《Tell Me How To Help You (Helping Her book 1)》


 Chapter 1 - Mori

    I¡¯ve tried so hard. But I¡¯m tired of hiding.


    My father is an abusive drunk who spends half his paycheck on alcohol and drugs. My mom works three jobs and survives daily beatings. My older siblings give us as much money as they can. My younger sister lives in the attic so that he won¡¯t find her. My younger brother and I take on all of his wrath to protect the others, but¡­ I don¡¯t know how much longer I can lie about my injuries. The beatings get worse if we get bad grades or break any rules, so my siblings and I have all been top of our classes with perfect disciplinary records. We want to spend as much time away from home as possible, so we¡¯re all in clubs or on teams or councils and started working as soon as we could.


    This is the reason I¡¯m Student Council President. This is the reason I participate on over half of the sports teams. This is the reason I work two part-time jobs. Not because I¡¯m a hard-working honor student aiming for university. Sorry to disappoint.


    Today was the last day of summer break. Our mom takes us to her parent¡¯s house for summer and winter breaks on the grounds that we should know our grandparents. Our father grudgingly allows it as long as Grandma and Grandpa send back a good report (which they always do). Breaks are our only relief from the constant abuse, our time to heal.


    But tomorrow we go back.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Tomorrow we return to abuse and terror. Tomorrow I have to pretend that everything is fine. Tomorrow the Student Council meets for the first time to double-check the rules for the year. Tomorrow the students will flood the high school and find their classes. Tomorrow I smile and wave and hand people schedules and make a pretty speech to students who aren¡¯t listening.


    Driving home, my little sister asks my mom, ¡°Why can¡¯t you send us to Grandma and Grandpa permanently and transfer us to the school there? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything tying us to father¡¯s house.¡±


    My younger brother immediately scolds her, ¡°Kara! That would leave Mom to deal with Father alone. Plus, don¡¯t you think he¡¯d follow us? We shouldn¡¯t expose them to that!¡±


    Kara immediately backs down. ¡°Yeah. Sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking. My only thought was avoiding Father. Please forget I said that, Mom. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Mom shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve had similar thoughts before. But Conor is right, your father would chase you down - if we ran, or even just you, none of us would escape. We just have to survive until all of you graduate.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Mom? When will you escape?¡± I ask, concerned. ¡°Our graduation won¡¯t save you, only us.¡±


    Mom just smiles sadly. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way. Maybe I¡¯ll run away or divorce him once all of you are safe. You should just focus on school and surviving.¡±


    We fall silent for the rest of the ride. When get to our street, Mom stops to let Conor and Kara out. We learned long ago that Father often becomes angry when we return, so to keep the younger ones safe, they circle around and sneak in through the roof. Thankfully, he¡¯s out drinking, so he probably won¡¯t even remember that we were gone.


    I need to prepare for tomorrow. Time to get ready for hell.

 Chapter 2 - Kodi

    I¡¯m in love with her. I¡¯ve been in love with her for years.


    Man, saying that is embarrassing, and you don¡¯t even know who I¡¯m talking about, but really, it only gets worse.


    She hates me. With a passion. To her, I¡¯m just that pesky rival who keeps fighting her for first place in everything. Not a possible love interest. Although, I¡¯m not sure if she sees anyone as a love interest.


    I¡¯ve been in the same classes, clubs, and teams with her since second grade. We¡¯ve been on the Student Council together for five consecutive years since fourth grade. Today, the Council meets to finish our plans for this evening¡¯s orientation. As I approach the school, I have to shake off a desire to call out for her. I know what reaction she¡¯d give - a disdainful glance, straightening her clothes as if she has something to prove.


    Entering the Student Council room five minutes early, I find that everyone else is already present. ¡°Oh, am I late?¡± I ask, fully knowing the answer before I do.


    ¡°Not technically,¡± the secretary says, ¡°But it would really be nice if you showed up a little sooner. We were starting to think you weren¡¯t coming.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Like I¡¯d ever miss a meeting. Especially the orientation meeting.¡± I find my seat directly to the President¡¯s right, trying to keep my eyes off her beautiful face. Oh, casual clothes today. Man, she¡¯s pretty. I clear my throat. ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda?¡±


    She glares at me. ¡°We have to print out the orientation sheets and decide how to pass out the schedules this year. Also, you¡¯re giving this year¡¯s introductory speech.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was the President¡¯s duty.¡±


    ¡°The rules and regulations speech is my job, but you can welcome them without my help. Unless you have so little self-confidence that you need me to hold your hand the entire time?¡±


    I¡¯m almost tempted to accept, but my pride won¡¯t allow submission to her condescending tone. ¡°I was just thinking that maybe you¡¯re so scared that you need my help to do your job, but I guess our fearless president is too brave to admit it.¡±


    She rubs her face and I notice she looks tired. ¡°No. But if you give the welcome speech, then I can hand out the notebooks and outlines.¡± It¡¯s a true sign of her exhaustion when she stops snapping back and starts using short, honest sentences with no sarcasm. Her sleeve pulls up slightly and I frown at the sight of dark purple on her skin. I catch her wrist as she lowers her arm, tugging on her cuff.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask, knowing she won¡¯t tell me the truth. She always lies about her various injuries, as if we aren¡¯t intelligent enough to know that she isn¡¯t as clumsy as her bruises would make her seem.


    She pulls her arm away. ¡°I whacked it on something. Can¡¯t remember what. Nothing to worry about.¡±


    Yeah, right. You don¡¯t get that kind of bruise without some serious force; there¡¯s no way you could simply forget that kind of impact. I know from experience - it really hurts. But I let the subject drop anyway.


    ¡°Sure. Anyway, who¡¯s manning the schedule tables?¡± From there the conversation turns to the upcoming orientation.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Three hours later, we¡¯re standing just inside the doors to the school, watching the students stream in. Treasurer John (my best friend) and Secretary Yulina (President¡¯s best friend) are manning the sign-in tables. There are four lines based on last name. Each student has to find their schedule and sign their name for the record. President is holding the small notebooks that each student will get during the welcome assembly and speech later.


    As the auditorium fills up, I sigh and take my place in the wings of the stage. President prepares to hand out the notebooks. Then the lights flash, and I walk out to face them. I¡¯m greeted by gasps and clapping from the older students, but silence from the freshmen. I clear my throat and begin my speech.


    ¡°For your sakes, I¡¯ll try to keep this short. My name is Lakodi Gretnil and I am your Student Council Vice President. Today, I would like to welcome you all to another year at Calleview High. Now I know that many of you aren¡¯t ready to be back yet and want summer break to never end.¡± I see President start to hand out the notebooks. ¡°Sadly, high school is required.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re about to receive a notebook that contains a list of all of the staff, their jobs, their classes, and their rooms. You all picked up your schedules on the way in. I would recommend circling the names and room numbers of your teachers. Our Student Council President, Kamorina Twistorm, will now explain the rules, regulations, and expectations of this school.¡± She scowls at me and hands the rest of the notebooks to Yulina.


    By the time she gets to stage, her expression has rearranged itself into something more pleasant. ¡°Thank you all. Welcome, again, to another school year. As you heard, my name is Kamorina Twistorm and I am the Student Council President. I will answer to almost anything you call me, with the exception of my first name or any impolite nicknames that may come to mind. It is my - well, not exactly pleasure¡± the crowd laughs ¡°but my job, at least, to explain the rules and expectations.¡± She pauses to offer them a smile. ¡°I know, I know. You already know it, and you don¡¯t want to hear it again. Sorry.


    ¡°Our school, thankfully, has fairly simple rules. No bullying; if you insist on fighting, you can do it elsewhere, though the school does not condone fighting in any form. Arguments in verbal form are accepted, but we ask that you keep the volume reasonable for the sake of those around you. Any forms of stealing, lying, or cheating are unacceptable; however, be aware that neither the Student Council nor the teachers will interfere in interpersonal relationships of any kind in an official capacity. Private, off-record discussions with staff members are outside this rule. Gambling, swindling, and prostitution are also unlawful and will not be allowed. If you witness anyone breaking a rule, you can do one of three things; try to stop them yourself, speak to a teacher or student council member, or leave an anonymous tip in the box outside the Council Room door. We may not see it for a few days, but we will address it as soon as we do.


    ¡°That said, the student council is always available if you have any questions or suggestions about the school. We are here to ensure your safety, but we are not solely responsible for your comfort or conduct and we hold no sway over your grades. Our job is to make, revise, and enforce rules. I will remind you that our school operates a bit different than most - you remain in your homeroom class and your teachers will join you there, unless otherwise stated. Classes are determined by entrance exam scores and will be reviewed at the end of each semester.¡±


    She pauses to scan the crowd and sighs. ¡°But you guys know all this. Any rule changes will be reviewed in class tomorrow by your teachers. I hope you all successfully find your classes and your friends, and that you¡¯re in all the classes you wanted to be in. Have a wonderful day and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    She climbs off the stage looking exhausted and slumps onto the nearest stool as the auditorium empties out. Yulina glares at me as she says, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have at least told them some of it? Drawn it out long enough for her to finish passing out notebooks? You know how much talking drains her.¡±


    I almost flinch. I do know how much she hates speaking, how hard it seems to be for her, and my heart hurts to cause her pain, but I can¡¯t afford to let it show. ¡°So? She¡¯s the Student Council President. She should have seen it coming when she accepted the role the first time, much less two elections later.¡± My words contradict my emotions. ¡°Come on, we need to head to our class.¡±


    ¡°Give her a moment to rest,¡± Yulina snaps. ¡°She just got off the stage, and we need to help clean up anyway. Our teacher knows we¡¯ll be late if we come at all. Remember, as Student Council members we are not required to attend freshman orientation anyway. Come on, help me move this.¡± She¡¯s trying to roll the podium off the stage with little success.


    I sigh and move to help. I know the four of us are in the same class this year. If I keep fighting my conscience like this, it¡¯s going to be a long year.

 Chapter 3 - Lina

    I wish my best friend would rely on me more. Kamorina is one of the strongest, most independent girls I¡¯ve ever met. She supports me in everything, and I love her for it, but she refuses to lean on me in return. Sometimes I wonder if it¡¯s because I¡¯m not good enough for her, but I know that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m not the only person she rejects like this - in fact, other than her siblings, I¡¯m probably the person who knows her the best. I¡¯m even the only person (outside her family) allowed to call her by a nickname, though only in private.


    But she still won¡¯t tell me what¡¯s really going on.


    Like the rest of the Student Council, I know that her bruises aren¡¯t from clumsiness. She¡¯s one of the most careful people I know, actually. But I respect her privacy and force myself to accept her excuses.


    When it comes to Kami¡¯s injuries, I really have to admire Lakodi. Despite being continuously rejected and lied to, he continues to consistently question the origins of her wounds. I know how desperately he¡¯s trying to hide the depth of his care for her, but¡­ well, he¡¯s totally failing. So far it¡¯s only our classmates who¡¯ve noticed, and they¡¯re holding their silence out of respect, but it¡¯s only a matter of time until someone else finds out. I¡¯ve no doubt how Kami would react -- absolute rejection. She respects him as an opponent, but at the end of the day all that means is that they¡¯re on opposite sides of an academic conflict. It would take a miracle for her to accept him.


    That doesn¡¯t change what he just did. Pulling her up on the stage and forcing her to deliver the entirety of what should have been his speech when he knows talking drains her was simply cruel. I don¡¯t know why he tries to show himself as uncaring and I honestly don¡¯t care. He needs to apologize - or at the very least, help clean up the mess he made.


    ¡°Seriously, Lakodi, get over here and help me move this thing. The podium is heavy.¡± I glare at the Vice President with something close to murder in my eyes, and he reluctantly comes over to help. I know he feels guilty - however well he¡¯s hiding it - and wants to hover and make sure she¡¯s all right, but Kami is a strong girl and would take offense to such an act.


    As we drag the lectern out of sight, I hear the door open. ¡°Mori!¡± I hear a young girl yell, followed by a boy¡¯s, ¡°Rina!¡±


    I laugh quietly, stepping out from the wings of the stage to greet Kami¡¯s siblings. ¡°Conor, Kara, good to see you again. Do you need more antibiotic ointment?¡± Conor nods and holds out a scraped-up arm. ¡°I swear, you three are the clumsiest people I know.¡± I pull out the antibiotic paste. ¡°Here, but you have to give me a hug before you can have some.¡± I grin at them and they laugh and come over to me.


    ¡°Yuli!¡± Kara squeals. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty today! Which class do you have?¡±


    ¡°Ask your sister,¡± I say with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re in the same class, just like every other year.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lina,¡± Conor says, ¡°do you have any spare food? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    I laugh a little. Conor has been asking for food ever since his growth spurts started. ¡°Of course I do,¡± I say, rummaging around in my bag. ¡°When have I ever not had food for you?¡±


    They both grin and take the apples I found. ¡°Oh, never,¡± Kara says, grinning. ¡°He just doesn¡¯t want to assume and impose on your kindness.¡± I can hear the sarcasm in her voice, and it makes me smile. She seems kind and gentle, but she¡¯s really a little spitfire inside.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rina?¡± Conor asks. ¡°Did she have to give a speech again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s orientation today, after all. Student President tells them the rules. Since you¡¯re here, d¡¯you mind helping us clean up? We could use some extra hands while Kami¡¯s recovering.¡±


    I see a flicker of a smile on Kami¡¯s face before Kara draws my attention again. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s no help anyway. Sometimes boys seem so useless, I think things would almost be better without them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that,¡± I smirk. ¡°Can you honestly imagine this world without an older brother to annoy? ¡¯Sides, sometimes they¡¯re funny.¡±


    She nods and opens her mouth to respond, but Lakodi cuts her off. ¡°Why do you all call her by different names? Didn¡¯t she say she doesn¡¯t answer to nicknames anyway?¡±


    We stare at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. Conor speaks first. ¡°Well, I call her Rina because it¡¯s funny to have Rina and Lina.¡±


    Kara nods. ¡°And I call her Mori because I couldn¡¯t say her name when I was little.¡±


    Still chuckling, I add, ¡°I call her Kami because it was the only nickname I could convince her to respond to. As for your second question, she only answers nicknames from people she really trusts and cares about. It¡¯s kind of like an honor.¡±


    He nods. I can tell he¡¯s not fully satisfied, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m telling him why we really get to call her these things. Only those who see her at her worst, at her most vulnerable, get to use a nickname. To begin with, only her very close friends get to use her first name, and I know Lakodi has been chafing under the restriction of calling her by her surname only, but she still sees him as an opponent.


    Conor looks up at me with a question mark in his eyes, but I shake my head a little. I¡¯ve spent enough time with the Twistorm siblings to have at least some idea of what they¡¯re going through at home, though I¡¯ve never asked, and they trust me to help them. It¡¯s one of the reasons I continue to carry a first-aid kit everywhere I go despite no longer being the class medical officer.


    Ten minutes later, standing in an auditorium so clean it¡¯s nearly sparkling, I sigh quietly. ¡°Kami, I know you¡¯re resting, and I don¡¯t want to interrupt you, but the auditorium is clean, so we don¡¯t have a reason to be in here anymore. As council members, we aren¡¯t required to attend orientation classes, but if we¡¯re going to be lazy like that, we should at least head outside. Can you make to the benches around the side of the school?¡±


    Sitting up, Kami shakes her head. ¡°I can make it, but it wouldn¡¯t make a good impression to miss the entirety of the orientation classes. We should go; we have the excuse of staying behind to clean, and I probably - hopefully - won¡¯t have to talk much, if at all.¡± She turns to her siblings. ¡°If you want to wait for us, you can hang in the staff office. They won¡¯t mind and if anyone comments, use my name to gain permission.¡± She waits for her siblings to nod before turning to head out of the room.


    ¡°Yuli,¡± she says, ¡°I seem to have forgotten. Which classroom are we in this year?¡± She pauses. ¡°And where¡¯s John?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I realize I haven¡¯t seen our treasurer since he and I finished handing out the notebooks. John is our quietest member, but he is also the one people typically bring their concerns to. I guess he seems more approachable or something. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He disappeared after we finished handing out notebooks. Is he sleeping somewhere, or do you think he already went to class?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± a quiet, sleepy voice says behind me. ¡°Took a nap. Sorry. Would¡¯ve helped clean¡­ if woken.¡± He yawns. ¡°Time for class?¡±


    We turn to see a very sleepy-eyed John standing with rumpled clothing and ruffled hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I say with a smile. ¡°Better nap now than fall asleep during orientation classes. Nothing worse than a reputation as a narcoleptic on the first day of school, you know.¡±


    John shrugs. ¡°Why¡¯s it matter? I am. Doesn¡¯t change anything when they find out. Most already know.¡±


    We all kind of nod, unsure exactly what to say. John has a severe case of chronic narcolepsy, meaning he falls asleep anytime he¡¯s not otherwise occupied¡­ and sometimes even when he is. He has a cot set up in the Student Council room for that exact purpose and the nurse keeps a bed open for him.


    With another sigh, I turn to start walking out of the auditorium. Kami keeps pace next to me, with Lakodi following and John shuffling along behind us.


    I wonder exactly how this year will turn out¡­..

 Chapter 4 - John

    I know what my classmates think of me. They see me as the narcoleptic kid who can¡¯t stop himself from passing out in class and always has to study three times as hard just to keep up with normal curriculum. I guess they haven¡¯t realized that even asleep, I still absorb about 90% of what¡¯s being said. It¡¯s a skill I picked up around the time I was diagnosed. It seemed useful, and it is, but sometimes I wish I didn¡¯t hear quite as much. I seem to hear almost as much gossip as I do anything important, though it does allow me to serve as the Student Council¡¯s informer as well as their treasurer.


    As I follow Yulina, Kamorina, and Lakodi to our class, I try to consider methods I might employ this year in my effort to stay awake, but my mind keeps drifting back to Kami¡¯s bruises. I know what those could mean, what they probably do mean. I know that I could never ask, and that if I did, she¡¯d just brush it off. She¡¯d get that deer-in-the-headlights look that she shows every time someone gets a little too close to the truth before laughing it off and declaring that my dreams must be invading my thoughts, and nothing¡¯s going on at home. I know better.


    Student Council President Kamorina Twistorm is getting abused, and has been for years.


    I know other things, too - the way Lakodi looks at her, the way he does little things behind the scenes to make her smile despite acting so mean to her. I know Yulina has long since figured out the source of the injuries that all three Twistorm siblings carry, it¡¯s why she carries a fully stocked medical kit, but she also knows that there¡¯s nothing she can do for them. I overheard her arguing with President once about telling the police (that morning she had shown up in a cast) and President responding that the police would only make the situation worse. That discussion is the only reason I haven¡¯t gone to authorities with my suspicions myself.


    It didn¡¯t make sense to me at the time, but after thinking it through, I understood. If Kamorina¡¯s home life is as bad as I think it is, even a divorce and a restraining order wouldn¡¯t keep her abuser away. If the police came and her abuser (probably her father, since her mom is always covered in bruises) managed to hide the evidence, it would simply enrage him and they would all be beaten several times worse than usual after the authorities had left. Once I¡¯d figured that out, I came to a decision.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    There is nothing I can do unless Kamorina herself comes up with a plan and asks for help.


    I¡¯m startled out of my thoughts when Yulina stops abruptly in front of me and I almost crash into her. I blink and discover we¡¯re already standing in front of our classroom door. I wonder briefly why President hasn¡¯t entered yet and realize that she¡¯s watching me - probably waiting for me to finish waking up - with a slightly raised eyebrow. ¡°Time to face the class,¡± I hear her mutter, and she opens the door.


    Knowing President, she wanted to quietly slide it open and slip inside without anyone noticing, but because we¡¯re the Council, going unnoticed is highly unlikely. We learned years ago that sneaking in doesn¡¯t work. Instead, she throws the door open and catches everyone¡¯s attention: the sooner we get this over with, the better. ¡°Hello,¡± she greets them cheerfully. ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late; the auditorium was a bit of a mess. Did we miss anything important?¡±


    We all find our seats, lined up in a row at the back of the classroom to allow us to slip away nearly unnoticed if we have Student Council business. I hate to admit it, but I know that it¡¯s also so that I can doze off without being blatantly obvious; the rest of the Council just refuses to sit somewhere without me. I appreciate their support, but¡­ I would think they have bigger concerns than their narcoleptic treasurer.


    Settling in, we take the packets our homeroom teacher offers us. I barely glance at it; unbeknownst to our classmates, we made these, not the teachers. We already know and understand the content, probably far better than any of us ever wanted to. The teacher then resumes her monologue about schedules, rules, expectations, lunch rules, restroom privileges, etc., and my eyes drift shut. Even when my body is sleeping, my mind still works, so I can still hear everything going on. I try not to grumble as I think to myself, ah, not again.


    But then, I¡¯m used to this by now.


    I wonder quietly whether that¡¯s how President feels, like she¡¯s used to the abuse after so long enduring it. It strikes me that if someone were to offer me a way out of my narcolepsy, I¡¯d never believe them. I¡¯ve had too many instances of false hope over the years to even consider trying again. Maybe that¡¯s why she won¡¯t ask for help. I wonder if Lakodi has figured it out yet. Lands know he¡¯s not the brightest - for all that the others think he goofs off all the time, he only keeps up with President by studying his life away - but I know that when he does realize, he¡¯ll do anything at all to change it.


    I just hope that day comes soon.

 Chapter 5 - Conor

    My sister is stubborn. Which one, you ask? Both of them.


    I know, I know - I am too. It runs in the family; I think we inherited it from Mom, who refuses to consider divorcing Father. I understand why: she¡¯s scared that even with a restraining order, he¡¯d still come after us. I told her he¡¯d be in jail or at least in therapy by then, but she doesn¡¯t want to risk our safety on a guess.


    Kamorina continues to refuse to go to the police, period. I know she¡¯s thought it through thoroughly, however, because the closest I¡¯ve ever seen her was when Father almost hit Kara. Rina would do anything for Kara. Even still, she didn¡¯t go - maybe she¡¯s waiting for Mom, I guess?


    Kara, despite having rarely if ever been hit, is quite possibly the most stubborn person in the family. We¡¯ve almost lost count of the number of times we¡¯ve told her to leave, to run and leave us behind. He rarely sees her to begin with; the likelihood of him noticing her absence would be slim. But she continues to stick around, no matter how guilty she feels watching Rina act as a distraction and take the hits for her.


    Sitting in the staff room with Kara dozing off on my lap, I can¡¯t help but wonder why Rina is forcing herself to go to class when she¡¯s already exhausted and isn¡¯t required to go. I shake my head; it probably has something to do with her reputation as Student Council President.


    I¡¯ve almost drifted off myself when Rina, Lina, Lakodi, and John come shuffling in. ¡°Hey,¡± I call quietly. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    Lina rubs her forehead. ¡°Kami exhausted herself further by purposely drawing the attention of the entire class right when we walked in so they didn¡¯t look at us for the rest of class, Lakodi was folding the orientation booklet into paper airplanes, John immediately crashed, and I¡­ stared blankly at the teacher and didn¡¯t hear a single word she said.¡± She turns to the others. ¡°Sound about right?¡±


    They all nod. Rina comes over to me and lifts Kara off my lap, holding her gently. Kara snuggles up to Rina¡¯s chest and sinks into a deeper sleep. I meet Rina¡¯s eyes, and as the others discuss their summer break and their plans for the rest of the day, Rina and I engage in a silent conversation that goes something like this:If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Conor: We can¡¯t take her home like this, she won¡¯t wake up in time.


    Rina: There¡¯s nowhere else for us to go, and Father is expecting us home by eight.


    Conor: ...Maybe Lina¡¯s house? Just until Kara wakes up.


    Rina: Yeah, maybe. But how do we ask? I don¡¯t want to impose¡­


    Conor: It¡¯s probably easier than you think, you know Lina already knows our situation.


    Rina: Yeah. I¡¯ll ask. Just give me a moment.


    Rina turns to Lina. ¡°Hey, Yuli?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can we borrow your house for a little while? Kara¡¯s sleeping, and she¡¯ll have chores when we get home, so¡­¡±


    Lina¡¯s nodding before Rina even finishes her sentence. ¡°Absolutely. And if you stay long enough, Mom¡¯s making lasagna tonight.¡± She catches Rina¡¯s expression. ¡°You¡¯ll still be home before eight, I promise. But, please? She always makes too much and you know she loves having you three over for dinner.¡±


    Rina sighs. ¡°Yeah. All right. We can go whenever you¡¯re ready, Yuli, but don¡¯t rush. We¡¯re just going to sit here¡­ and¡­¡± the rest of Rina¡¯s sentence is cut off by a yawn.


    Lina laughs. ¡°I guess Kara isn¡¯t the only one around here that¡¯s tired, is she? Come on. Our conversation was pretty much over anyway.¡± She waves at the boys and tugs Rina out of the room.


    I watch Lakodi and John for another full minute before following the girls. I know what those expressions mean, even if I¡¯ve never seen them directed at my family before.


    John knows about the abuse. And Lakodi is in love with my sister.


    Grr. If only I knew what to do about it¡­ I don¡¯t hate Lakodi. In fact, I actually kinda like the guy, especially for his persistence in asking about Rina¡¯s wounds, but I know it won¡¯t go anywhere until our father is gone.


    There¡¯s just one problem. How do I accomplish that?

 Chapter 6 - Mori

    Stepping into Yuli¡¯s house always relaxes me. Her mother doesn¡¯t work, so the house always smells of cleaner and fresh-baked cookies. ¡°Afternoon, Kamorina,¡± I hear Ms. Jemesson say as I walk in. ¡°Want a cookie? I¡¯ve just made some, they¡¯re still warm.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I respond with a smile. ¡°Do you have somewhere Kara could lay down for a bit? She needs some sleep, but she¡¯ll have chores as soon as we get home.¡±


    Ms. Jemesson¡¯s eyes are piercing, as if she can see straight through my lies. I shift uncomfortably and adjust my hold on Kara to hide it. The movement seems to snap her out of something and she smiles. ¡°Of course, my dear. Just let me grab a couple of blankets¡­¡± She trails off as she heads out of the room.


    I lay Kara down gently on the couch. Yuli¡¯s mom comes back in with two blankets and a small pillow. Leading me to the kitchen for a cookie, she asks, ¡°How is your mom, sweetheart? Last time I saw her she didn¡¯t look so good.¡±


    I force another smile. ¡°She¡¯s okay. She passed her clumsiness down to us, though - we¡¯re always breaking stuff or running into things. I don¡¯t think any of us have had a day without bruises since we learned to walk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true, honey.¡± Ms. Jemesson smiles kindly. ¡°But why don¡¯t you tell me the truth?¡±Stolen story; please report.


    I stare at her. ¡°W-what makes you think I¡¯m not?¡± I stutter, startled by her insight.


    Her mouth pulls to the side oddly. ¡°I knew your father when he was still a student, and even then, he was a well-known bully. I can only imagine what he must be like now, especially after having seen him buying drugs and alcohol every week. Dearie, you don¡¯t have to tell me what¡¯s going on, but at the very least, will you tell me why not?¡±


    I can¡¯t seem to respond. My body isn¡¯t moving. All of my suppressed emotions are surging to the surface, and few are positive. Tears well up in my eyes and she seems to realize that I¡¯m having trouble. Wrapping me in a motherly hug, she murmurs, ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetie. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done your best. Soon, you¡¯ll have to realize that it¡¯s time to let someone else take over, time to let yourself be protected instead of being the protector yourself. But not until you¡¯re ready, okay? Just know that you have people watching out for you, and your sister, and your brother, and your mom. You¡¯re not alone, you hear me? Just remember that.¡±


    I continue sobbing into her shirt as I recall everything that¡¯s happened in the last thirteen years. Even when Yulina enters the room, even when my tears dry up, I don¡¯t move, my consciousness locked in its own private battle.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t tell her.


    I couldn¡¯t tell my best friend¡¯s mom that the reason I had never tried to call for help was out of fear for my own safety. I couldn¡¯t say that protecting my siblings and mom actually comes second in the deepest parts of my heart. I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to admit the truths I¡¯m so ashamed of.


    One last thought crossed my mind in the moments before Kara woke up. I¡¯m such a horrible person¡­

 Chapter 7 - Lina

    I really hate seeing Kami cry. It just drives home the fact that she won¡¯t let me help. Only once has she spilled her heart to me; it saddened me to hear that she believes herself so terrible, especially when I tried to tell her otherwise and she wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Sitting in the living room with Conor, I busy myself with tomorrow¡¯s paperwork. Kara is still asleep, but I doubt she¡¯ll stay that way for much longer. Conor scoots closer. ¡°Hey, Lina, what¡¯s that?¡±


    I know he¡¯s trying to ignore Kami¡¯s sobs, but his query surprises me nonetheless. ¡°They¡¯re student registry papers,¡± I say quietly, trying not to disturb the sisters. ¡°Since the Student Council helps oversee the clubs and teams, we have to keep track of who belongs to which groups, and how many people are in each, so that we can help plan things like matches, outings, and competitions.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh,¡± he says, as if a lightbulb suddenly turned on. ¡°No wonder you guys always look so tired.¡± He sighs.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the heavy sigh for? Has something new gone wrong?¡± I ask, teasing.


    ¡°No, well, not exactly. It¡¯s just, it suddenly occurred to me that Rina does a lot on her own, and I was considering whether there was anything I could do to help.¡± He looks sad.


    I toy with the idea of telling him how she feels, but decide against it. I¡¯ll just give him a nudge. ¡°Kami said something once, about feeling like a terrible person¡­ I don¡¯t remember why. Maybe if you could find out¡­¡± I trail off meaningfully.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He¡¯s watching me, and I have a feeling that he knows I¡¯m hiding something, but isn¡¯t going to ask. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Lina.¡± He hesitates. ¡°You too, do your best, okay? I know you want to help, and she hasn¡¯t been letting you, but keep trying anyway.¡± He pauses again. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to admit it, I do respect Lakodi in that regard. His persistence is rather amazing; most guys wouldn¡¯t even be going near her after getting rejected this many times.¡±


    I laugh softly. ¡°Most guys wouldn¡¯t have been rejected this many times anyway. They don¡¯t have the willpower.¡±


    ¡°True that.¡±


    We sit together in companionable silence until Kara suddenly stirs with a soft groan. Kami has stopped sobbing, but still has her head buried in my mom¡¯s shoulder. I probably shouldn¡¯t let Kara see that.


    To my surprise, Kara doesn¡¯t so much as glance toward Kami. Instead, she looks directly at me and asks in a soft voice, ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    Conor and I both startle, wondering how long she¡¯s been awake and how much of our conversation she heard.


    I stare at her with wide eyes for several seconds before my expression softens into a smile. ¡°Yeah,¡± I murmur. ¡°She¡¯ll be just fine. A good cry should help her quite a bit; keeping all those emotions locked up inside can¡¯t have been good for her. I think she fell asleep, though.¡±


    They nod sadly. Kara sighs lightly. ¡°Well, at least I got a good nap in.¡± Pushing herself off the couch, she stretches. ¡°Now, I have homework, so I guess I¡¯ll work until she¡¯s ready to leave.¡±


    Two hours later, with Kami finally awake and both Conor and Kara having finished their homework, they wave goodbye and head home. It¡¯s a fifteen-minute walk, and it¡¯s only 7:15 right now, but I suspect I¡¯ll be patching up more bruises tomorrow during school.


    Grumbling under my breath, I start preparing extra lunches. I hope I get to help them soon¡­

 Chapter 8 - Kody

    Chapter 8 - Kody


    The first thing I notice when President steps into the classroom is her extremely overdone makeup. I wonder what her excuse will be today. But for her to need an excuse or an explanation, her makeup - no, it looks more like face paint - will have to come off somehow.


    I grumble under my breath as I consider how that might happen. It also occurs to me that Yulina might be willing to help¡­ until I notice that she¡¯s carrying a makeup kit in her bag, but not wearing any makeup herself. Darn.


    Throughout the entire day, I watch her carefully, but her bruises never show. Finally, we¡¯re in the Student Council room. I decide to ask, albeit in a flippant manner since that¡¯s how she sees me. ¡°What, no bruises today?¡± I see Yulina roll her eyes in annoyance, but her next expression catches me off guard. It¡¯s a look that quite clearly says, ¡°What are you doing, you idiot? That¡¯s not how you make her fall for you!¡± I jump slightly.


    Shaking my head, I turn to see President¡¯s reaction and find her staring blankly into space. ¡°Ah, President? Everything okay in there?¡± I wave my hand in front of her face and she startles. ¡°Ah, sorry, what were we discussing?¡± She asks, blinking.


    I open my mouth, but hesitate. Shaking my head, I turn away. ¡°The budget for the soccer team. They¡¯re claiming to need new nets this year.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°Someone should go check¡­ let¡¯s see. John, do you know anything about sports?¡±


    John¡¯s head comes up. ¡°I know the rules, but I can¡¯t tell you anything about the equipment. Sorry.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°Nothing to apologize for. Hmmm¡­ Yulina has a doctor¡¯s appointment today, and I know literally nothing about sports. Lakodi, will you go look?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Yeah, I can do that. I¡¯ll look into the other teams¡¯ equipment while I¡¯m at it.¡± I start to walk out.


    ¡°Oh, and Lakodi,¡± she calls, offering me a tired smile, ¡°thanks.¡±


    My eyes widen, and I head out with a crazy smile on my face, as if I¡¯d just won the lottery. She smiled! At me, of all people! Is something going on today? The smile drops when I remember her usual bruises and today¡¯s makeup, though.


    A long hour-and-a-half later, I stumble out of the back exit of the school building with my stuff, exhausted. As I make my way to the side gate of the school grounds, I¡¯m startled to see President sitting on a bench with her head in her hands. I approach quietly, trying to ascertain if she¡¯s asleep.


    I step up next to her and jump slightly when she says with a muffled voice, ¡°What do you want, Lakodi?¡±


    Thinking quickly, I decide to sit down. ¡°Nothing, really. Just wondering if you needed some help with anything.¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Ah, nope. Sorry. See, leaving a distressed girl alone just doesn¡¯t sit right with me. Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened?¡± It¡¯s a long shot, but I¡¯ll take it.


    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Her grumbling is cut off when I tug her hand away from her face. ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crying,¡± I say in surprise. Then I realize how that could sound. ¡°...do you want a tissue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± She yells. She stands as if to storm away, but her knees give out and she lands back on the bench.


    I finally do what I¡¯ve been wanting to do the entire time and pull her to my chest. ¡°Just cry if you need to, President,¡± I say quietly. ¡°No one else is around to hear it. Let it all out.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    She struggles to keep it in, but it doesn¡¯t last long. I wonder silently if tears and snot wash out like anything else, but I don¡¯t complain. The simple fact that she¡¯s willing to cry into my shoulder is enough for me.


    When her sobs quiet and her shoulders stop shaking, I expect her to pull away, but she doesn¡¯t. She stays tucked up in my shoulder, as if I¡¯m providing some kind of security. I don¡¯t object. After all, she rarely lets me touch her.


    ¡°...name¡­¡± She mumbles something into my shirt that I don¡¯t catch.


    ¡°Hm? Did you say something, President?¡±


    ¡°Use my name¡­¡±


    My eyes widen and I remember thinking that Yulina wasn¡¯t telling me everything when she told me why President responded to the nickname she¡¯d used. So this is what she didn¡¯t say. President only lets people she¡¯s opened up to use her name at all, and I doubt I¡¯m allowed to use a nickname. So¡­ ¡°Yes, Kamorina?¡±


    She seems to startle. I guess she¡¯s not used to being called that. Makes sense, since very few people refer to her by anything other than her position. ¡°U-umm, I think I got snot on your clothes¡­ sorry.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°It¡¯ll wash out.¡±


    ¡°I still feel bad about it. Maybe - oh, I could wash it for you. Is that okay?¡± She pulls her head away from my chest to look up at me.


    I offer her a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can wash it myself.¡±


    ¡°B-but I still want to do something!¡±


    I pause. ¡°I would love to say that there¡¯s nothing I want you to do for me, but¡­ there is one thing.¡±


    ¡°What? As long as it¡¯s nothing inappropriate, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± My shock isn¡¯t fake. I can¡¯t believe she thinks I¡¯m that kind of person.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, but I had to be sure.¡± I look down and see that her eyes hold some teasing. ¡°So what is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°I just want to ask you something, I swear. And naturally I would prefer an honest answer.¡±


    I can feel her tense up as she figures out what I¡¯m after. She sighs. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go somewhere more private. It¡¯ll be a long story.¡±


    I nod and we make our way to a small caf¨¦ in town. ¡°So? Your question? Though I¡¯m pretty sure I already know what it is. After all, you¡¯ve been sniffing for answers for quite a while, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    I smile at her gently. ¡°You¡¯re right, I have. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the best way to go about it, but I had to try. As you suspect, I want to know about the origin of your injuries¡­ which means my real question is, what¡¯s going on in your house?¡±


    She sighs again, more heavily this time. ¡°My mother and older siblings claim my father used to be kinder, but I don¡¯t remember it. All I know is that the beatings started when I was three.¡± She looks up to gauge my reaction, but I keep my face calm, blank, open. I want her to know that I¡¯m listening, not deafened by the force of my anger, which I¡¯m holding back through sheer force of will. ¡°My older siblings agree that it all started after his accident, something we have no details about. After he recovered, he had developed several addictions - smoking, drugs, alcohol. Mom could do nothing to stop him.


    ¡°The substance abuse seemed to remove all of his self-control. My older siblings, Andrew and Mary, fled as soon as they could. I know, sounds selfish, but they¡¯ve been working really hard to send Mom money for groceries and bills, since Father spends his entire paycheck on his vices. I¡¯ve spent most of my life protecting my younger siblings; it¡¯s why Conor doesn¡¯t have as many bruises and Kara rarely has any.¡±


    ¡°You take the hits for them,¡± I realize. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re always so beaten up. You distract him so he takes it out on you instead of them, don¡¯t you?¡± It¡¯s more of a statement than a question, but she answers it anyway.


    ¡°Yes. My father barely even knows Kara exists. We¡¯ve told her time and time again to run, but she doesn¡¯t. Instead, she sneaks out and buys groceries and medicine.¡± She smiles slightly, but it¡¯s sad. ¡°Things got worse when I turned five. Conor was barely three and Father had just started hitting him - it seems he won¡¯t hit anyone under that age - but apparently we weren¡¯t enough anymore. He started abusing Mom, too, and¡­ well¡­¡± She trails off. ¡°Things got worse for me, too, because¡­¡± Her next words are nearly unintelligible. ¡°I¡¯m...female.¡±


    I stare at her in silence for a full minute as the implications sink in. My voice is dangerously, angrily quiet, a bare whisper. ¡°Are you telling me that a full-grown man raped his five-year-old daughter? And not to mention, repeatedly?¡±


    She looks up at me with fear in her eyes and I feel my anger subside. She nods. I sit back in my chair, my hand over my eyes as I try to wrap my head around just how much of an *** her father is. I lower my hand and stare at her. In a soft voice I ask, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to the authorities? Or told someone?¡± I hope I don¡¯t sound like a jerk, but I¡¯m concerned for her health.


    Her eyes are sad. ¡°Because if they came, and the evidence was hidden, it would just get all that much worse. And besides, I have told someone. Yuli knows, and since John is smart, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s figured it out too.¡±


    That stops me where I am. ¡°So¡­ if the police came in a surprise raid, while your entire family was home, just in time to see you get hit, would it work?¡± Her eyes go wide.

 Chapter 9 - Mori

    ¡°N-no, no, Lakodi, don¡¯t,¡± I stutter. ¡°I-, I can¡¯t, no, I don¡¯t think that would work.¡± I¡¯m freaking out. He just suggested something that¡¯s so far from safe that I can¡¯t even imagine it.


    He seems to read the panic in my expression, but then again, I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s very well hidden. ¡°Okay, okay, I hear you. Calm down, Kamorina. Breathe.¡± He waits for my breathing to relax. ¡°Can I suggest something? Just as an option?¡±


    I stare at him. ¡°U-umm, I guess? Just¡­¡±


    He nods. ¡°I get it. Here¡¯s my thought. Clearly you won¡¯t let anyone tell an authority. But you do have people who care about you - me, Yulina, her mom, and John, among others. So tell us how we can help you. Blankets? Food, snuck in through windows? You never have bruises when I see you during breaks, so maybe a coordinated effort to permanently remove him during a time when you¡¯re not vulnerable?¡±


    He lost me halfway through. People who want to help? Even though we¡¯ve done nothing but push them away? And how does he intend to follow through? Sneak in every night or something?


    He catches my expression. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s hold a conference between all the people who already know. Then we can figure out what to do.¡± He lays his hand over mine. ¡°Even if you won¡¯t let us get you out of there, can you at least let us keep you a little bit safer?


    And that is how, an hour later, I find myself sitting in Yulina¡¯s living room with John, Lakodi, Conor, Kara, and Mrs. Jemesson, discussing various ways to keep us from being beaten up. So far, most of the suggestions have involved foam padding under our clothes.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I rub my forehead. I¡¯m still really confused about how this conversation started in the first place. ¡°Can we talk about something other than foam?¡± I hear Conor say. ¡°Lakodi, you said something about blankets, right?¡± My head comes up in time to see Lakodi nod.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t know what you guys might need, so I thought I¡¯d offer some of the basics. What can we give that¡¯s small enough to fit through a window?¡±


    I lose track of the conversation again as Conor and Kara take over. Something occurs to me. Why is Lakodi so adamant about helping us? I lift my head again and cut through their conversation. ¡°Lakodi.¡±


    He blinks and turns to me. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I can understand Yulina and Mrs. Jemesson wanting¡± I almost stumble over the words ¡°to help us, but¡­ I¡¯ve done nothing but brush you off when you¡¯ve asked about things in the past. For goodness¡¯ sake, I¡¯ve practically treated you like an enemy. Why are you so insistent on helping us?¡±


    He stares at me for a moment. ¡°Um¡­¡± he seems confused. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? Regardless of pushing me away, I¡¯ve never seen you as an enemy. Besides, I¡­¡± he pauses. ¡°We grew up together. I¡¯m worried about you and your siblings. Is there a reason that I shouldn¡¯t want to help you?¡±


    His sudden change in verbal direction leaves me a little confused and curious about what he was going to say. ¡°I guess not. I was just wondering.¡± I glance at my watch. ¡°Ah, crud. It¡¯s already seven.¡± I stand up. ¡°We¡¯d better go home early if we don¡¯t want curfew to move back again. See you tomorrow.¡± Conor and Kara nod and grab their stuff.


    I can tell the others aren¡¯t nearly done with this conversation, but they wave goodbye as we slip out the door and head home. I sigh internally. Yay! Another night of finding excuses for not coming home immediately after school. Let¡¯s see how many bruises we gain tonight.