2 Intro: A Sip Out of Her Juice

Intro: A Sip Out Of Her Juice

*FIVE YEARS AGO*

I would've never thought that at the age of 14 that my life would be such a complicated one, coming home to watching my mom struggle for her life in the hands of my father. I hated my father every second for it, for making my little sister, Hailey, and I watch such abuse. Usually, you come home to warm hugs and kisses, but not I Chelsie Gray never came home to peace. What was even harder for me was trying to explain to Hailey that everything was going to be alright, I had to be strong for the both of us because she's only 9. But anyways here's how my life basically plays out every day.

"Mom I'm home." I walked in the house to my mom, Carrie Foster, hovering over the sink with a bloody nose, I didn't even have to ask what had happened I already knew. I already knew that meant dad had come home for his lunch break and started a fight with mom complaining that whatever she made wasn't what he wanted for lunch and of course he hit her then stormed off back to work like nothing ever happened. I just stood there looking at her not understanding why she and dad had to fight all the time it just wasn't making any sense to me anymore. "Do you need me to pick up Hailey from school again?"

"Yes, darling I would really appreciate that very much." My mom said. But before I left I grabbed my mom up from the sink and put her to sit down at the kitchen table. I walked over to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack and handed it to my mom so she could place it on her black eye.

"Mom, clean yourself up before I get back with Hailey, I don't need her to see you like this again." No child should constantly be seeing their mother with black eyes and bruised everywhere. And I hated having to see Hailey crying just because she didn't know what was going on every time our parents fought or got into an argument over little things. I walked slowly over to Hailey's school to make sure my mom had enough time to get herself together and be in her room, I just wish all of this would end and I can actually have a normal teenage life.

"Cissy!" Hailey ran up to me when she saw me at the door to pick her up, and of course like always Hailey was the last kid there again. "Mommy couldn't make it again?"

"No Hail, mommy isn't feeling too well." I lied again knowing my mom is just too beat up to even step outside.

"Chelsie, can I talk to you for a second?" Hailey's teacher Ms. Oliver asked before I could leave the room.

"Hailey, don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." Hailey sat down at a table and waited patiently. "Hi, Ms. Oliver how are you today?"

"Hi Chelsie, I'm just wondering if everything is alright at home?" Ms. Oliver asked with a worried expression on her face.

"Yes everything is fine, my mom just still isn't feeling well and of course, you know my dad he's too busy with all his companies," I answered hesitantly.

"I'm just worried that's all, you were always my favorite student when I had you, and Hailey is a splitting image of you. I just want you to know I'm always here if you ever need to talk." Ms. Oliver mentioned as I took a peek over at Hailey.

"I know Ms. Oliver, but we really should get going now I don't want to keep my mom waiting too long." I said getting up and leaving with Hailey never even giving Ms. Oliver a chance to say anything else. Sometimes I just wish she would mind her own business, she makes everything harder when she always asks all these questions. And I know better than to say anything to anyone because I know my dad will go after my mom even more if he even hears anyone knows a thing of what's going on. I guess that's the advantage of him being a multi-millionaire he always knows what everyone else in the neighborhood is talking about and what they know.

When I got back into the house with Hailey I made sure mom wasn't in the kitchen anymore and I'm so happy she wasn't. I took Hailey straight upstairs to our room and closed the door behind us. I put Hailey in the shower and as she was in there I made her a sandwich for when she got out. I really appreciated how mom got us a fridge in our room with little snacks we could make so that we didn't really have to be downstairs until dinner. It really saved me and Hailey the trouble of bumping into mom when she was beaten up and then Hailey asking questions like any curious 9 year old would do. When Hailey finished her shower and her sandwich, I made sure she got all her homework done and we played a little and then I went to get my homework done. I felt like the parent having to do this every day, I was always exhausted and tired and had to sacrifice so much of my time to make sure I could take care of Hailey. Which sucks when I'm only 14 at the time, but it turned into a habit I didn't even care about my own time anymore, my main priority was making sure Hailey was alright and never having to see mom beat up or our parents fight, which of course there were days which I couldn't prevent Hailey from seeing things.

"Girls come downstairs, dinner is ready." Mom called me and Hailey to come eat, which meant dad was also back home from work. If it was up to me I would just go downstairs and grab me and Hailey's plate and bring it upstairs to eat, but I knew dad would only complain and start a fight saying our mother wasn't doing a good job at raising us and I really don't need any of that right now.

"Come on Hail let's go." I grabbed Hailey's hand and we headed down to whatever life had in store for us next because every day was a mystery when it came to actually sitting down together like a so-called family.

Hailey and I sat down at the table not saying a word, it's usually really awkward until Hailey tries to break the silence with her innocence. "Mommy, why do you have on sunglasses in the house?"

I just wish sometimes Hailey would just be quiet and not ask questions. "I had an eye doctor's appointment sweetie and the medicine they put in my eye still makes it really hard for me to see when it's too bright." Mom lied, which was a really great lie. She probably already had the answer planned out just in case Hailey did ask.

"Oh, and daddy how was your day today?" Hailey asked dad so sweetly and he looked at her and smiled. I can't believe how he could just sit there like that like if he hasn't hurt this family.

"My day, it was great, princess and how was yours?" I rolled my eyes, I couldn't stand the act but I guess it's better than the arguments and fights.

"It was great we did finger painting in class today," Hailey said taking a sip out of her juice and then mom's phone rang.

"I'm so sorry." Mom said nervously.

"CARRIE HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE DAMN PHONE RINGING DURING DINNER?" Dad yelled banging on the table and I saw Hailey flinch and she looked at me in shock.

"Henry please don't curse around the kids." Sometimes I wish mom would be smarter about the things she said, she knows what she just said would only piss off dad even more.

"YOU STUPID BITCH I'LL DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT TO DO." Dad stood up angrily from the table walking over to my mom, but before he could even do anything I quickly and quietly got up from the table with Hailey and went upstairs. The second I closed the door behind me I heard my mom being thrown into the wall. "WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOUR PHONE IS ALWAYS RINGING DURING DINNER HUH?"

"Cissy I'm scared." Hailey wrapped herself under me shivering and I could see the frightened look in her eyes. I hated seeing Hailey like this it made me so miserable that there was nothing I could really do.

"It's going to be okay Hail." I grabbed my beats from under my bed and let Hailey watch Disney on the iPad so that she didn't have to hear the fighting.

After an hour of fighting, I heard the front door downstairs slam shut and I looked over at Hailey and she was fast asleep. I took the beats and iPad from around her and put it underneath the bed and laid down next to her looking up at the ceiling crying. After twenty minutes of crying, I heard a soft knock on the door and then it opened. I looked over and saw mom limping in, this is the worst I have ever seen her. Her lip was busted, her eyes were dripping blood, and she had patches of hair ripped out of her head. It was just depressing to look at her. "Cissy I just came in here to say I'm sorry, but I have to get out of here before your father gets back."

"But mom what about me and Hail?" I asked wondering about our safety if mom was to leave.

"I'll come back for you both because I can't take you now. I can't risk the chance of your father walking in while escaping." I started crying, but I understood that my mom did need to do this.

"Oh, mom I'll miss you so much." I hugged her and then she gave Hailey a kiss on the forehead and walked out never looking behind her.

***

I felt someone grabbing me out of bed by my hair and it hurt so much. I opened my eyes and saw my father standing over me looking pissed off. "What do you think you're doing hiding ?" He yelled smelling like alcohol and I just stood there looking up at him scared for my life. "I SAID WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HIDING CARRIE?"

"I- I d-don't know d-dad. I'm not mom, it's me." I stuttered afraid of what was going to happen to me.

"I'm going to show you what happens to liars." Dad grabbed me up and dragged me to his room throwing me down on his bed. I was so scared I couldn't even scream or cry, I just laid there. Dad then pressed his body against mine ripping off my shirt, he then started feeling on my breast and kissing on my neck.

"Dad please don't this to me, I'm Chelsie," I whispered hoping he will stop, but it just made him more aggressive.

"Shut up!" Dad then grabbed some duct tape from his draw and taped up my mouth with it and then ripped off the rest of my clothes. I didn't even wiggle and fight I just silently cried to myself as my father entered me taking away the last bit of my innocence. He didn't even know he was hurting me, he thought I was my mom. He kept pounding away, tearing my walls, I could just feel it as my father took out all his frustration on me.

THIS WAS WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR THE WORST!