I contemplated getting up and leaving befire he came outside, but decided maybe that would be bitchy.. Besides, I wasn't feeling like getting up. Everything hurt. I don't see why Darren is like this to me. Ive never given him a reason until he started being this way. Maybe he was right for it, I don't quite know.
I carried on in my thoughts, until I was oh so politely ripped from them.
"Hey babe, you okay?" I looked up, slightly shocked at the man standing, well kneeling, in front of me. He was maybe a few inches taller than me, ridiculously thin, and that stupid accent didn't help, though I was surrounded by it, his was amazing. He stared at me, worry in his deep brown eyes as he ran a hand through the mess of curly hair on top of his head.
"Right then, I'm Matthew. You can call me Matty I suppose" He said, almost a whisper as he sat beside me. I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off.
"I know who you are, love. You've lived across the street for a few years now." He giggled. I looked at him, a little confused, but dropped it.
"So are you going to tell me what's happened?" He leaned against the wall, looking at the sky.
"Nothings happened.. I'm fine." I lied, but he saw right through it. Of course.
"Don't try to bullshit me, Ash. A girl doesn't run out of her own home crying because everything is okay. Now tell me.." He pleaded, sitting closer to me. I hesitated for a while, trying to find the right words, I failed. I sighed and decided to just tell him, he seemed okay enough to know my biggest secret. Not even Kiersten knew this one.
"It's Darren, my stepfather." I admitted, laying my legs flat on the concrete for the first time that night. It hurt to say the least. Matty looked at me.
"Really? What is it that he does?" He asked quietly. He just sat there and watched me.
"He feels the need to beat me senseless for next to no reason at all." My voice failed me near the end and just kind of drifted off. He just stared at me.
Great. He thinks I've gone insane. I put my head in my hands and leaned back against the wall. This is why I don't talk to new people.
"Is he mental!?" Matty shouted, making me jump. He stood up and started pacing back and forth beside me, throwing his hands in the air at times.
"I mean for fucks sake. I knew the man yelled at you often, I could hear that. But I didn't know he had ever put his hands on you! I have half aa mind to go up there and knock him proper. Fuck." he ranted, by then I was crying quietly to myself, not really realizing.
"No no babe.. Don't.. Don't cry... I'm sorry I shouted.." He sat down beside me, lowering his voice to a whisper and wiping the tears from my face. I pulled away from him.
"Stop acting like you know how I feel!" I said as my sadness turned into anger. I wasn't mad at Matty, I was mad at myself really. He looked at me for a while, before looking down at his hands that were now in his lap.
"But.. I-I do know.." he whispered. I looked at him and instantly regretted snapping at him.
"You feel trapped, don't you, Ash? You want to tell someone but you're afraid they'll just ridicule you. So instead you just act like its nothing, even when it hurts to so much as move a tiny bit. You wear the kind of clothes that show next to no skin, so people wont see, the bruises, sometimes cuts I guess.. Because the things he does makes you feel like its your fault.. so you put yourself through more pain, thinking that's how to fix it.." he trailed off, staring into nothing really. How did he know those things.. No one knew those things..
"How did you.." I didn't finish my sentence. He knew what I meant, but I realised he didn't want to talk about it and let the subject go.
A few minutes later he stood up, very easily getting me to my feet.
"I'm not letting you go back in there.. Not tonight at least.. Come to mine? George is asleep, but honestly even if he wasn't I'm sure he'd love you.." He said, mumbling incoherently afterwards. I wanted to know what he said, but I just dropped it.
"George?" I asked. He looked at me and nodded.
"He's my best mate. Had him move in a few days ago.. He's quite mad.. But in a good way.. Come on then. Inside." he laughed a little and I followed him inside.
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