Seven
Brooke didn’t leave her room that night, she didn’t have plans to. If they wanted her to go anywhere, they’d have to drag her.
She laid on her bed, tossing restlessly. Looking at the clock, she saw it was 2:14am. Another sleepless night.
Better get used to it, her subconscious sneered, you won’t be getting any sleep over the next few weeks.
That was correct.
She flopped on her back and suppressed a frustrated groan. She wanted to cry but she had no tears left. This was her life now. She was a prisoner. She was broken.
Brooke was just thinking about how she hadn’t seen Brock since she asked him to save her when the door to their shared bathroom opened and he slipped in.
“B, you awake?”
“Mhm,” she answered, lacking the energy to say anything else.
“Get up, grab your bag. Come on, let’s go.” he urged.
Brooke was confused.
“Brock, what’s-”
“You gotta get up, B, they’re almost here.”
They? Brooke’s heart leapt at the anticipation of who they were. She scrambled out of bed and grabbed her bag off her closet floor.
“This way,” Brock opened the window and Brooke saw a ladder outside, “I have my phone now so let me know when you get there.”
“Get where?” Brooke knew nothing, but she had hopes.
“Love you, Brooke, be safe.” Brock said, not giving away any part of the plan.
He guided her by the shoulders towards the window and at the bottom of the ladder stood-
“Oh my god,” she whispers.
Tears fill her eyes as she turns around and hugs Brock quickly, then turns back and starts climbing down the ladder.
“Hi blondie,” Vanessa smiles as Brooke’s feet hit the ground.
Brooke doesn’t answer, she just pulls Vanessa into a tight hug. She’s normally so much taller but to Vanessa, Brooke looks so small right now.
“C’mon, Brookie, we gotta go.” Vanessa said, rubbing Brooke’s back.
Brooke nodded and waved at Brock who was watching from the window. He smiled and waved back, and later when he got the text that his sister was safe, Brock knew that the trouble he had ahead of him would be worth it.
~*~
Vanessa laid in her bed with Brooke in her arms. She rubbed her back and ran her fingers through her hair. She shushed her warmly when she let out a quiet sob, and she wiped her tears when she could.
“It’s okay, Brookie, you’re safe now.”
“I’m so sorry, Nessa,” was all Brooke said.
She repeated it like a prayer until she finally fell asleep. She slept more peacefully that night than she had in a week.
She woke up a few hours later, the sun streaming in and invading her dreams. She froze at the feeling of the rise and fall of someone’s chest. Where am I?
She was almost afraid to open her eyes, her body stiffened with fear.
“B, it’s okay,” Vanessa said in the softest voice that Brooke has ever heard come out of her mouth, “you’re safe, baby.”
She must be dreaming. There’s no way that she is in bed with Vanessa. She’s definitely dreaming.
“Brookie?” Vanessa nudges her.
Brooke opens one eye cautiously.
“There you are, baby,” Vanessa smiled and brushed Brooke’s hair out of her eyes.
“I’m dreaming?”
“No, you ain’t dreamin, B, we came and got you last night.”
“That wasn’t a dream?”
“No, that wasn’t a dream.” Vanessa chuckled.
Brooke let out a half sob half sigh, she was so relieved. Vanessa smiled and kissed the top of Brooke’s head.
“C’mon,” Vanessa said, making a motion to get up, “let’s get you some breakfast. You look like you ain’t eat in a week, B.”
It’s true, and she really hasn’t eaten in a week really, but Vanessa didn’t need to know that.
~*~
“Brooke, get up.” her mother said coldly, bursting through her bedroom door, “Brooke Lynn, get up.”
It took her a minute to realize that Brooke’s bed was empty as she was trying to avoid looking at her daughter as much as possible. It was as though she thought that a mere glance was going to cause her to burst into flames.
She opened the bathroom door. Rage grew in her chest when she saw it was empty.
“Brooke Lynn!” she shouted, loud enough for Brock to hear.
He smirked.
Here we go.
“Brock!” his step-mom opened his door with a bang, “where is your sister?”
“Don’t know.” he shrugged.
“Brock Edward Hayhoe, don’t you lie to me!” her face was red, Brock had to stifle a laugh, “where is Brooke?”
“I. Don’t. Know.”
“I know you do, Brock, now tell me. Is she with that awful Mateo girl?”
Brock answered with only a shrug and Theresa saw red.
“Give me your phone, Brock, you’re grounded.”
“I don’t have it.” He lied, “I think she took it.”
"I know you're involved. Tell me where she went! We have to leave!"
Brock rolled his eyes, “all I’m going to tell you is that she is safe and you can’t hurt her anymore.”
"Hurt her?! I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was trying to save her! I love my daughter!" Theresa yelled.
"If you truly loved her, then you wouldn't care that she is the way she is. If you loved her, you wouldn't try to fix even though she's not broken! If you loved her, you'd accept her. But no!" Brock yelled back, "you've done the opposite and made her feel less than human. Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving."
Brock left the room leaving a shocked Theresa in his wake.