chapter 8

"Bianca, you really should get in earlier," I said as I met her at the front door. "I mean, it's a Tuesday, so getting in at eleven is just being, like, stupid."

"I know," she said. 'I know?' Something was off. I was expecting one of her sassy comebacks. I flicked on the hall light. She looked like she had been crying. "Turn the light off!"

Oh my god! "Bianca, you're...did he...hit you?" She was wearing a little black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I could see the bruises on her arms. It was cold out, why wasn't she wearing a jacket? She had hung it up when she came in.

"Keep your voice down," she hissed. "It was an accident, okay? I was being silly and it just happened. No big deal, I promise." No big deal? How was this not a big deal? I mean, if I was being hit for being "silly" I would want someone to stop whoever was hitting me. Kenneth Myers was abusive? I could see it.

"Bianca, I...I'll handle this. But you are going to have to break it off with him."

"Who are you? My mom?" She walked over to the stairs. "And Wade, I can handle myself. I don't need you to keep butting into my life. Go live your own and let me live mine." But he hit her, like more than once it looked like. I was supposed to just ignore that? I didn't want her to get hurt. Was that so wrong?

The next day I decided to talk to Caz. I liked to hear what he thought about stuff. He said we definitely needed to get them to break up. I agreed with that, but if Bianca broke up with him, I feared he'd do something to hurt her. But then again, if he was pissed off enough to break up with her, he might still hurt her.

A week later, and a couple more nights of Bianca coming home drunk off her rocker, I finally decided to intervene.

"Hey, Myers." I was trying to sound...I didn't know, not scared. "I saw what you did to my sister." Bianca had gone downstairs to pop a bag of popcorn. Yeah, I was listening to what they were talking about.

Bianca was helping him study. Bianca was a freshman, and she was helping him study. He was such an idiot. I had two minutes, three minutes tops.

"What did I do Wade? Cause I didn't do anything that concerns you." He stood up. Why god was I so short? But, I had backup...big, sexy backup.

"You hit her, and according to that seminar we had freshman year, that's called teen dating violence." Hit him with the facts. Oh!!! "Plus, Bianca's my sister, so whatever she's too stubborn to see, I have to help her."

"What's she too stubborn to see?" He walked over to me. Was he that thick-skulled? He was probably trying to scare me, like always.

"That you're an abusive dick!" Ow! Um, okay. I had just gotten punched in the face, and it really, really hurt. I mean, I didn't honest to god think I'd get punched in the FACE. Disoriented was I. I started crying, not on purpose, but the tears just came. I stumbled back, into Cazimir. He walked over to Kenneth.

"What's your problem?" he asked. "You don't go around hitting people." Caz was always so calm, but he was angry now. It was obvious.

"You wanna go chubby?" Kenneth asked before punching Caz in the stomach. This guy was just angry at everyone, hitting anybody in front of him without remorse.

I stood up and hobbled back over to the battle. I was still a little out of it. I didn't know how I could help. I mean, I would totally be in the way.

Caz punched him back and Kenneth looked pissed. His jaw was clenched and he sort of grabbed him around the waist trying to get him down. However, I doubt he expected Cazimir to be so solid and sturdy. I wanted to do something.

I ran up and was pushed back, by Caz. "I don't want you to get hurt," he shouted. I stumbled back again, into Bianca this time. She probably heard all the noise.

"Stop it!" she shouted. Both of them stopped and Bianca walked up to Myers. "Get out," she said. He didn't say anything, but grabbed his bag and left. I looked over at Caz. He looked over at me.

"Bianca, before you say anything...," I started.

"Thanks guys." She started to cry.

"Hugs?" I asked with a smile. I turned to Bianca to give her a hug

"Hugs," she confirmed as she hugged me back.

Caz and I hugged too, but ours continued later on.

The End!