"What do you want Nick?" AJ asked impatiently. "I wanna know why you're being so hostile to me, come on, I'm your bud," Nick said. "You really hurt her yesterday," AJ replied. "Oh, is that it, is it Stephanie?" Nick asked. Steph stopped short behind the door upon hearing her name.
"What I don't understand AJ, is how you could let a girl with so many problems come along with us and not tell us. Come on, she's making your life hell! You were never like this before she came."
"Well, yeah, but i can't let her go back home."
"Yeah, you can, she's making you miserable."
"I guess I can, but how can I tell her?"
Wait, AJ thought, what am I thinking? I can't let this happen to Steph, then she'll have to go back to her mother.
"You'll figure it out somehow. You will, don't worry." Nick said.
Steph stood there amazed at what he just said. 'Leave,' that means she would have to live with her mom, the person she dreaded the most; her mom and her had a 'secret' that no one ever knew about. But if you saw Steph's body, the bruises were there, and so was the hurt. She was glad that she didn't slip up and tell Nick when she got all mad. She really did want to end her life, ever since her hero left.
~~~~~~flashback~~~~~~~
Steph starred with amazement as her father backed his bags and walked out the door. Before that, Steph only was beaten when her father wasn't home, but now , things were going to be different. After she heard that door slam, she knew she was in for it, her mother turned around pure hate in her voice as she said "Now that your father is gone, no one is here to save you, and you're mine" After that, Steph dreaded commercials because that always meant a bruise of some sort.
~~~~~~~~end flashback~~~~~~~~~~
She was shaken out of her flashback when she realized that this was it, she was to go back to her mother's. The word formed crystals on her tounge. She walked outside and told everybody she didn't feel like playing and she ran up to her bedroom. No, she told herself, you can't cry, not here, not now. If Alex doesn't want me, I have to go She packed her bags and jumped when Brian entered her room. "Hey, where you going?" Brian asked. "Home," she replied. "So soon?" he asked. "Yeah, my train leaves tomorrow," she said. "Oh, well, can you come to my room for a minute?" he asked. "Sure, I'd love to," she replied.
"Come on," he said. Steph walked into Brian's room and looked around. She was awed by the comfort his room brought her. "Sit down," Brian said pointing to a spot next to him on his bed. She sat beside him and he put his arm around her.Wwhen he first tried to, she jumped and got scared, "Hey, it's ok, it's just me, Brian" Brian stopped for a minute and noticed pain in her eyes, "Did I hurt you?" he asked. "I'll be fine," she said shortly. "No, let me see," he said as he pulled her shirt down off her shoulder a little bit. He saw a balck and blue mark. "You wait here, I'm going to go get you ice for that," he said. "NO, PLEASE, don't," she cried. "I'm going, you stay right here, don't move," he said.
"Hey Brian, what's the ice for?" AJ asked as he was passing through. "Nothing," Brian lied. He walked back upstairs and saw Steph looking at all his pictures of him and his mother. "Hey, I got your ice," he said softly. "Thanks... is this your mom?" she asked. "Yeah," he said, smiling. "You're lucky," she replied. Brian was confused, but he just shook it off. Steph came over and sat on the bed; Brian took the ice and put it on her shoulder. She soon fell asleep in his lap. Brian looked down and watched her sleep, he carefully picked her up and carried her to her room, he knew there was more to her then what she told Nick. He covered her up with her sheets and walked back to his bedroom. AJ stopped him on the way. "Hey B-rok, what was that about?" AJ asked. "Nothing, she was just tired. We were talking and she fell asleep, so I carried her back to her room," Brian said. "Oh, ok..." AJ said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steph awoke the next morning and grabbed her bag of stuff and her train ticket. She gave the letter she had written last night to a sleeping AJ, then she quickly and quitely snuck out of the house, but Brian stopped her. "Do you know what you're doing? Come on, he didn't mean," Brian said. "I gotta go Brian, I got to, I'm going to miss you," Steph said, holding back her tears. She ran out the door and got on her bike and rode it to the train station. AJ came running down the steps and saw Brian standing at the door crying. "Where is she?" AJ asked frantically. "At the train station," Brian said. "I'm going to get her," AJ replied. He drove to the train station just in time to see Steph get on the train, the doors closed before he could get there, he watched her take a seat in the back. She looked at him and waved, not crying, only with a straight face. The train took off and with it Stephanie. AJ was left alone, he was heart broken, how could she do this to him? She's so young, only 15, how could I put her through this? AJ walked home, a total mess.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steph sat on the train, why did se want to leave so much? Would her mother even let her in the house again? What if she thinks Steph told 'the secret,' what would happen to her then? Steph started to cry, not only because of her mom, but because she had the best friend, actually her only friend, and she left him. She said a little prayer, and held the picture of AJ she had. She was oh so scared of what was going to happen to her. This was the biggest mistake of her life, or maybe she was the mistake? She didn't even know anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"AJ, you look bad man, you okay?" Nick asked. AJ was so pissed at nick right now, that he jumped on him and started chocking him. "How could you do this?" AJ kept repeating. "I hate you, Nick!" Kevin and Brian had to pull AJ off of him. Howie helped Nick up. "What's your problem?" Nick gasped. "You, I hate you," AJ screamed, breaking free from Kevin and Brian's grasp and attacking Nick again. Kevin grabbed a pot and hit AJ in the head, which made him fall unconsious. Kevin picked him up and locked him in the bathroom. "What's wrong with him?" Nick asked still gasping for breath. Brian got up and started to walk upstairs "What's wrong B-Rok?" Kevin asked. Brian turned around with tears wanting to badly come out of his eyes. "Steph, there's more then what she told you, Nick." "Like what?" Nick asked. Brian walked over to the group and sat down. "Nick, her mother, ... well... Nick, Stephanie is being abused, I saw the bruises on her last night, that's why she was here." "Oh my God..." was all Nick could say. "Well, we have to get her back, no saying what her mother is going to do to her," Kevin said. "That's why AJ is acting the way he is," Brian explained. Nick got up and started to walk towards the bathroom. "What are you doing? He'll kill you!" Howie said. "No, I have to talk to him," Nick replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You Bitch, I never thought you would have the nerve to come back here," Stephanie's mother said, slapping her across the floor. Her mother got closer to Steph with pure hatred in her voice. "Now you're going to pay for telling!"
"No, I didn't!" Steph cried. "Don't lie!" Her mother screamed, grabbing a knife from the counter and kneeling down to Steph. She grabbed one of wrists and slit it without a second thought, then she did the same to her other wrist. Then her mother washed her hands, grabbed her purse and walked out the door. "Where are you going, you aren't just going to let me die..." Steph said. "Grocery shopping," her mother replied, as if nothing happened. Steph watched her mother walk out the door, and Steph faced the truth, she was going to die. She looked around the living room and saw the phone close by. Could she reach it? It was her last chance. She began to crawl on her elbows and knees to her prize. She pulled the cord and the phone came down. She pushed AJ's phone number, her fingers numb. Brian answered. "Hello?" "Help me, I'm dying please," she whispered. Brian just stood there, amazed, and ran to the bathroom he flung open the door and AJ was sitting there talking to Nick, "AJ, get your car, hurry up." "What's the rush B-Rok?" "Steph just called and she's in trouble, hurry up!" Brian said. AJ and Nick jumped up and ran into AJ's car. They sped to Steph's house. AJ jumped out of the car, and ran into the house. He ran up the steps and saw the blood and Steph lying there, holding on for dear life. "Steph, oh my God, Steph..." he cried. "AJ..." Steph said in a weak voice. "AJ, I never told you this, but I wanted you to know how much I care for you, and that I love you. Good-bye. Remember me never forget me..." "No, Steph, wake up! You can't leave me, I love you, you were my best friend, I failed to take care of you!" AJ screamed. Just then the ambulance whized by. They loaded Steph on a strecher and AJ rode with her. Singing her a song he had heard on the radio the first time he saw her in trouble. He sang, "I cried, and I don't care who knows it. I cried, I ain't to proud to show it. I cryed when you said goodbye..."