Wrong-An Ethan Morales FanFiction

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏

𝓘𝓼𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵

Nᴏᴛ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇssɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ I ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴍᴇ? I ᴡᴀs ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ʜᴀᴅɴ'ᴛ been in that shithole for over a week.
I had asked Devi to keep my sister at her house while I was here, and even though her mom, Nalini, didn't like the idea at first since I asked Devi not to elaborate—so, not tell how I ended up in the hospital—but she eventually burst and told her mom everything, which had made Maria cry and Devi's mom soften.
Devi said her mom even told her to ask me if I needed a place to stay, but I didn't. I had to face the shitty parents I had either I wanted it or not.
So as I got dressed in my hospital room and looked into the mirror, palming my breasts so I could see the scars on my abdomen better.
This wasn't the ever first time I got sent to the hospital because of my parents. God, I wish it was the last among all the other ones.
Memories of the past flooded my mind as I kept looking at each one of the scars.

"Mrs. Belmonte, your daughter has two broken ribs and broken skin on her stomach. If you don't tell us exactly what happened me and my friends won't hesitate to call social services for the little girl. Unless you'll tell hus " The nurse told mami as I sat on a large bed, my eyes looking all around me.
A plastic tube had been stuck to my arm when I was in the big white truck. I hadn't had my eyes open, but I could have felt the pinch of a needle and the big inhale I took from a machine over me.
Things at home had gotten bad. I tried to stand up for myself but mami had pushed me hard and I fell on my butt, before the hard kick of papi's foot hit into my chest and my stomach, making me wince but not do any other noise.
When everything went black, I only saw the faint view of nurses around me and settling me on a moving bed. Hadn't seen one of those before.
"You think I treat the kid like shit, is that it? Is that why you want to call social services on me? I just fucking told you she fell down the stairs, what don't you get about that?!" Mami shouted at the nurse from outside the room.
"Ma'am, if you don't calm down, I will call the security on you."
She did. Four big men grasped mami by her arms and flew her out of the hall, bringing her somewhere else while she slurred out some spanish curse words.
Actually, I would love if someone called social services for me. Maybe they would get me in a new school or just homeschool me. Girls were mean to me and would never talk to me. While boys just followed them around.
One year left before I left for preschool. Maybe then girls would be a lot nicer. Or not.
My chest hurt even more, another wince leaving my mouth as I coughed into my hand. Blood sprayed on my skin and the only reflex I had was to wipe my hand on the blanket and hope for my coughing to stop but it never did.
Blood on the sheet, and I slowly got on my knees as the nurse came in again and slowly grabbed me in her arms, calling a few other nurses before all of them cam at once and my eyes closed shut.

The images of what happened that day roared through my mind and consumed all of my thoughts. When I came back to reality I stopped looking at the stupid and harsh scars that my parents left on me when dad kicked me so hard it broke skin and broke two ribs. They blamed the stairs, like they did the other day.
Still, I felt nothing but numbness.
So I released my breasts and pulled on my bra, hooked it behind my back and took my shirt next. Once I did, I took my sweatpants and pulled them on before my socks and my shoes.
I let my hair down and just rubbed my arms, trying to get the goosebumps that had formed on them to go away. They never did.
So I huffed and let go.
My phone had stayed home, since I didn't bring it down in the moment that I was going to confront my parents about Maria's scars. My only hope was that Maria wouldn't do it again. I was going to get her that goddamned therapist tomorrow.
I had made some good money at the coffee shop and I'm pretty sure that would be enough.
Devi recommended me her therapist, Dr. Jamie Ryan. So I was going to contact her as soon as I got back home.
I closed the door behind me and walked to the reception, where the nurse—I'm pretty sure her name was Caroline—that had took care of me during my stay looked up at me with a soft smile, taking a document and handing it to me.
"It's the check-out, you need to sign it. We called your friend and she's coming to get you." The nurse said as she handed me a pen.
I took the cap off and stuck it on the bottom of the pen. "Is she bringing my sister?" I asked, eyes on the paper as I traced my signature.
"No, she isn't. We asked her, she said your sister was taking a nap and that she didn't bother waking her up." Okay, good. At least Maria was sleeping.
"Alright, alright..." I gave back the paper and the pen, but before I walked away too far, Caroline's voice stopped me on my tracks.
"Isabel, I know this isn't your first time going to the hospital because your parents claimed that you fell down the stairs. The scars you have on your abdomen? Those are not scars of who fell down the stairs." How the hell did she know about that?
I turned around and faced her, my eyes wide with surprise.
"Me and my colleagues got your files from Vegas. You went to the hospital a lot more than three times because apparently you fell down the stairs," She started, not even at the point and I already knew what she was insinuating, "Isabel, know that there are police officers all around Sherman Oaks. You are not alone if something is happening at home."
"Nothing is happening at home, miss. I tend to fall down the stairs because of my socks. Too slippery." The words I said a million times already fell out of my mouth like a song I knew better than myself.
I walked to one of the benches as I waited for Devi to arrive, but I didn't even have time to sit down when a pair of arms wrapped around me in a blur than I didn't even have time to react or see who it was.
"Did you rest? Does your head still hurt?" Devi's voice filled my ears, making my shoulders that I didn't even notice that got tense, relax. My arms wrapped around her and I quickly answered before she thought she broke me.
"Yes. I'm fine." I finally said after a bit of silence while she pulled back and looked into my eyes, concern filling them to the rim.
"Maria is asleep, so I didn't bother waking her up." She muttered softly, not even a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Thank you." I thanked her, both for not making Maria come and for helping me out with this shit.
"It's nothing," She started, her lips finally curving up into a smile, "Tonight, Ethan is throwing another party, so you're coming with me and the girls. Strangely, Eleanor gave up on him because she's still in love with Trent."
"You know I really don't care about that, she could have him. I don't want to focus on a degenerate."
A degenerate that basically ate your face for breakfast almost two weeks ago.

A strange voice in my head said. No, it's not one of those serial killer voices shit. Just a voice of reminder.
"Sure. But let's go home, you have to see your—" My voice cut her off deeper than any knife could cut skin.
"I want to go to my house." It's not a home. It's a house. Never in my brief thirteen years of talking have I ever considered my house a home. A home it's a place where you feel comfortable and where you live happily after school. Not for me.
I saw the hesitation in Devi's face, but she pursed her lips and nodded, leading me to her car. She soon brought me to my house, which she didn't even bother to face. I smiled slightly at her before leaving the car and walking inside the house.
The door always open. Nothing changed.
On the couch was mom and dad, one on one edge and the other on the other edge. TV was on, a random latino show streaming. They didn't even look at me when I got inside the house and closed the door, making sure I slammed it.
So I walked upstairs to my room and locked myself inside, waiting for the hours to pass so I could finally go to the party, where Devi would bring me.
My book was still on my bedside table, as well as my phone. It was completely turned off, probably since I forgot to stop the music before I left my room to go downstairs after I had seen Maria's scars.
So I quickly took the device and plugged the charger in before returning to my bed and falling face up on it, hands on my stomach. It didn't take long before the yelling of mom and dad to start, arguing about nothing. Like always.
Or calling each other names and saying they regretted ever marrying each other.
The case of my parents was that they are together but shouldn't. And sometimes, I remember abuela's words like she had just said it a whole minute ago.
"Before you were born, mija, your parents were all over each other. Even when I invited them to my house so they could eat, whenever I had my back turned, they were kissing each other with so much love it made my heart ache in awe." Abuela said as I played with the plastic tea cup.
"So do you think I ruined their relationship like they keep telling me?"
"No, amorzito, they ruined their relationship on their own."
Amorzito. The name abuela loved to call me.
Even though she had said it was not my fault, I still thought it was. All the time. Sometimes I asked myself what if I wasn't born? Maybe they would still show their love for each other.
Maybe they would have still talked to abuela before she died.
Maybe they had lived a happy life.
But nothing was ever my fault, abuela would say.

After my little time of reflection in my room, I finally got Devi's call, meaning she was coming to get me for the party. So I jumped out of my bed and got myself something to wear, the clothes being just a tight top and baggy jeans.
Always low-rise bottoms for parties. I wanted everyone to see how my piercing shined under the lights in the house.
I let my hair down and just put a bit of makeup, since I didn't have time to do a full face anyways.
Pairing my jeans with my usual white sneakers and taking a blazer from my closet, my phone from my desk and my purse.
I walked downstairs and took the spare keys of the house in case the two bastards I have for parents lock everything.
I stayed outside and waited for Devi's Subaru to stop in front of my house and it eventually did, where Eleanor, Fabiola and Aneesa were too. We made a small talk while Devi drove and eventually got to the party, always filled with the same thing.
Drugs, alcohol, music, crazy people.
I just hoped this night would be a blast like last time.