Chapter 2

Something told me in the very back of my head that Phil would find me. Phil would go looking in the entire house, go in my room, see me through the window, and beat the heck out of me when I got home. I'd have this jittery feeling in my stomach for as long as I can remember. 

It only took a second to run to Gabe's friendly house because our houses are only a few yards apart.

His house was an inviting home, yellow, with white shudders and a porch all the way around with a sign that says “Welcome”, on the front door.

“Good morning Mrs. Smith!” I said politely, “Is Gabe there?”

“Oh, yes, honey! I think he's in his room. Come in! Come in!” she answered enthusiastically.

“Thank you.”

I took a step into the house and hung up my jacket.

As soon as I put my hand on the railing to go upstairs to Gabe's room, Mrs. Smith delicately tapped my shoulder. 

I quickly flipped my head around with my hair flying up into an umbrella shape over my head. I noticed the split ends at the tips of each hair- time for a hair cut.

Mrs. Smith was wearing a floral pink and yellow sundress that went down to the knees. And no, her hair didn't have split ends, it was brown, short and curly with a tint of red. Just like my mom's used to be. 

I knew instantly what she was thinking. She had seen the mark on my left jaw.

“How about I make you some raspberry pancakes dear! You look starved!” Wrong, but I was quite hungry. The last time I'd had eaten a bite of food was yesterday morning when Gabe's family took me out for Sunday breakfast. My stomach growled. “Yes, mam,” I replied.

She smiled and went to the kitchen.

“Hey Gabe! I said happily before even opening the door. “Whoops, sorry. Should I leave?” he was on the floor doing quick crunches shirtless to the song “Starlight”. His abs bunched up into a tight rectangle every time he went up into the crunch position.

“Hey.” he chuckled huskily. “Sorry about that...”

“Don't worry about it.” No, I really didn't care. Actually, I saw him do this every night in his room for crying out loud. Obviously, he doesn't put the blinds down at twelve o'clock midnight so why not stare at him for just a bit longer. The window is right across from mine... 

I tried to shake the dirty thought out of my head and got back to the conversation.

“So... what did he do today,” Gabe nodded toward my jaw.

“The usual. I've had worse,” I shrugged.

“Hm,” he frowned.

Gabe was the only one who knew my secret. When I told him my secret, it was seventh grade when I first started spying on him through my window. We were getting ice cream one summer day. It was a day full of laughter and fun although I knew that some day I'd have to tell him about the little secret I had. No, the big secret that I have. So, we went to our favorite tree at our school that no one knows about. It's totally private place where no one is around, and it was in the middle of summer, so it was the perfect place to tell him. The whole day he kept asking me about it, even on the phone at midnight when Phil would come stomping into the room and whip the phone out of my hands to beat me half to death. I'm still surprised that I'm even living today.

A tear rolled down my cheek at the memory.

Gabe was looking down until he noticed that I was crying and gave me a big bear hug and crushed my head to his warm chest.

I didn't know why I was crying. I sometimes cried myself to sleep ever since my mother died. But it wasn't just that. It was about Phil, the pain when he hit me, the fifty-thousand dollar debt that we have, and so much more. And sometimes, it's even a cry that's about good things like Gabe and the great friendship that we have.

I sniffed.

“What are you crying about?” he asked calmly.

“Everything,” I hugged him tighter.

“What do you want me to do to help?”

“To stay with me forever and forever and forever.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.” I loosened my arms from around his waist as he brushed one of my tears away.

Just then I heard a loud yell from my bedroom window, and we both went silent.