Protecting Cecilia

Drama at school and home

Song: Antidote by Faith Marie

The rest of the afternoon is a blur. I ignore everyone around me as much as possible. At the end of the day, Weston keeps nagging me to go check out the Drama class.

I try to hard not to talk to him because people already are calling me enough names. No telling what they will say if they see me talking to myself as if I have an imaginary friend. Well I do have a ghost for a friend so I guess that's pretty cool.

"Cecilia you should at least check it out...look if you don't like you don't have to go back."

"Fine!" I finally say out loud and the people around me stop and stare as I slam my locker shut.

We walk down to the theater. I sit in the very back row and watch. Mrs. Banks sees me and smiles in my direction. She motions for me to come down towards the stage.

"Come on Cecilia just try it for me...please." He begs in my ear.

I look over at him and give him a fake smile. "Ok just for you."

I join her near the stage.

"I'm so excited you decided to come. We are all working on the spring play."

"Oh!"

"You should try out for a part...actually I think I may already have a part for you."

"But I didn't say yes."

"Ok...well how about I give you a copy of the play. You can take it home look it over and if you are interested I will see you tomorrow."

She hands me a booklet of the play and I stash it away in my backpack.

"I haven't given out any parts yet. Auditions start tomorrow so...anyway I hope you will consider it." She smiles back at me.

"I will look at it."

Well of course I missed the bus from staying late after school, so I have to walk home. I enter the house. I hear my parents fighting in the kitchen. I try to walk by quietly as possible but it's like he has radar or something on me. He always knows when I am around.

"Get your ass in here." He yells as I freeze in my tracks.

"Cecilia don't go in there." Weston tries to keep me back.

I walk past him, almost through him. "I'll be fine..." I take a deep breath, turn and stand in the doorway. My mother sits on the floor crying. I watch as he reaches down and pulls her up by her hair.

"Get out of here." He kicks her in the ass as she walks by causing her to stumble.

I turn to walk back out and he hollers, "Not you Cecilia stay."

I watch my mom as she walks past me holding her cheek. She doesn't even look up at me as if I'm not even standing there.

"Where the hell have you been?"

I can feel the lump form in my throat that tries to choke me but I manage to tell him, "I had to stay after school. I missed the bus so I had to walk home." Which was the truth? I could have lied but what difference does it make.

He walks over to me and pulls me by my arm towards the sink. "You see this shit, clean it up."

He turns on the hot water, scorching hot and them slams dishes into the sink. Sounds of glass breaking.

"God dammit...you and your mother are getting on my last nerve."

I don't say anything. You learn from past experience just to keep your mouth shut. I close my eyes for a second begging for him to just leave me there to do the damn dishes. However when his hand slaps the back of my head, I grit my teeth and open my eyes. This is so freaking embarrassing with Weston watching all of this take place. I keep hearing Weston yelling at him to leave me alone but my dad doesn't see or hear him.

"What are you waiting on Easter, wash the fucking dishes."

My hands tremble as I pick up a plate and the sponge. The water burns my hands on contact. I want to pull away but which would be worse feeling the pain of this or him doing god knows what. He is watching me but after I wash two of the plates he goes back to his room.

I reach into the water and the glass cuts me deep in the middle of my hand. I pull it out of the water and blood streams down turning the water a pinkish color.

I feel Weston standing beside me. "Are you ok?"

"Just go away." I whisper while tears stream my face.

"Cecilia, you are hurt."

"This is nothing...Weston, just go away...dammit just go."

And just like that he is gone.