his eyes glints, "thanks milkshake." He turns around walking off and I let an exhausted breath slip off my lips, he stops then turns back to look at me. "Be careful Maria, I don't want to come to your school later on to meet such a sight, I got extremely angry seeing that guy with his belt on his hands in front of you, if he didn't run off, one of us would have been inside the mortuary by now and I'm pretty positive that it won't be me." He ends, throwing me a last smile before walking off.

I stay on my spot befuddled before gaining the strength to walk into class.

I stay by the  door contemplating if to go in and offer history or just hide inside the girls restroom till the period elapses. A teacher passes me and before he could complain I push the door entering into the class.

The moment I step in my eyes falls on Kisha who is glaring at me and Liam behind her who is clearly scared.

Sucking in a breath i turn to face Xander, who is already staring at me, his eyes is red as if angered.

A cough pulls me out of my trance and I reflexively greet the history teacher.

"Go to your seat Maria before I give you detention for coming late!" He replies sternly and I sluggishly move to seat beside Xander. Who is clearly miffed.

"Why are you late to class?" He questions quietly but I can't help but hear the authority it holds.

I ignore him acting as though I'm paying attention to what ever the history teacher is saying but in reality I'm not.

"I'm talking to you Mari!"

"And!?..... So it's a problem if you talk to me and I don't answer but if it's the other way around it's not!" I yell staring at him and for a second I watch his expression, he's not having the bored look, he's not even angry, he's shocked, I am too, every one is, including the teacher.

"Do you want to be excused Maria."

"Yes!" I'm up walking out of the class before my sub concious can stop me.

I run through the quiet hall ignoring the stunned faces of teachers as I walk into the restroom, rushing directly for the sink, I turn the faucet on, leaning down I allow the cold water to relief my face.

I turn the water off to stare at my face on the mirror, "where did I go wrong." I sob out.

"Why am I so unlucky." I laugh mockingly at my self, "why are we so unlucky?"

"ANSWER ME!" I slam my arm against the sink but only hiss when I feel a sharp pain linger around my arm, making me cry even more.

All I needed is a shoulder to cry on, without having the need to explain my reason for crying, an ear who'll listen without laughing or judging.

The door is slightly pushed open and I snappily turn the faucet, leaning down to the water.

The figure moves to stand beside me and I groan inwardly on realization of who it is.

"What's your problem?" Xander beams angrily. But I don't look up to meet his gaze, I don't want him to see me like this, sad, fragile, so weak, so vulnerable.

"Mari!"

I ignore him again as tears continue to stream down my eyes.

"Maria!"

Without thinking I move towards him pressing my head against his chest for a hug.

I couldn't help but cry against his chest, I held nothing in as I gave out all the tears I've been hiding for years.

I could feel him quiver at the contact but for the first time since kindergarten Xander shocks me, slowly he wraps his arms around me and I could feel his hand soothe my hair.

• • •

THANK YOU FOR READING 🖤

SOON ENOUGH SHE'LL MEET THE BROTHERS, I PROMISE 🤞🏽