𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 [𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣]

[Life at home]

The air in the new house crackled with tension as Neil's booming voice echoed through the walls. Cherry hovered near the doorway, her heart pounding in her throat as she listened to the escalating argument between her older brother and their father. Max stood behind her in their room, watching with a mixture of concern and fear. The argument had started over Billy leaving, as he often did when things got heated. However, it had quickly spiraled into a full-blown confrontation.

"You think you can just waltz back in here whenever you please? This is my house, and you'll follow my rules!" Neil's voice thundered. Billy's stood tall, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your house? Last time I checked, Cherry's the one cleaning this place, not you." Neil's face turned red with rage, his fists clenched at his sides. "You ungrateful shit! I've had it with you!" He lunged forward, pushing Billy against the wall with a force that made Cherry's heart drop.

"Listen to me, boy!" Neil growled, his voice low and menacing. From the door frame, Cherry's instincts kicked in. She couldn't stand by and watch her brother being manhandled by their father any longer. "Cherry..." Max tried, but her sister had already stepped into the other room. "Dad, stop it!" Cherry's voice was firm, but there was an undercurrent of desperation in her tone. She moved toward stand Neil and Billy, her hands raised in a gesture of peace.

Neil's gaze shifted to his daughter, "Stay out of this, Cherry. This doesn't concern you." But Cherry stood her ground, her eyes locked with her father's. "It does concern me. You two shouldn't have to fight like this, daddy." Neil's jaw clenched as he glared at Cherry, his voice laced with anger, "I said stay out of it! This is between your brother and me." Billy gave his sister a look, urging her to back down.

Though, scared on the inside, Cherry stayed put as she crossed her arms, "I won't just stand by and let you tear him apart!" Neil's nostrils flared as he took a step closer to Cherry, towering over her with an intimidating presence, "You think you can come in here and tell me what to do? Cherry swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly, "No... I just..." But before she could finish, Neil's voice boomed, drowning out her words, "You don't get to talk back to me! You're my daughter! I'm your father, and you will listen to what I say!"

His words echoed off the walls, Cherry cowering. Her eyes filled with tears, lip quivering as she defended herself. "I'm not just going to stand here and let you hurt him! He's your son!" Cherry's voice trembled with fear as she yelled defiantly at her father, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Neil's face twisted with rage, "How dare you lecture me! You have no idea what's best for this family!" His words were like a slap in themselves, but Cherry refused to back down, her eyes now blazing with intensity.

"I know enough to see that this isn't right! You're supposed to protect him, not hurt him!" Cherry's words sliced through the tension in the room, but Neil's anger only seemed to escalate. "You think you know better than me?" Cherry gritted her teeth, "I do," Neil's hand shot out, striking Cherry across the face with a resounding slap. The force of the blow sent Cherry stumbling backward, her cheek stinging with pain as tears started to fall from her eyes. Realizing what'd happened, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Cherry's hand flew to her cheek, the sting of the slap sending shockwaves through her body. She stumbled back, her heart racing with a mix of fear and disbelief. But Neil's expression remained cold and unyielding, his eyes flashing with fury. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep order in this house. And if that means disciplining you two, then so be it." Cherry's cheeks burned with humiliation as she wiped away her tears, "You're not disciplining us, daddy. You're hurting us."

Neil's jaw clenched as he stared down at his daughters, his fists still clenched at his sides. Without warning, he raised his hand again, ready to deliver another punishing blow. But before he could follow through, Billy grabbed Neil's wrist mid-air. His eyes blazed with anger, his grip firm on his father's arm. "Don't touch her." Neil's expression contorted with outrage, his face flushing with an even deeper shade of crimson. "Let go of me, boy!" he bellowed.

But Billy held his ground, his jaw set in a stubborn line. He tightened his grip on Neil's wrist, his muscles tensed as he stared down his father. Neil's eyes narrowed as he glared at Billy, his chest heaving with the effort to control his temper. "Let go of me, I said!" he growled, his voice laced with fury. But Billy remained unmoved, his grip on Neil's wrist the same. "No." With a frustrated grunt, Neil wrenched his arm free from Billy's grasp and stormed out of the room without a word.

As the sound of Neil's retreating footsteps faded into the distance, Cherry let out a shaky breath, her heart still racing in shock. Tears continued to spill down her cheeks as she turned to her brother. Her vision blurred by tears, her voice trembled with gratitude and relief. "Thank you," she whispered, her words barely audible amidst the hitching sobs that racked her body. Billy cleared his throat, his eyes red along with his raspy voice. "It's fine, Cherry. Just... try to stay out of his way from now on."

Cherry nodded, understanding the unspoken message in her brother's words. Despite Billy's tough or even intimidating exterior, she knew these things affected him as well. She reached out and squeezed his hand in silent solidarity. With a tight-lipped smile, Billy squeezed her hand back before gently pulling away. Cherry watched him go, her heart heavy with concern for him. She knew that he was hurting too, even if he didn't show it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Max, the younger girl joining her with a worried expression. "Shit, Cherry, are you okay?" Max's voice was filled with concern as she rushed to her sister's side. Cherry tried to stay strong for the girl, though her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. "I'm okay," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. "Just... a lot, you know?" Max nodded understandingly, scanning Cherry's pale face. Max grimaced as she took in the bruise forming on Cherry's cheek, her concern deepening at the sight of her sister's pain.

"That looks bad," Max remarked, gently reaching out to touch it. Cherry winced slightly at the contact, but she appreciated Max's concern nonetheless. "Yeah, it stings," She admitted with a rueful smile, attempting to downplay the severity of her wound. Despite her efforts to appear strong, Max's expression softened as she saw right through her. "I'm sorry, Cherry," she said softly, her voice heavy with sympathy. "He's a dick."

Cherry nodded, her throat tightening with emotion as she fought to hold back tears. It meant the world to her to have Max by her side, especially after trying so hard to get her to like her. "Thanks, Max," Cherry murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Max's eyes softened with understanding as she listened to Cherry's words, her heart aching for her pain. "You don't have to thank me. We're kinda family now,"

Cherry nodded, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her at Max's words. "Yeah," she agreed softly. "Thank you." Max chuckled softly, "Seriously, don't thank me," she replied with a smirk. "I don't want it going to your head." Cherry couldn't help but laugh through her tears, "Oh, like anything could make my head swell even more," she teased back, sniffing as she pointed to her face. "Just look at my cheek right now," Max rolled her eyes, "You're impossible, Cherry,"