We Weren't THAT Bad Were We?
Part 3
Michael and Maria entered the mall each holding one of their weekend terrors. "I hate the mall." Nicky whined. "It's not that bad. It's just the part of going with Isabel that's the problem." Michael snickered at Maria's comment. He had actually thought of her as the mall going girl at first. Then he got to know her. Know her better then most people knew her. And he loved knowing her.
Isabel spotted a shop full of little trinkets and thought it would be a great idea to go in. All the kids fiddled with things they knew they weren't supposed to but once they were told not to all of them stopped but Nicky and Mario. Michael and Maria ended up leaving early because Nicky and Mario were getting into more trouble, then was actually known possible, everywhere they went. They walked out to the car.
"Okay since you two want to act out you get to sit in the back and keep your mouths shut the whole way. If one of you says something as soon as we get there you will go straight to a room. Understand?" Both of them shook their heads yes and Maria drove home.
They climbed out of the car and walked into the house. "Instead of going to your room go into the living room and watch TV. Me and Michael are going to run to the store and get something to eat." "Okay. Race you to the living room." "You'll just lose." "I will not you dweeb." "Will too." And they were off to the living room. There was a big crash and a holler and then another crash.
Michael and Maria ran into the living room to see Mario lying on his back and a pot lying across from him. "What the hell happened?!?" Nicky's head shot up at the sound of his voice and she froze. "Will someone explain what happened now?!?" Nicky began to shake. She put her hands over her mouth and took a step back. "It was an accident. I'm...I'm sorry." Michael and Maria both watched the girl very intently, especially Michael. He knew what was wrong with her. "Whose fault was it?" Maria asked gently. Nicky's eyes swelled up with tears and looked broken.
Michael looked at the girl then turned to the boy lying on the ground. Mario stood up and walked in front of Nicky. "It was my fault." Michael shook his head. He and Maria both knew it wasn't, they knew her look, she was afraid for her life. She'd been in a situation like this many times before. Mario turned to look at Nicky. She didn't agree she just shook her head. Then she grabbed her ears and fell to the ground in tears.
Mario fell to her side and grabbed her. He could feel her shaking. "Michael? Michael they were serious about our records weren't they?" "Apparently they didn't know how close." Maria walked up to where Mario and Nicky were and went to reach for the girl when Mario turned and glared at her. He knew, he knew what was going on. Michael walked up and grabbed Maria and held her in his arms as sobs escaped her mouth. "Maria I know it hurts. I know."
Michael let Maria out of his arms but not his hands and they both knelt in front of the two younger kids. Mario now had his arms wrapped around the young girl. "How long?" "3 years." "How do you know?" "She told me." "When?" "Why do you need to know?" Maria was taken aback by the boys tone. She never had to deal with a person other then Michael and herself with such a tone.
"She's just...trying to...help." Nicky spoke threw tears and sobs herself. Mario turned back to face the girl. "Michael and I can help." "No, you can't. She doesn't need your help." "And what makes you think that?" Mario just kept his back to them. Nicky calmed down a bit and began to stand. "No sit down." "Let me get up, I can stand on my own." "Your gonna try to run away and you know it." "I'm not. I swear." "You lie." "I never lie." "You always lie." "Let me up!" "Fine." Nicky stood up and went to run away but Michael grabbed her before she had the chance.
"Nice try." "Let me go!" "I told you, you were going to run away." "So what. I'm allowed." "You are but you can't keep running Nicky." "How the heck would you know. You don't live my life. None of you do." Nicky slipped onto the ground and began to cry all over again. This time not trying to run. Maria ran to the girls side not letting anyone stop her. "We have lived your life. We have." Nicky lifted her head. "Really?" "Yes." Nicky flew into the girls arms and began to cry.
"So Maria what do we do now?" "We tell Social Services Michael." "No, you can't. They'll take me away, maybe even away from Roswell." "Funny most people want to leave Roswell." "Well, I don't, I like it here. My friends are here." "But you can't let him hit you anymore Nick." "I know. He doesn't do it that much anymore and you know that Mario." Maria lifted her head to the now downcast Mario." "How long?" "I already said three years." "No Mario, how long has she been coming to you?" "What?" "How did you find out and when did she tell you?" "I noticed a mark that Freddie, Kenny or Leon didn't put on her." "When?" "About a year now, but it has gotten better, a lot."
Mario turned back to Nicky who had tears springing in her eyes all over again. Nicky finally lifted her head and spoke. "When did it happen to you?" "Who me? Or Michael?" "You first." "Me when I was in 5th grade too. But I told my mom, and then told Liz and Alex and then told Liz's parents. And Michael found out about it a couple months ago when he told me about his abuse." "So who helped you?" "Liz's parents." "Why not your mom?" "She knew I didn't like her boyfriend and just thought I was making it up. But Liz's parents believed me and talked to my mom, after that I never saw her boyfriend again." "Oh."
"You need to tell someone, or it won't stop. Believe me I know from experience." "How?" "My best friend Max and Isabel were the first to find out, but since I'm 16 and it had been happening for almost my entire life it was a little to late, then I told Maria and then Max and Izzy's parents who got me an emancipation. Meaning I can live on my own." "But I can't live on my own." "No but you can either live with me or Andrea or Andy, or..." "Me." Mario, Nicky and Michael all turned to look at Maria. When they did their was a small smile across her face. "Yeah?" "Yeah." "But I think I would rather sleep on it. Can I go to bed and we talk about this tomorrow, please?" "Yeah go ahead. I trust you." Nicky stood and walked up the stairs and into Maria's room.
"Why don't you go join her?" "Yeah okay I will, I guess I got to go to bed too huh?" "Yep it's passed 10:00 anyway." "Okay goodnight." "Night." Mario walked up the stairs and into guest room. "Michael what do you think we should do?" "I think we should tell Mario's mother." "Why?" "Well because, think who did she tell first; Mario. They must mean a lot more to each other then they let on." "Yeah, true." Michael walked over and sat next to Maria on the couch. "You look warn." "I feel beat." "Well, then you need to rest. Come here." Maria moved into Michael's arms and they laid down on the couch together.
1:00am...
She walked out the bedroom door and looked around. She stepped onto the stairs and peered down them. She saw that Michael and Maria were curled up on the couch together. She walked back into the hall were there was a closet with blankets. She had seen Maria pull one out for Michael. She pulled out a big one and quietly walked down the stairs. She gently placed the blanket over them and walked back up the stairs. Maybe one day later someone else would treat her as nice as they were treating her now.
She walked back into the hall and slightly peeked into the guest room where Mario slept. He turned to face her. "Can I come in?" "Yeah come on." She walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to thank you, you know for everything." "Yeah. Why aren't you asleep?" "I couldn't." "Oh." She turned to get up from the bed and looked as if she was going to walk out back to her "room." "Come on." Mario lifted the blanket up and she crawled inside and into his arms. "Thank you." She laid her head on his arms and closed her eyes. God she hated having to do this to him, but he welcomed her. One of the only people who did, ever.
They both fell fast asleep cuddled together like to scared 5 year olds, waiting alone for the next day, and never wanting it to come. To afraid for what it welcomed.
_______________________________________________________________________
Isabel climbed out of Alex's car with everyone either next to her or behind her. "Izzy don't you think we should have called first and let them sleep in today." "No, I don't. They wanted to sleep in yesterday and kinda got to, so they have to get up early so we can all eat out for breakfast." "Fine." "Knock?" "Yeah." Isabel went to knock and the door came open. "They didn't lock it." "Maybe something's wrong. Or maybe they went to meet us for breakfast." "I highly doubt it."
Isabel walked in the door and looked in the kitchen. "Nobody." She peeked into the living room. "Found Michael..." She walked in quietly going to spook him. "And Maria." "What?" "Shhh! They are still asleep." Maria rolled over to face Michael, who also was opening his eyes. Maria's eyes widened as she caught site of Isabel and the others behind the couch. "What?" Michael turned his head to see what was so frightening. "Well, good-mourning sunshines." Isabel replied sarcastically.
Both Maria and Michael sat up but made no appearance of moving. "Can't we have one day out of the weekend to sleep in?" "Nope. Go get Mario and Nicky." "Fine." "No sleeping in. I'm coming behind you." "Whatever Isabel." Maria and Michael walked into Maria's room and looked around. "Oh God she left. She said she wouldn't, but she did." "Let's just go get Mario, come on. He might know where she went." Michael opened the bedroom door a little and peered in. Maria peeked in behind him.
They both abruptly shut the door quietly. "Hey! Get that boy up." "Isabel just go back down stairs. We need to deal with something." "If you try and..." "We won't I swear." "Fine you have 5 minutes." "Whatever." Isabel turned and walked down the stairs. Maria and Michael entered the room again. Maria leaned against Michael chest. "Should we wake them?" "No. Let's go tell Izzy and the others they had a hard night, and so did we." "Okay."
Michael and Maria made their way back up the stairs to the room where the two children lay. They opened the door to see them still curled together the same position as before. Nicky felt their presence and shot up. Michael and Maria were taken aback by her sudden awareness. "I...I didn't...I didn't..." "She didn't feel like being alone." Mario stated as he sat up next to her. "So what are...are we you know gonna do about me?" "We found somewhere." "Where?"
"We talked to someone." "Who?" Mario was even more impatient then Nicky and it was her life at stake, but maybe so was his. "Your mother." "What?" "She agreed to keep Nicky, well for now. She's gonna take Nicky to the authorities and suggest she stay with her so she won't feel alone, you know? And Nicky will be living under the same roof for real, this time no sneaking in and out of the room." Nicky's face went from shock to glee. "Really? I don't have to stay at home and I don't have to leave right now?" "Yes, really." "Cool." "Anyway, I think you both need to get up. Isabel wasn't to happy when she dropped by and I think she wants us to go with them to eat breakfast, so up!" "Okay."
Nicky, Maria, Michael and Mario all dressed and headed to the Crashdown where Izzy and everybody else was. They at least owed her breakfast. They didn't have to explain anything until later, but for now they were just gonna have some fun.
THE END
Click below and go Somewhere else
My Stories II
Home
