Chapter 4

"I missed you after the game." Kayla whines through the phone.

"I know, I forgot I had to get home to get dinner going." It was only a half lie.

"Oh shit! Kayla hang on a minute!" I was trying to get dinner done before my mom got home... key word "trying"...but it turns out that is not going to happen now. Due to my utter lack of skills around the kitchen.

I drop my phone and briefly see it slide across the floor and land just barely under the fridge. I run for the fire extinguisher just as the fire alarms start to blare throughout the house. Uh-oh!

I put the fire out just as the sound of the front door opens and slams. My hands instantly get cold and clammy. The sound of footsteps echoes throughout the whole house to where I stand holding the empty fire extinguisher in my hands.

I stand frozen in the middle of the soggy mess that was now supposed to be the kitchen. She was not supposed to be home for two hours... My body is frozen out of fear. Listening closely, I catch the sound of my mom's heals heading directly toward the kitchen.

A second later she is standing in the doorway.

silence envelopes the two of us.

"DAMMIT GIRL!!! WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD WERE YOU DOING?!"

I flinch at the cold bitter bite to her word. "Mom, I swear it looks worse than it is. I caught it just in time. Just let me clean up the mess..." I gasp and scream as I feel myself get thrown and flung across the cold tile of the kitchen floor by my hair. I look up to see her towering over me. My cry gets lost in my throat.

"I'm sorry!! It was an accident! Please! I was just trying to make dinner!" I barely get the words out before I feel the backhand slap across my face. "KAYLA HANG UP THE PHONE!!" I whisper shout the last part toward my phone that I had happened to fall and land next to.

My hair is now wrapped around her fist so she can hold me a few inches from her face. I vaguely notice the spit that flies from her mouth as she yells directly at me.

"YOU CLUMSY LITTLE BITCH!! YOU'RE NO GOOD AT ANYTHING!" With that I am thrown against the countertop. My right side connects with the edge. I cry out in pain.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WOULD EAT ANYTHING YOU COOK. YOU'D PROBABLY POISEN ME!" I get shoved this time so hard I go through the wooden pantry door.

The wood splinters get stuck everywhere, my tangled hair, in my arm, in my clothes. I feel myself start to fade out, my vision is getting pretty grey. I reach up and feel blood to the left of my eye. I think to myself that I'll need to cover that up in the morning.

I hear the clicks of heels retreating out of the kitchen. I close my eyes and pray that Kayla had hung up the phone as I struggle to get up and start to clean up the mess.

***

Kayla's mom always has popcorn around for brain candy, along with other small sugary snacks. "I just need to find the stash". Sighing to myself, I walk back down the carpeted hallway towards Kayla's room where we currently have been working on all of Brandon's and my essays that are due this next week. Kayla is one hell of a grammar pro.

I stop outside the door, that's funny, I do not remember closing the door. I knock and wait a second before shrugging to myself and walking in.

"Hey, since when do you hide the sugar stash in the kitchen? I cannot find that sucker anywhere..." I trail off at the look I see on Kayla and Brandon's face.

"Guys? What's wrong? What happened?" I rush over and quickly assess the situation.

Kayla shushes me and signals for me to be quiet as she points to her phone laying in front of her. I instantly hear the screams and pleas coming from it.

I feel my stomach start to churn and bile rise my throat. I would know those screams even if I were deaf.

Gently sitting down on Kayla's bed across from them so the phone was between us, I listen just as they are. The mixture of vulgar female yelling and screams along with sounds of crashing and bumping make my head go light. I look up to see silent tears streaming down Kayla's face. All to quickly my assumptions are confirmed. I was immediately sick and numb to the very core of my being.

Kayla started shaking with silent sobs when we heard Stella whisper shout for her to hang up and not to listen. Brandon gathered her up in his arms and held her tight. We keep the line on as it is for fear of something even more terrible of happening. The pleas and screams went on for about 15 minutes.

I could hear through the phone and tell how hard the beating was getting. If it had not been for Kayla and Brandon sitting across from me right then, I would have grabbed my keys and been to Stella's rescue in record time.

The line went dead and instantly Kayla was sobbing so hard and loud Brandon had to hold her against his chest. I hold onto the bed post until my own head stops spinning and my stomach decides to keep my dinner down from earlier.

"Kayla, I need an explanation."

I watch as Kayla takes a drink of water and turns to stare at me with a tired look on her face. "Zach, you cannot say anything about this to anyone, not a single soul. You cannot even tell Stella that you heard all of that, she does not know that I am tutoring the two of you." Brandon rubs her back while she takes a few more gulps of water.

"You know her mom and dad got a divorce about 2 years ago. Well basically Stella's mom takes it out on her in some ugly ways. Do you understand?"

My stomach churned. "Kayla, she just beat her senseless. How do you expect me to just sit here and listen to her cry out in that much physical pain and not say anything?" I shake her by the shoulders. "Hell! How can you sit here and just listen to that?"

Kayla shakes her own head. "I know you are angry, believe me, I am to. But there is not much we can do except be here for Stella. She feels a sense of duty to her younger sister. Her mom doesn't react this way with Carly. I know it's a lot to ask from you, but you must keep quiet. It's Stella's right to speak up about it. Not ours."

Brandon let out a deep breath. "Zach, if you truly care for her the way you say you do, then you'll let her tell you about all of this when she is ready. Do not press her on it or you will NEVER be in her life again for sure. She will freeze you out faster than an ice storm."

I punch a pillow until all the fight in me drains out leaving me empty and hollow.

Kayla leans over and gives me a hug.