"Alright students. It's time to present your projects," Mrs. Garrison says. Everyone groans in protest.

"Hey, you guys knew about it, It's not my fault if you do not prepare. Let's start with Alexander's and Emilia's," Mrs. Garrison says.

I slowly stand up with Xander and treck to the front of the class. She pulls up our powerpoint and we start our presentation. I look up at everyone's eyes on me, making me shuffle on my feet slightly, anxiety building up in me.

I start reading off the presentation. A few people snicker when I stutter and stumble reading over the words. I try to ignore them but it just gets worse, making me mess up more. I feel my face get hot and my hands feel sticky and clamy.

"Hey, knock it off," Mrs. Garrison says sending a glare to the laughing students.

"Continue," She says, giving me a small smile. I continue trying to read but it becomes difficult from my overactive mind. I take a deep breath and open my mouth but Xander starts reading for me. I look over at him and see the corner of his lips pull into a small smile.

He's going to read it for me? That makes me internal sigh and feel greatful but feel guilty at the same time. He finished the project by himself and now he is presenting it by himself. I keep my eyes glued to the board too nervous to look at everyone's judgemental gaze.

We...or I should say he finally finish reading the powerpoint and we go back to our seats with small claps from around the class.

I look over and Xander and give him a half-smile but he shakes his head and gives me a thumbs up trying to reassure me. I nod my head slowly and turn back to the front listening to the rest of the presentations.

----

It's the end of the day now and I head out the school doors going to Xanders car.

"Hey Emilia," he says. I nod my head with a silent hey getting into the car. He looks over at me with slight confusion but doesn't say anything. I turn my head out the window. I hear him sigh and start the car pulling out of the school. We sit in an awkward silence as I stay glued to my spot, looking out the window.

"Are you okay?" He asks me breaking the deafening silence.

"I'm fine," I say shruggin my shoulders trying to conceal my uneasiness. My brother is coming back. They will come for me. I can never escape.

I feel tears form in my eyes but don't let them fall. I can't cry, not now. I would probably look like an attention whore. I wipe my eyes with my sleeve trying to hide the forming tears.

He doesn't say anything else the rest of the way to the house.

We pull into the driveway and I quickly exit the car and speed walk to the door.

"Emil-" I hear before I quickly shut the door heading to my room ignoring his call. I go to my room and drop my books, taking my shoes off and flopping on to the bed. I bury my head in the pillow as a cry squeezing it tightly for comfort. I curl up into a ball to feel protected.

Crying about my messed up family and my life. I cause problems around me. I'm just a mistake in this world...

--Xander's P.O.V.--

"Emilia," I call to her. She shuts the door in my face, ignoring me completely. I sigh before heading to my house.

I head to my bedroom and throw my bookbag on my floor before laying on my bed. A long sigh escapes my lips as I put my arm over my eyes.

"I wish she would talk to me," I whisper to myself. I hope she is okay after what happened. The thing sticking out in my mind the most is 'He will come for you Emilia. You can't stay away forever. It just makes me worry about her.

I move my arm from over my eyes and sit up on my bed. I look out the window to see Emilia frantically looking around the room, shuffling stuff around. I see her exit out the door quickly leaving her room. I get up from my bed and open my window climbing out. It's only a few steps to reach her room.

I push the window up all the way so I can step in. Thankfully its unlocked.

I enter her window and go out of the room trying to find where she went. I notice a light on the bathroom and head over there knocking lightly. I hear something drop and some shuffling on the other side.

"H-Hello?" She say panick in her voice. She sould like she has been crying.

"Hey Emilia, It's me, Xander. Are you alright?" I say. I hear a small sniffle and some more shuffling.

"Yeah, Yeah, I'm fine," The door opens revealing a teary stained face. She has been crying. I sigh sadly.

"Emilia? What's wrong," I say to her trying to grab her hand but she steps back. I quickly retract my hand putting it back to my side.

"I said, I'm fine," She says with a laugh but I see right through it.

"Emilia, I know you not fine. I can see you have been crying," I say taking a step closer, causing her to step back again.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I ask her. She looks up at me with hesitation and sadness swimming in her eyes but then turns to nothing.

"No," She dead-pans heading to her room.

"Emilia, talk to me. I can probably help you," I try convining her.

"Like you helped me with Makenna?" She snaps.

"I was just trying to help," I say honestly.

"Well you proably made the situation worse! I had it under control," she says.

When she sits on her bed I notice her face make a small wince then back to normal. She probably thinks I didn't notice. I look her up and down trying to see a source of pain. I finally land on her thighs noticing little bloodlines on her jeans.

My heart clenches at the thought of her doing this to herself still. I walk over sitting on her bed I grab her hands and doesn't pull away. She looks at me and I stare into her eyes.

"Talk to me please Emilia. I want you to know, I. Am. Here. For. You." I say emphasising each word and not breaking eye contact with her so she knows how serious I am.

Tears form in her eyes. She lets out a shaky breath, like she has finally given up.

"O-Okay but if I tell you, please don't leave," She says so brokenly.

"Emilia of course, I would never leave you," I say to her. I grab her cheek with one hand rubbing my thumb over her watery cheek.

She lets out a long sigh before speaking.

----

I don't know what I have done to make them starts acting this way towards me. It's not my fault my mother left us. I haven't done anything bad like other teenagers. I haven't gotten pregnant, done any drugs, stayed out past curfew, or come home drunk.

I'm just so confused. My father has always been caring towards me but ever since my mother left it's like they blame me for it.

It's not only emotional abuse but physical. It's really taken it toll on me. They hit me over the smallest things now. If their eggs aren't cooked perfect, or a speck of dust on the tv, or a crumb on the table.

It's like they are trying to find any reason to hit me getting any anger they have out. It make me anxious all the time. I double, triple check everything, making sure it's perfect so I don't get beat, but they always find something wrong with anything I do.

It's almost to the point they don't need any reason anymore to hit me they just do. I don't have to do anything wrong anymore. They could be having a bad day and they just push me around like a personal punching bag.

I try hiding it but people notice the bruises. I blame them on my clumsiness. They see cuts and I blame it on my non-exsistent cat. I can't have friends over anymore. No one knows what happens behind locked doors.

I just don't know how much more I can handle.

----

She stays quiet as I process the information. Anger starts to form inside me, not towards her but her dick of a father and brother. I clench my fist slightly causing her to cower away slightly. I unclench them and look over at her with sadness seeping through my core.

"Emilia, I'm not mad at you. I'm angry at you father and brother," I say in disgust. She noticeable relaxes but is still slightly tense.

"I wish you would have told me sooner, but I understand why you didn't Emilia, but I'm gonna do what I can to help you," I say to her and she nods her head defeatedly.

"My father and brother are going to come back for me," She says looking down.

"We will do everything we can to help you but you have to tell someone else besides me, so we can help you," Her eyes widen a little.

"If I did, where would I go? I don't want to be a burden to anyone, especially your family," she says.

"Emilia, you are not a burden to me or Mrs. Harrison.She would take you in Emilia, I know she will," I say to her. She looks over at me.

"I know she would but I don't want to feel like a responsibility she has to take care of," she says.

"She would love to have you in her life Emilia. I know her. She would love the company and you're an amazing person to be around and also you are he granddaughter," I say trying to convince her. She hesitates before nodding her head.

"Alright," She says before I pull her into a hug.

I will do anything to get her out of that home. I won't let her go back there with them.

Not over my dead body.

~~~~