TMSN - Chapter 5

As we got out of the school we saw Joe pulling up in front to pick us up. Joy went ahead of me, putting our bags on the back seat, next to where she will be sitting, before opening the passenger side door for me.

I smile in thanks as I got in, handing her my crutches before she shuts the door and puts the crutches in with herself and the bags on the back seat. When we both buckle out seat belts Joe pulled onto the road and drove us home.

"How was school with the cast, did Joy help you out?" Joe asked, looking at me from the corner of his eye smiling.

"Of course she did Joe, and it was okay, there were struggles like there would be," I answer laughing a little. Joe, of course, would know Joy would help me, she's a caring person.

"Exactly daddy, she's my sister, of course, I helped her. You always help family," Joy agreed, bouncing in her seat for getting the recognition and validation she deserved.

I laughed quietly at her behaviour as we pulled up into our driveway.

"That's good honey," Joe said, turning to give Joy a big smile before we all got out of the car, me taking longer as I had to wait for Joy to pass me my crutches.

As Joy carried both our bags and laptop inside I slowly started heading inside - getting used to these crutches and trying to walk at a normal pace is a bit difficult. Joe stood at the front door, holding it open for me as I moved to side on my armchair finally about to relax after such a long and tiring day.

As Joe turned on the TV putting on Supernatural I slowly started to drift off into a nice little slumber.

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I woke up to Joy shaking me gently, telling me that dinner was ready.

After I stretched, Joy helped me up from the couch and walked me to the dining room, so I didn't have to worry about the crutches, as I was still groggy.

"How was your little nap?" Joe asked as he put down the dish off roast chicken and veggies.

"Good, I really needed it after today. Using the crutches took more out of me than expected," I answered, smiling softly.

"That's expected Shadow, you haven't been out of the hospital long, and you're not used to them yet," Joy said giggling.

"True, but I'm not about to let that hold me back," I reply, serving myself a little bit to eat, not really hungry.

"Don't forget to take your medication after tea Shadow," Joe advised, I nodded in response, feeling the pain of my injury slowly coming back as the medicine wore off.

After that, we all ate in a comfortable silence the only noise was quiet chewing sounds and the cutlery against the plates.

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As Joy and Joe cleared the table and wash the dishes, I hopped my way to the couch where Joe put my medication and a glass of water while I was apparently napping.

As I took my meds, I sighed, waiting for them to kick in and to take the pain away as it got worse when I sat down and put my foot up.

As I turned the TV on and put on Gossip Girl, Joy came into the lounge room with two bowls of cookie and cream ice cream, handing me one and sitting down next to me, throwing a blanket over the both of us.

As we were watching TV and eating our ice cream, Joe came in to join us with a bottle of Dry Carlton, his favourite alcoholic drink. He gives me a smile as he gets comfortable in one of the armchairs.

Now Joe wasn't alcoholic but he did have an addictive personality so we had to be careful of how much he did something and how often, so we have limited him to two bottles of alcohol a week. Just to be careful, we always hide the extras in a place he doesn't know about, and he knows not to snoop.

After a couple of minutes, Joy started to rest her head on my shoulder, her breathing becoming more and more even as she started falling asleep. I looked at Joe, nodding my head and diverting my eyes from him to Joy silently telling him that she's asleep, but not wanting to speak in case it wakes her up.

Joe finished that last of his beer and put the bottle on the coffee table before standing up and started walking towards Joy and I, I took her bowl from her and repeated his action and put it on the coffee table and gently took the blanket off of her and let Joe pick her up softly and started to head towards the stairs and to her room to put her to bed.

I smiled softly at their relationship before I started thinking about my birth parents, and how it would be like to be with them.

It's hard to miss people who you never really knew, but I miss them, my birth parents, but I'm also curious and angry with what they did to me. But a part of me is happy, because of all that, them leaving me, and me going into the system, I met Joe and Joy and I have a new family, one that I know that no matter what has my back.

But what can I say, it's different than having a family, related in blood. And nothing can change a bond of blood, but at the same time, nothing can change the bond I have built with Joy and Joe.

As I finished my ice cream I put it next to Joy's bowl and Joe's empty bottle and turned off the TV before laying down and getting ready for bedtime, The medication, finally running its course and numbing and taking the pain away from my injury.

Joe came back down not long after, helping me pull the blanket over my feet before kissing my forehead and taking the dishes and the bottle, before going into the kitchen. Putting the bottle into the 10¢ bin - all the bottle we get before taking them to place to exchange them for some money. And putting the dishes in the sink to be washed in the morning as it was quite late in the night. Then turning off all the lights as he made his way upstairs and into his own bedroom, retiring for the night.

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The next morning I woke up to Joe placing a platter of french toast onto the dining table with a jug of orange juice and another of water. I smile as I sit up and he and Joy look up at me. Joe moving to help me to the table, handing me a plate he already filled with food for me, as I pour myself a glass of orange juice.

"Thank you, Joe, how did you two sleep?" I asked before I dug into breakfast. As they joined me at the table.

"Quite well, thank you Shadow. What about you?" Joy answered, taking a sip of her water.

"I slept just fine," Joe said, a have a beat after Joy.

"I slept alright, My leg is a bit stiff because of the cast," I say, straightening out the leg with the cast that reaches just under the knee.

"That girl should have been expelled instead of been suspended, it's stupid, this is assault," Joy said, getting angry at the thought of what happened. I looked at her, shaking my head.

"Joy, it's okay, I'm okay, it could've been worse. I've been through worse." I say, making Joy sigh.

"That's not the point Shadow if you did that you would be expelled and shipped off to juvie, bloody favouritism."

"Joy, calm down sweetie, if anything more happens, we will file a complaint into the school and get a restraining order," Joe said, getting all father, making Joy smile and let out a little laugh at the thought.

"Exactly, Joy, this could've taken a turn for the worse, we all know this," I say, giving a small smile.

"Well, we won't let anything like that happen again," Joy replied, gesturing to my cast. I nod in reply wanting this conversation topic to end.

"Changing the subject, Joy, can you help me upstairs, I am still in yesterday's clothes and I need to give myself a sponge bath before school?" I asked, finishing my breakfast a few moments before Joy.

"Of course." Joy replied, getting up, handing me my crutches before helping me upstairs and into the bathroom before running a small bath and handing me a sponge to wash myself in, "I'll go get your clothes and leave them at the door."

"Thank you," I reply, waiting for her to leave before getting undress and quickly cleaning myself with the lukewarm water. While waiting for Joy to come back with my clothes, I moved to look at myself in the mirror.

Regretting it instantly, feeling disgusted with myself - why did they leave me? Why do I have to be this way? The thoughts go on and one, getting worse and worse until I broke. Frantically I search through the bathroom cupboards, searching for my secret blade. Right before I found it, I heard a knock at the door,

"Shadow, your clothes are right here," Joy said softly.

"Alright, thank you," I reply, finding the blade, and putting it on the counter before crawling to the door, opening it slightly to grab my clothes before shutting it again.

Before I got changed, I grabbed the blade again, testing the weight of it in my heads, admiring the shape and shine of the metal instrument before bringing it and slicing through my left thigh, once, twice, multiple times before my body, my pain became numb once more.

After wrapping the cuts in a bandage to prevent staining the clean clothes, I got dressed and grabbed my crutches, leaving the bathroom. As I got to my room I found Joy packing my bag.

"Hey," I say, sitting on my bed so she can help me with my shoe while taking my bag from her gently to make sure she packed everything I needed for the day.

"Hey, how was the bath?" She asked once she laced up my combat boot.

"Good, it feels good not being covered in dead skin and sweat, I feel so much cleaner and fresh," I reply, grabbing my makeup while she held the mirror up for me, while I put on some light makeup, only some mascara, lipgloss and a thin layer of foundation, to smooth out my face. Than Joy helped and sprayed my face with a setting spray and a refresher spray all in one.

"Thank you so much for your help Joy," I say gratefully, I couldn't have done this by myself in the way I am, though it is just my leg, you take things like that for granted when you lose the use of that limb.

"You are welcome, Shadow," Joy said smiling as she stood up straight, before helping me standing up on my crutches, making sure I got my balance before taking a step back.

"Lets, go and head to school, or else we will be late," I say, and followed her down the hallway, making my way downstairs with Joy's help before getting to the car as Joe locked up the house after us and hopped in the car before driving us to school.

"Shadow, can you get twenty dollars out for the each of you from my wallet for your lunches today," Jow requested handing me his wallet for me to take money out of.

"Thank you, Joe," I say, getting a twenty out for Joy than one for myself.

Yet another day in this hell, I thought as we pulled up and Joy helped me out of the car.

"Thank you for the ride," I say, giving Joe a fist bump.

"Have a good day today girls," Joe said.

"We will daddy, see you after school," Joy said, closing the doors behind us, but not before grabbing our bags.

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