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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 18, 2008 22:06:17 GMT -5
"I've met a few like that."
Mike grunted. Newsies were good at hiding who they truly were. Many people thought they were homeless children who were noisy. But what many didn't know was that they were also killers and thieves. How the newsies could hide this and still go on with their everyday life amazed Mike. They were selfish, unkind murders. At least the ones that Mike had met. He was sure there was nice newsies who simply got caught up in the newsies world. No doubt their innocence would be gone in no time. "Don't let them fool you. They are bloody awful people."
"Thank you"
The fact that she didn't argue with Mike was a sweet surprise. He'd expected her to be stubborn and go on about how her uncle had threatened them both. Those were empty words, the words of her uncle. He would never try to kill a newsie. Would he even waste his time? The one thing Mike worried about was Bella. If he didn't get her out of her, she would be in serious danger. He nodded curtly, leaving it at that. He was helping her, yes, but he didn't want any mushy stuff.
"Where are we going?"
"To my apartment to get you cleaned up and then we will figure it out from there." Mike grabbed her upper arm and guided her down the street. It was getting late and there was people walking around that Mike didn't feel like dealing with.
{that was lovely... :roll: hehe}
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Post by Bella Harris on May 18, 2008 22:28:36 GMT -5
"Don't let them fool you. They are bloody awful people."
Bella smiled slightly, "I would assume so." She said. She trusted Mike so she would take his word. Besides, the ones she had met weren't exactly the nicest people in town. Most of them were rude, crude and just horrible. She couldn't stand the ones she had met, even if it was just an exchange of glances. That's just how she was.
Now that she knew Mike knew, she didn't think anything about Edward's threat. Mike would make sure she would be safe. He wouldn't let Edward take control over her anymore. Edward could just get over himself. Bella was growing a dignity that she lost so many years ago. Finally, after three years she would be free. She would finally get to taste freedom. She smiled her thanks.
"To my apartment to get you cleaned up and then we will figure it out from there."
She touched her upper arm, looking at the blood soaked sleeve. She nodded in response to him. She probably looked a mess, she felt like a mess. Everything ached...it just hurt. And she had Edward to blame for it. Oh well, at least she would never see him again. "Where do you live at?" She asked, praying the walk wouldn't be too far. She limped after him, trying to keep up the pace.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 19, 2008 14:43:02 GMT -5
While they talked, they'd been walking at a pretty brisk pace. Mike noticed Bella's limp, but tried to ignore it. He wasn't about to get sympathetic now. They needed to get her cleaned up and then find her a place to stay; they didn't have time for sympathy. Mike kept a firm hold on he upper arm, but not to hard. She had bruises everywhere and even her heavy clothing couldn't cover it up. How her uncle could inflict so much damage in so little time amazed Mike. Although, he was drunk, Mike could tell. It was amazing what one could do under the influence of acohol.
They made it to his apartment in about ten minutes. Instead of answering her question, he ignored it and guided her up the stairs. His landlord gave him a look. The "You-better-know-what-you-are-doing-with-this-one" look. In the past week, Mike had brought home several different characters, male and female. They were his guest, and no more, but for some reason, Mike had a really bad reputation in his apartment building. He shrugged it off and lead Bella up the stairs. He lived on the second floor.
He reached for his key, never taking his hold off the girl. You could say Bella had wedged her way into his heart, almost like a little sister. He only had a few of those places, one for his girlfriend (which he didn't have), one for his sister (that he never had, but wanted) and one for his parents. That spot was empty and would never be filled. Truthfully, Bella reminded Mike of his mother. Perhaps that is why he had taken her in. He would never know. But the fact that he did only added to his bad boy exterior, in his opinion. No one would ever know why'd he'd taken in this girl, making him even more mysterious.
He pushed open the door and stepped aside for Bella to come in. Mike realized how much he needed to clean his apartment. Every night he'd had someone over and every night he would apologize for the mess. Why hadn't he taken the time to clean it?
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Post by Bella Harris on May 19, 2008 14:55:30 GMT -5
Bella limped behind Mike as fast as she could without doing any more damage to herself. That was the last thing she wanted, was to get hurt worse. She bit her lip and limped faster. She wanted to keep up her pace so Mike didn't see her as weak. She didn't want to be thought of as weak, she wanted to be strong. She tried to be strong throughout everything, and she could finally see the end of the storm. Her strength was finally paying off.
She followed him up the stairs after giving the man who was probably the landlord a friendly smile. She had a reason to smile now, she didn't have to deal with Edward anymore. That, was a very good reason.
She winced as he kept is grip on her, she didn't want to complain because she was told not to. She just tried to overlook the pain as he opened the door to his apartment. It wasn't that bad. A little messy, but hey, it was better than where she lived. Better than a storage closet with an abusive uncle.
"So, now what?" She said, timidly.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 20, 2008 8:46:33 GMT -5
"So, now what?"
Once the door was shut and they were in the safety of his apartment, Mike relaxed. He loosened his grip on her arm and led her to the couch. "Sit here. I'll go get some stuff to clean you up." He made sure she was comfortable before heading to the kitchen. Once he got there, Mike sighed heavily and leaned against the counter. What was he doing? This was not like Mike at all. This was a whole different side to him. But he guessed that every Hyde had to have their Jekyll.
But what was this going to do to him? Bella's uncle had seen him, there was no doubt about that, and would surely be able to identify him if he had to. What if Mike got arrested for kidnapping or worse? Why had he found himself in this position a lot lately? This was the last thing he needed right now. Why had he helped her? He regretted it, every second of it.
But then when he looked at Bella, he felt his heart soften. She was so much like his mother, that Mike couldn't help but want to help her. She was his weak spot. All the feelings he had hidden away were resurfacing. For years he'd hardened his heart and made sure no one knew what he was feeling. All the feelings of regret, love, and how much he missed his parents were gone, or so Mike thought. This one girl could make these feelings resurface in one knowing look. Mike found himself missing his parents.
Mike shook his head and chuckled. This was like one of those romance/drama novels he'd seen his mother read. You got the villain, the damsel in distress, the love triangle, the hero, and the betrayal. All he needed now was his evil twin and they would be set. Mike chuckled to himself and finished gathering the things he needed to fix up Bella.
He walked toward her, hands full. For the first time, Mike got a good look at her. He grimaced at how she looked. In his haste, he hadn't realized how beat up she was. He crouched down beside her and pursed his lips. "He did a bloody good job.." he mused as he dipped the rag into the water bowl. He gently dabbed at her face, fearing she might break at the littlest touch.
{Can everyone say "Aw"? I just felt like Mike needed his weak spot....You win!}
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Post by Bella Harris on May 20, 2008 18:05:19 GMT -5
"Sit here. I'll go get some stuff to clean you up."
Bella nodded and obeyed, sitting down on the couch. She bounced up and down a bit on it, smiling to herself. She tugged at her sleeve a bit, trying not to let the blood seep all the way through it. That was the last thing she needed; to have to buy more clothes. She couldn't afford it.
She wondered if Edward would ever find her. What would happen to her and Mike if he did? She was more scared for Mike's life than hers, Edward would probably spare her because of her parents. They would be awfully worried about her. Oh well, it serves them right for not caring about her. If they would've noticed, she wouldn't be in this position. Maybe one day she would tell them everything, but for the time being it wouldn't happen.
"He did a bloody good job.."
She winced as he touched her face, "Yeah, I know. I've known that for the past three years, ever since he started." She cringed from whatever it was he was putting on her wounds. It hurt, everything hurt. "Again, thank you for everything." She said, biting her lip and wincing again.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 21, 2008 22:20:36 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know. I've known that for the past three years, ever since he started."
Mike clenched his hand around the towel he was holding, obviously frustrated. Mike, in all his years of fighting, never hit girls, unless they brought it upon themselves. And from what Mike could see, Bella hadn't. This was her uncle, abusing his authority. And to ask her to sell her body?! Mike inhaled deeply, fearing he was going to lose it. Even though Mike was the villain in this part of his life, he had his things he wouldn't stand for. And this was one of them. "I could kill him..." He shook his, overwhelmed by the whole situation.
Mike noticed her cringe and smiled at her sympathetically. Pity the child with no such weapons. No defense, no escape from the ties that bind. Always a step behind. How one could do this to their own flesh and blood made Mike sick. This was his niece! Who knew when he would have another! And what about her parents? Were they blind? Did they care? And if they did see it, did they even try and stop it?
"Again, thank you for everything."
Mike smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about it." He really didn't know what he was going to do with her. Would she stay here? She could always sleep in his bed and he could sleep on the couch. But what would his neighbors think? A young girl alone with Mike. He thought of her as a sister and no more. But what if they newsies found out? They could use her against him. Mike suddenly realized how attached he was getting to this girl, and just because she had the same eyes as his mother...
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Post by Bella Harris on May 22, 2008 13:54:52 GMT -5
"I could kill him..."
Bella smiled sadly and shrugged, thinking. She never asked "Did I cause your distress?" Just in case they said, "Yes." She knew she was the cause of everything. It was a horrible feeling to live with. "He hates me." She said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. "Its all my fault, if I wouldn't of been born everything would've been normal." A few tears streamed down her cheeks. There was always a battle in her mind. Half of it knew she was the cause of everything, and the other half said it wasn't her fault. It was horrible to live with herself, and sometimes she wished she never would have been born. What if Edward kept his 'promise' and came to kill Mike? That would be her fault too.
She bit her lip, wincing again. Whatever he was putting on her hurt a lot. She moved her head slightly, trying to make the pain stop. Pain was something she was used to. Getting cleaned up and having the stinging medicine put on her was something she was not used to. When something happened to her she wouldn't do anything special, just make sure bruises weren't as noticeable and she would make sure blood wasn't seen. If something happened to an arm or a leg, she would just make sure no bones were broken and go on her way.
"Don't worry about it."
She smiled, "Is there any way I can repay you?" She asked. She didn't have any money, seeing as she just ran away. But she was willing to do something. Mike saved her life, and she felt the need that she had to repay him. If it wasn't for him she might of been dead by now.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 22, 2008 23:33:22 GMT -5
"He hates me."
Mike stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, shocked. Hate was a strong word. Not a word that Mike wasn't used to, by no means. He'd always been hated; villains are always hated. But he'd never known what it felt like to be hated by one's own flesh and blood. Picture perfect is what a lot of people thought of Mike's family. Which surprised a lot of people, considering how Mike had grown up. But to be hated by one of them...
Pity the child who knew his parents, Saw their faults, saw their love die before his eyes
Mike wondered about her parents. Where did they fit in on all of this? Were they blind? Were they even alive? She hadn't talked much about her parents. Did she want to? Mike decided to find out. "What about your parents?" he questioned, hesitantly. This must be a very hard subject for her, and Mike felt a sudden sympathy toward her. What could he say? She had his mother's eyes...
"Its all my fault, if I wouldn't of been born everything would've been normal."
Mike gaped at her. How could she think that? Tears flowed down her cheeks. This was surprising to Mike. For the last hour or so, she'd been incredibly strong. Now, all the sudden, she couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. Mike gently wiped the tears away and soothed her. "You didn't ask for this, nor did you do anything to deserve it." He smiled reassuringly at her.
This was so strange for Mike, how he was acting. But all his life he wanted a sister. He'd been an only child, destined to play by himself and be his own friend. If there was anything he could change, it would be the fact that his parents didn't have another kid. His life was almost perfect, but he just needed one more person. He didn't care if it was a sister or brother, just anyone to keep him company.
Yes, something was missing, each time I got through. That something was someone --
But who?
Every weekend his parents would go out, leaving him to a babysitter. But the babysitter never wanted to play. That is were the little/older sibling would come running in and they would play happily all night. That didn't happen in Mike's life. Maybe that was why he felt so drawn to Bella...
She pulled away from him, wincing. "I'm so sorry.." He regretted ever meeting her. He wouldn't have had to deal with it if he just hadn't have met her. But then, he didn't. Mike's mind was spinning and he was having trouble concentrating. But he continued to clean her, wary of her cuts. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She looked awful...
"Is there any way I can repay you?"
Mike grinned at her and shook his head. "No, really I don't mind." He could tell her of her resemblance to his mother. That would explain why he was so willing to help her. But he didn't want to seem anymore soft than he already was being. Mike sighed and continued to clean her.
{One point! I win!}
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Post by Bella Harris on May 23, 2008 16:45:07 GMT -5
"What about your parents?"
Bella scowled, her parents. And I wonder does she know? Her parents didn't know anything. Half of the time because she lied about her physical appearance, and the other half because they were never home. Since moving back to New York they became caught up in their place in society. Her parents still loved her, but not enough to notice. Maybe they knew but they were too scared to confront Edward. They should've. Parents should go to any risk to protect their child, that's what Bella thought.
She looked Mike in the eye and said, "My parents didn't know, and if they did I don't think they would've cared." She sighed, if they didn't care about her enough, she wouldn't care about them. It served them right, so what if her mother cried because her only child was gone? She should've noticed, its her fault. They never should've let Edward move in with them. That's why everything got so bad.
"You didn't ask for this, nor did you do anything to deserve it."
Bella shook her head, "No, it was because of me. If I wouldn't of been born my uncle wouldn't of hated my father. My mother and father would still live in Italy with a perfect life. And my uncle wouldn't of become an alcoholic." She allowed the tears to stream down her face. Her mind played so many tricks on her. First, it would say it was her fault, then it would say it was her parents' fault, then it would say it was Edward's fault.
I dreamed that God would be forgiving...
Why did this happen to her? She never requested to be put into a horrible family, she wanted a nice life. Even if it was a life of poverty, anything was better than what she went through. Why did everything horrible happen to her? Did God hate her? What did she ever do to God? She guessed he had to hate someone, and lucky her, it was her. So many secrets, I've longed to share. She wished she could tell someone those secrets, all she needed was a friend that she could tell. Would Mike actually care enough for her to tell him?
"No, really I don't mind."
She smiled, "Are you sure?" she replied.
((Woohoo!! Three! ;D ))
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 23, 2008 18:54:01 GMT -5
"My parents didn't know, and if they did I don't think they would've cared."
Mike snorted in disgust. How could anyone be so blind? How could anyone not see the pain they were causing? They were her parents, for bloody sake! They'd known Bella her whole life, and yet they didn't see the pain in her eyes? They didn't see the change in her attitude? Were they to in love to see it? I, who have known you for so long, I see the pain in your eyes! That is how parents were supposed to be. They were supposed to see the slightest change in their child's behavior. What was wrong with her parents?
"I don't understand.." Mike mumbled, shaking his head.
"No, it was because of me. If I wouldn't of been born my uncle wouldn't of hated my father. My mother and father would still live in Italy with a perfect life. And my uncle wouldn't of become an alcoholic."
Mike clenched his jaw and looked away from her. Every thing's alright, yes, every thing's fine. Close your eyes, close your eyes, and relax. Think of nothing tonight. Mike wondered how he could make her understand. She wasn't at fault, not in the least. From what she'd told him, Mike knew it was her uncle's fault mostly, but then her parents were also at fault. She never asked for this, or planned it in advance. It wasn't like Bella provoked her uncle. From want he'd seen, Bella was very submissive to her uncle. She did everything he'd said, but he still beat her! "You can't control your uncle. If you weren't born... He might have beaten your mom." Mike shrugged, knowing this really wasn't helping to situation that much; but he really didn't know what else to say.
"Are you sure?"
Mike nodded. I've never been so sure of anything in my life. "If I wasn't sure, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be here right now." Mike laughed and finished cleaning her up. She looked better now, but still had lots of bruises and cuts. "Your all done..." Mike said as he gather is things.
Mike wasn't really sure why he was helping her. Why even cared. Mike was the villain. He'd killed before and he would kill again. He'd caused pain in many people's life. He was heartless. Why did he care for Bella so? Her eyes. She had his mother's eyes.
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Post by Bella Harris on May 24, 2008 14:16:46 GMT -5
"I don't understand.."
Bella shook her head slightly, "Neither do I." She whispered. This was a first in her life, someone actually was caring about her. Sympathy, tenderness, warm as the summer, offer me their embrace. She thought as she gazed over Mike. He was too kind to take her in, and help her. Someone actually cared about her. She was half shocked and half relieved. Its about time someone noticed what she was going through, and decided to help her. He was a good Samaritan to her.
"You can't control your uncle. If you weren't born... He might have beaten your mom."
She shook her head again, "No. If it wasn't for me my parents would've stayed in Italy, far away from Edward!" She argued, she didn't know the reason why they moved to America. She could only blame herself, she believed everything was her fault. But that didn't stop her from arguing with Mike's statement. She was an arguer, and that's what got her into trouble with Edward. She would argue about everything, and he got mad at her. She cleared her thoughts mentally. That was in the past, the future was ahead of her now. A New Life -what I wouldn't give to have a new life! She thought.
A new start -that's the thing I need, to give me new heart -half a chance in life.
Now that she finally had the freedom she longed for she could start anew. She could live her life the way she wanted to, and nobody could bring her down. To those who ground me, take a message back from me. Tell them how I am defying gravity. She was finally free, she couldn't help but smile at that. She was almost in shock about the whole situation.
"If I wasn't sure, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be here right now. Your all done..."
She laughed along with Mike. "Very true." She said with a smile. When she was done she stood up and brushed her skirt off. "Thank you so much." She said with a smile.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 25, 2008 16:10:20 GMT -5
"Neither do I."
Mike looked at her sympathetically and shook his head. This was so wrong, what both of them were going through. Mike was going through an awful death and Bella was going through an abusive home life. Neither of them wanted it, and neither of them asked for it. Neither of them did anything to deserve it. But now they both were in over their heads and couldn't get out now. Mike shook his head and looked away. He stood up and went turned to his room. "You can sleep in my room," he said without turning around. He walked into his room, cringing at the mess.
"No. If it wasn't for me my parents would've stayed in Italy, far away from Edward!"
Mike shook his head. "This wasn't your fault, and you need to stop blaming yourself!" Mike took a deep breath and turned away from her. "Really, don't worry about it..." He continued, calmer. Mike shook his head, not sure why he was so worked up about something like this. Bella was just a girl, and girl that looked a lot like his mother...
"Very true. Thank you so much."
Mike chuckled and nodded. "No problem. Are you hungry?" He inquired, relising how late it was. Mike wondered how safe they were going outside. It wasn't like Mike feared Edward or anything, because he didn't. It was Bella Mike was worried about.
{Argh that was awful! Sorry}
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Post by Bella Harris on May 25, 2008 16:35:07 GMT -5
"You can sleep in my room,"
Bella frowned, "Are you sure?" She said, "I could sleep on the floor. You should keep your room, I'm just the guest." She said. She was lucky she got her own room when she lived at her home. Edward only let her sleep on a bed, so that her parents didn't suspect or ask anything.
"This wasn't your fault, and you need to stop blaming yourself! Really, don't worry about it..."
She rolled her eyes, "No, this is my fault. He told me that everything's my fault!" She exclaimed. She knew it was her fault, because Edward told her that. It wasn't really her fault, but once you were told something over and over you couldn't help but believe it. Bella was just confused, she was confused over everything.
"No problem. Are you hungry?"
Bella bit her lip, she wasn't allowed to eat because she was bad. She hadn't eaten in two and a half days because she was told not to. If she did, she would get in more trouble. Mike probably would punish her if she ate. "I um, am but I can't." She said, looking down at her feet.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 25, 2008 23:13:52 GMT -5
"Are you sure? I could sleep on the floor. You should keep your room, I'm just the guest."
Mike sighed and rolled his eyes. "And that is why you are sleeping in my bed. Did your mother ever teach you manners?" He joked, but then realized what he'd said. He wasn't sure about her mother, whether they got along or not. But either way, Mike knew it was a sensitive subject for her. He made a face and turned away from her.
"No, this is my fault. He told me that everything's my fault!"
Mike sighed and sat down next to her. "If he told you that the earth was square... would you believe him?" He slung his arm over her shoulder, acting somewhat brotherly. It felt nice, to just sit here and talk to someone as if you were born to be with them.
"I um, am but I can't."
Mike made a face. "What!?!?" He was getting frustrated, but was having fun with it. It was enjoyable to be able to act like she was his sister and be able to boss her around. He hoped she felt the same, or else this was going to be a long night.
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