Chapter 3: Its time you know

Alyssa's pov:

(When she is unconscious)

"Where are your parents?" They asked as they walked in. Four men with guns just barged into our house demanding to see our parents. I was scared and I could see Hailey was scared as well. We were alone at home because my parents had gotten a phone call saying they had to be at work.

"Th..they're not here." Hailey tells them stuttering. "Where are they?" They asked again. The one guy grabbed me and pointed a gun to my head."The next time I ask there will be a bullet in her head, we wouldn't want that would we?" He smirks.

"N..no please, I have no idea where they went. They got a phone call and left. Please don't hurt my sister take me, but please she's still young." I heard my sister crying and begging them to let me go.

They pushed me away and grabbed her. "They said they'll be back in 10 minutes. If they're not you can kill me but please leave my sister alone." She continued begging and I hated it.

10 minutes passed by and I heard the gunshot.

I woke up with a start and stared at my surroundings before bursting into tears. "Hey ,it's alright they're not here you're at my house." I hear Theo tell me. After a while I calmed down and he told me he's going to make something for me to eat.

I can't stop thinking about my dream. If only they were at home. Hailey would still be alive and I wouldn't be beaten almost to death. Why did they have to gamble? My parents were always after money though they had enough.

I freshen up and go downstairs and see that Theo is alone in the kitchen. "Where's your mom?" I ask him. "She's out getting some groceries she should be here any minute." He tells me while mixing something in a bowl. I peep over his shoulder, with much difficulty might I add, and see that he is mixing cookie dough.

"Aww you're baking cookies for me." I smile at him. "Nope." He said with a grin. "They're for Aaron when he comes over." He tells me while rolling out the dough.

"Aaron's coming." I look at him a bit worried. Aaron is one of my friends yes but he doesn't know what I'm going through but I think its time I tell him. I mean he has been with us for quite some time.

"Yeah but don't worry he knows you're here and he won't put pressure on you to tell him anything." He gives me a reassuring smile.

I turn towards the entrance of the kitchen after I hear the door opening. "Theo,could you please help me with the grocery bags?" I hear Sally scream from the door. I walk towards her and pick up three bags.

"Oh, Alyssa you're awake." She smiles at me. "Thank you for the help but you need to rest so leave it and Theo will come take it." She tells me. "Its ok besides he's busy baking cookies." I smile at her.

"I'm guessing Aaron is coming over." She laughs. "How are you feeling? You were passed out when Theo brought you home,was it that bad this time." She gives me a small comforting smile.

"You learn to get used to it and just somehow survive." I say shrugging non-chalantly.

She opens her mouth to say something but closes it when Theo comes towards us. "Stop gossiping about people when they are about 2 feet away." He says with a stern face which turns into a smile. "And why would you think we are talking about you?" Sally asks him. "Ouch,that one hurt real bad mom." He said putting a hand to his chest.

I laughed at the both of them carrying on like best friends. If only my parents were like that with me. My life would be so much more enjoyable. Unfortunately I'm being punished for their mistakes.

We take the groceries to the kitchen and pack them away. Theo makes a nutella sandwich and slides it across the table towards me. I give him a grateful smile and start eating the sandwich. When I'm done he passes me my medication and I look at him confused.

"What are these for?" I ask him eyeing the pills cautiously as if they are going to attack me. "They're for the pain, the doctor prescribed them. And he also suggested that you don't go home for a few days." Sally tells me while Theo takes the cookies out of the oven.

"I can't stay away from home. They will punish me even more because I'm not at home. They might even kill me and lets not forget what they will do to you when they find out that you're helping me." I say panicking. I can't risk these people getting hurt after all they've done to help me.

"Don't worry about us we are more worried about you. The doctor said that if you go back now you might end up in hospital. I won't sit back and watch you get hurt when I know that there is something I can do." Theo tells me and I see a flicker of regret in his eyes before he masks it.

How can he expect me to not worry. Obviously I'm going to worry about him and I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to them. They are like the family I wish I had, and I will do anything to see them safe. I stare at Theo and open my mouth to say something but close it when I hear the doorbell ring. I silently take the pills before Theo opens the door.

"What's up people?" Aaron says as he walks in the house.

"Hello to you too Aaron." Sally and I say at the same time. We look at each other and burst out laughing.

Aaron's pov:

"Hey there sexy." I smirk at the blonde who now has a red face. I'm at school on my way to Alyssa's locker. I know for a fact that Theo will be there if he's not by his own locker.

I stop at the designated locker and frown when I don't see my friends. Did they decide to skip and not tell me about it? If they did they are in so much trouble. Wait till I get a hold of them I swear I'll-

I get cut of from my rant when my phone rings. "Where the hell are you?" I scream into the phone. "Well hello to you too Aaron and I'm good thanks for asking. How about you?" Theo replies sarcastically. "Don't be sarcastic with me that's my job. Now where are you and Alyssa?" I ask yet again.

"Relax we're at my house." He tells me as if its no big deal. Well it is a huge deal. "You and Alyssa are alone together. I mean in the same house. Alone." I say slowly trying to be more clear and process what I'm being told. "Yes. Why are you asking like that? Alyssa wasn't feeling- " I cut him off. "Don't say it I don't want my poor innocent ears to be corrupted." I cry into the phone. "What are-" I cut him off yet again.

"No please I don't want to know what went down. I'm still innocent." I cry again and I think people are staring at me as if I've lost my mind. "Would you shut up and listen to me!! God you are so infuriating." Theo says while taking a deep breath. "So you and Alyssa didn't do anything ....." I ask just to make sure.

"No Aaron we did not do anything. And since when are you or your ears innocent. You're anything but innocent." Theo says while laughing. "Hey that's mean. I am fairly innocent." I try and argue back. "In what world might that be?" Theo asks.

"Haha very funny, now why'd you call me?" I ask trying to ignore his laughter. "I wanted to ask you of you could get my work for me." Theo says after calming down from his laughing fit. "Sure but I'm coming over during lunch. And I want cookies." I say to Theo. I hear him sigh but he agrees.

It is now lunch and I'm on my way to Theo's house. I pull into the driveway, walk up to the door and ring the bell. After sometime the door opens and Theo is standing there. "Hey bro." I say with a huge grin cause I can already smell the cookies.

"What's up people?" I ask when I see Alyssa and Sally in the kitchen. They better not have started eating my cookies without me. "Hello to you too Aaron." They say at the exact same time. Damn that would've been perfect if they were twins. The three of us look at each other and start laughing.

"I would ask why you and Theo stayed at home but I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it. So just for the record I don't want to know if anything got freaky." I look at Alyssa seriously, but all seriousness fades into laughter as she glares at me. "I heard that." Theo says walking into the kitchen now glaring at me as well.

"Relax it was just a joke. Learn to live a little." I say shaking my head. I start devouring the plate of cookies when I feel eyes on me. I look up to see Alyssa, Sally and Theo staring at me. "What?" I ask clearly confused as to why they are staring at me.

"I think its time you find out the truth about me. The story of my life." Alyssa says still looking at me. "You mean you finally trust me enough." I ask just to make sure. "Yes Aaron, but don't worry its not that I don't trust you its just I don't know if tou would want to be my friend afterwards." Alyssa tells me honestly.

"Aaron my life is messed up like real bad, my parents used to be nice to me. That was before my brother Shawn left for college. It was also before my sister Hailey died." She looks at her hands. Wait did she just say sister? Sister! I thought Shawn was her only sibling.

"My parents used to gamble a lot and they owed some bad people a hell of a lot of money. They didn't pay them back and its not like we didn't have the money 'cause we did. One night four guys barged into our house,they wanted to see my parents but they were at work." She tells me her story with tears running down her cheek.

"They held me at gunpoint but Hailey told them to take her instead and they did. Hearing that gunshot and seeing her lifeless body on the floor ruined me. It was like my entire world had ended. Not only did I lose my sister but also my best friend." She's still crying but I'm quiet as I listen to her story.

"My parents came home a few minutes later and looked at her body. They thought I had left them to kill her but in actual fact she did it to save me. My parents were furious and that's when it started. That night was the first night they hit me." She says and takes a deep, shaky breath.

"We didn't come to school because last night they beat me again. This time it was so bad that I actually passed out. Theo brought me here and called the doctor to come and check me." She looks at me now and I can see her waiting for my reaction.

"Want a cookie?" I ask while pushing the plate towards her. She chuckles and I smile. "Honestly I'm bad in situations like this. And I'm glad I could make you smile. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I hope this makes our friendship stronger now." . I give her a small smile. Her phone starts to ring and she walks out of the kitchen to answer it.

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