Roswell3053, thanks for the fed-ex, much appreciated!! lol
So here's the next part....enjoy
Elle xx
Previous Chapter.
“What are these?” Brian growled out as soon as she stepped into the apartment. She took one look at the papers in his hand and mentally kicked herself; she had left the college prospectuses on her desk that morning.
“They’re the colleges’ I’ve applied to.” She answered shortly and he tore them in two before she could say anything further. Staring at the torn pieces fluttering to the floor she felt the ball of fear roll in her stomach, what’s he going to do about it? He can’t stop you from going, it’s your future and the sooner he’s out of it the better. The voice in her head told her as she flicked her gaze up to his strangely calm face.
“You aren’t going to college.”
Chapter 11
“What?” Her full attention was on her uncle standing before her.
“You aren’t going. You’re going to stay here and work for me.”
“No I’m not.” She snorted indignantly.
He reached out quickly and she pulled out of his reach but wasn’t quick enough as his hands clamped down on her left wrist. He manoeuvred his hand so that he was bending her hand back; putting strain on her wrist, on its way to breaking point.
She cried out, the pain shooting its way up her arm and he leaned towards her,
“You will do as I say! You are in my care so you will do what I want you to do, say what I want you to say and be what I want you to be.” His voice snarled in her ear and his stale breath tickled her cheek as she gasped from the pain.
“Everyone knows…I want to go…what am I supposed…to tell them?”
“You tell them you’ve changed your mind, you want to stay here and learn to run the restaurant your parents left you. Got it?”
She nodded, her vision blurry from the pain going through her arm. Just then the phone rang they both looked at it, and then Brian leaned over and answered, still holding her hand in its painful position. He grumbled a hello then looked at Liz before holding the mouthpiece against his shoulder.
“It’s Tommy, you tell him anything and I’ll snap your wrist.” He growled out the warning before shoving the phone in her other hand.
“Hello?” Her voice was shaky and she hated that Brian could see how much this was affecting her. I have two choices, do as he says and be miserable because I won’t be going to college but won’t get punished as much or ignore him and get the worst beating of my life and maybe not survive it.
She thought glumly as Tommy’s familiar voice floated down the phone at her. Would Tommy believe me if I told him what was happening? Of course he wouldn’t, he knows how much trouble you’ve been getting into, and he’ll just think you’re being difficult because you made it no secret that you didn’t like your uncle. The little voice said in the back of her head, strangely it was beginning to sound like her fathers’ voice.
“How are you?” Tommy interrupted her thoughts and she blinked back the beginning of tears. How am I? I am being abused by our uncle! Why did you leave me here with him? I thought you were supposed to protect me without our parents here? She wanted to scream at him.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you getting excited about college? I bet you and your friends are all applying to the same one.”
“Yeah about college…” She trailed off and looked into the cold grey eyes of her uncle as he tightened his grip on her wrist and she winced.
“I’ve decided not to go.”
“Not go where?”
“To college, I’m staying in Roswell.”
“What? Why? You’ve always been dead set on going to college, why have you changed your mind? Has something happened?”
Has something happened? She thought as her father’s voice spoke from the back for her mind, This is your chance to tell him, see if he’ll believe you, are you willing to risk it? If he doesn’t believe you, what will you do when your uncle comes after you? She glanced up into her uncles eyes and saw the intent there and she knew he’d hurt her if she opened her mouth.
“I’ve just thought about it a bit more and thought it would be better to learn everything about the restaurant since I’ll be taking it over in a few years.”
The pressure eased up on her wrist and she was able to talk without wincing.
“Ok but you can go to college and still have a couple of years after to learn everything about the restaurant. You don’t have to give up on your dream Liz.”
“I know but I’ve made my decision Tommy.”
“Liz…”
“Seriously, don’t start trying to convince me Tommy, I won’t change my mind.” She closed her eyes against the pain in her heart as she spoke to him and finalized her future into the care of her abusive uncle with no friends to take her mind off it.
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Liz was seated at the table with Isabel eating lunch when Michael and Max sat down with them.
“Where’s Kyle?” Liz asked and Michael nodded and looked behind her,
“Hitting on the new girl, where else?”
Liz turned to see him standing very close to a red head who was so caught up in the attention Kyle was giving her that she didn’t noticed anything else.
“He disgusts me.” Isabel shuddered and returned to her lunch. Liz just laughed,
“He’s…”
“Disgusting? Repulsive? Stupid?” Isabel offered with hope in her blue eyes and everyone laughed at her as Liz shook her head,
“Unbelievable was what I was going for. I thought he was chasing Pam?”
“Obviously old news.” Max said quietly beside her and she turned to kiss him softly.
“Hey you.”
“Hi.” He kissed her again and Michael slammed his hand on the table, causing them to jump apart.
“No physical contact in front of the sibling.” He ordered and Max rolled his eyes,
“I see, so it’s different when I walked in on you and Daisy getting physical that time.”
“I’m older, so I get privileges.” He shrugged and Max stood up,
“Whatever, I’m going to get a soda, anyone want?”
“I’ll come with you, Kyle’s making me sick.” Isabel jumped up and they wandered off, leaving Michael and Liz alone.
“Hey Lizzie what’s with the watch?” He asked frowning, Liz never wore watches and now she was sporting a huge black thing on her wrist.
“Oh um…” She stalled for an excuse and finally settled for something stupid,
“I just…needed it today…to tell the…time.” His question had caught her off guard but she couldn’t very well show him the finger mark bruises that were on her wrist, courtesy of her uncle. Nice one Liz, he’ll really believe that.
“I see.” He murmured, what was going on with Liz? He suddenly grabbed her wrist with the watch on it and saw the pain go through her face.
“What’s wrong? Have you hurt yourself?” He wondered out loud, turning her wrist over to undo the watch. Liz pounced on the suggestion, he’ll ever believe you now, especially now since you’ve kept it a secret for a while.
“Yeah, I think I hurt myself, I’m not sure how it happened though.”
He pulled the watch away to reveal bruises looking suspiciously like finger marks.
His jaw tightened and Liz felt nervous, she could see he was mad.
“Is Max getting rough with you?” He asked, not liking that he was asking it but he needed to know. He wasn’t stupid, he knew they were finger marks so someone had grabbed her hard enough to bruise.
“What? No!” She denied quickly. This is getting way out of hand. She pulled her arm out of his grip and rubbed it softly.
“Liz, if someone is hurting you, then you need to tell me and if it‘s Max then I need to know.” He said angrily and Liz mistook his anger as being aimed at her.
“No, no one did, Max especially didn’t! I don’t really know how I got these.” She said quietly, feeling like crap for lying to him again.
“Lizzie…”
“Michael please…” She began but was interrupted when Max and Isabel sat back down again.
“What’s up?” Max asked when he felt the tension passing between Liz and Michael.
“I’ve just remembered that I need to go to the library, I’ll see you in class.” Liz said quickly as she gathered her things, I need to get away from here before I say something stupid. She thought as she avoided looking at anyone.
She turned and ran off just as Michael called out to her,
“Lizzie wait!” She ignored him and ran all the way to the girls bathroom. Locking herself inside she sagged against the door and tried to stop the tears threatening to fall. Michael suspects something still and I told the most pathetic excuses for lies. God what is wrong with me? They are my best friends, I should tell them. I need to tell them, I can’t deal with this anymore. She ran her hands over her face and wiped away the few tears that had begun to fall.
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“What did you say to her?” Max accused his brother as they watched Liz run off.
Michael stayed silent, do I tell Max about it? He’d worry but maybe he’s thinking the same thing.
“Michael?”
“Have you noticed anything weird with Liz lately?” He asked looking at his brother.
“By weird you mean…?”
“Like she’s hiding something?”
“She’s grieving for her parent’s, that’s why she’s acting different.” Isabel piped up, confused by the serious look in Michael’s eyes. Truth was that Isabel had noticed a change in Liz’s personality, something she assumed was connected to loosing her parents but it seemed that Michael was on to something.
“She’s got this bruise on her wrist, it looks like finger marks.” He muttered quietly and Max frowned, finger shaped bruises? How would she get those? Michael continued,
“I might be completely wrong but she seems to be covering herself up all the time and this isn’t the first time she’s appeared with bruises. You remember her face that time?”
“She said that was an accident.”
“Then why was she avoiding us all morning? Then when I ask her about the bruises today she got all nervous saying that she wasn’t sure how she got them.”
“She had a bruise on her side at prom, I saw it but she just told me she was clumsy.” Max said and Michael wiped a hand over his face.
“When has Liz ever been clumsy and why is she bruising all of a sudden?”
“She hides her body when she’s getting changed in the locker room.” Isabel mentioned then, are they suggesting what I think they’re suggesting? Liz would have told us if anything was happening to her, wouldn’t she?
“I think someone is hurting her.” Michael said quickly and the anger that flashed through Max’s face made Michael wish he hadn’t told anyone just yet.
“Do you think it could be her uncle?” Isabel asked after thinking about it.
“I’m not sure, they can’t stand to be anywhere near each other, let alone long enough for him to do something like that...” Max replied, how did he not put two and two together and realise that Liz was hurt, he’d seen the bruise but had believed her. Surely she would say something to him if something like this was happening.
“So what do we do?” Isabel asked Michael and he shrugged,
“Liz won’t talk about it so I think I’ll ask dad what we can do to help.” He suggested and hoped that they got to the bottom of it soon.
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“Liz what are you doing here?” Max was surprised to see his girlfriend standing in his bedroom doorway.
“I came to see you silly.” She teased as she made her way over to his bed and sat down and crossed her legs underneath her.
It had been one week since her conversation with Tommy on the phone where she had told him she wasn’t going to college. She hadn’t told any of her friends because she knew what a big deal it was for them all to go to the same college, truth be told, she couldn’t stand the thought of them moving on without her and making new friends without her. Sure she’d still have Kyle here in Roswell but she’d loose Isabel, Max and Michael. Isabel would get a new best friend and Max may even get a new girlfriend because she couldn’t see them surviving a long distance relationship. As much as she didn’t want to disappoint them she had to tell someone, it was eating away at her, every time they bought the subject up she tried to act with all the enthusiasm she had before but it was killing her inside. She had to tell someone and that someone for her was Max.
“Are you ok?” He asked, sitting up next to Liz.
He was nervous about talking to her, after the conversation he and Michael had had with their dad about Liz’s bruises, things were a bit difficult. Brian Parker had been approached by his dad and the Sheriff, where they had explained that they were concerned about her as of late. According to Brian, Liz had been particularly difficult to look after, always arguing and trying to pick fights with him, he had said that he was worried about her himself because he was sure she was self harming. Max hadn’t wanted to believe him but Liz had lost her parent’s in one night, her brother had left her and she had been causing trouble quite a bit, even if she had recently calmed down. His dad had decided that they would arrange for her to see a counsellor to deal with her grief and hopefully find out what had been going on. Michael and Max were under strict instructions not to say anything to Liz until a counsellor session had been arranged.
He looked at his girlfriend as she tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, he loved how her hair was, she had recently had it cut into choppy layers where it sat above her shoulders and he thought it made the cutest ponytail when she tied it back. He recognized her nervous habit as what it was when she tucked her hair behind her ear.
“There’s something we need to talk about.” She began, why this was so hard to do, this was Max, and he would understand even if he didn’t like it. Because you know you’re lying to him once again and that’s all your relationship is built on. Her dads’ voice reasoned in her mind.
“Okay.”
“Actually this is something I need to tell you and you need to listen.” She corrected, telling him they needed to talk about it would imply that he could change her mind and as much as she wanted to let him, she knew she couldn’t change her mind now.
Max frowned at her, what is going on, is she breaking up with me? She hadn’t given any indication that she wasn’t happy with their relationship so he wondered what it could be…unless she was about to tell him what was going on with her.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“There’s no easy way to say this and I know you’ll be angry at first but this is really what I think is best for me so please don’t be mad straight away…”
Max stopped Liz’s rambling with a hand on her arm,
“Baby, what are you talking about?” He asked worried, please don’t be breaking up with me, I couldn’t handle not being with you. He silently begged her.
“I’ve changed my mind about college.” She held her breath, watching his face as he thought about her words, then when he nodded she waited for what he was about to say.
“Okay, so you’ve changed your mind about where you want to go or what courses you’re going to take?”
“What? No…I mean I’m…” She sighed, this was ridiculous, just spit it out Liz!
“I’m not going to college Max.”
The confusion written over his face quickly changed to shock as his amber eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak several times.
“I don’t…what…why? Where’s this coming from Liz?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I didn’t say anything because I knew you would be upset but it’s what I think is best for me.”
“Throwing away your career is what’s best for you? I don’t believe that you honestly think that!” Max was angry; she could see it in the way his hands clenched on his knees.
“No I just think that with everything that’s happened, I should stay and learn everything I can about the restaurant, it’ll be mine in a few years and I want to be ready…”
“Yeah in a few years, you could have gone to college and come back before it was turned over to you! I really think you’re rushing into this Liz…”
“Max, it’s what my parents’ wanted; they want me to have the restaurant…” He cut her off.
“Yeah they also left you money for college so they obviously wanted you to go there first! I can’t believe you’re being this…this…reckless, this is your future you’re going to ruin.”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m an idiot and can’t make decisions for myself Max!” She snapped angrily, how dare he tell me that I’m being reckless, he has no idea what I’m going through, that I know what this is going to cost me.
“Well you’re being an idiot Liz and as your boyfriend I’m not going to let you make a huge decision like this without thinking it through properly, you should speak to Tommy and your uncle about this.”
Max argued back, trying to keep his voice down, as much as he hated arguing with Liz he wasn’t going to let her ruin her life just because she felt that she owed it to her parents.
“I have spoken to them and they support me! If you feel that way and you can’t support my decision then don’t be my boyfriend anymore!” She jumped up from the bed and walked out of his room.
All the way down the stairs she couldn’t believe what she had said, don’t let me go that easily Max, I didn’t mean it, come after me! She screamed in her mind as she neared the front door. Glancing behind her she didn’t see any sign of Max, sighing, she opened the door and left.
Max stared at where Liz had disappeared out of his bedroom door. Picking his phone up he dialled a familiar number and waited.
“Hello?”
“It’s Max.”
“Hey what’s up?” Isabel’s perky voice replied on the other end.
“Did you know Liz has decided not to go to college?”
The silence that greeted him confirmed that he was the first to know.
“She was just here and we had a fight about it.” He confessed and he heard a sigh,
“What happened?
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