In the time it took for her to disappear and then show up again they’d all but forgotten about her. At least until three weeks ago. Aaron found her huddled against a wall in an alley. She hasn’t spoken a word since. Mitchell’s tried inquiring about her. Hoping to learn something about the young woman. Sadly, it’s gotten nowhere. Occasionally she’ll make breakfast or dinner. Otherwise she does not associate with them. It often seems like she’s in her own world. Mitchell’s had enough, however, having everyone wait in the living room for when she comes home. Except, Eijinn of course is lying on the hallway floor. It’s him she avoids the most, despite how docile he is. It’s almost as if he has the plague. Which everyone, but Aaron finds strange.

“So, we’re pretending she’s not going to freak out with him lying on the floor like that?”

Alex looks t the others as if they’ve committed some kind of crime. Of course in Aaron’s case he may have. There’s never any telling with him.

“She can’t hide in the guest room if he’s there.”

“She’ll most likely ignore him as she always does.”

Alex rolls his eyes at the pair. While he couldn’t care less about the girl, he also doesn’t want to deal with her outbursts. The action prompts Bryant to flip him off. It also gets him a dirty look from Jason, who normally wants nothing to do with anyone. Before she can say or do anything the front door swings open and in steps Marie.

“Anya’s home!”

She waves quietly to Aaron, used to him not calling her by her name, but this one that he’s casually changed her name to. Ignoring the others, she starts for the spare room she’s been staying in. But of course, Eijinn is still sprawled on the floor looking up at her. Marie stops in her tracks, eyes wide with terror.

“Hi.”

She nods stiffly, before turning and exiting the house. At this, Mitchell groans and Aaron gets up to follow her.

“Eijinn, can you be normal for once. Like can you not terrify her.”

“All I said was ‘hi’ and she took off.”

“You’re lying on the hallway floor. That’s why she took off.”

It takes Aaron a moment to spot her crawled up by the side of the house crying. Thank god she didn’t go far. He hesitates before sitting across from her.

“He’s harmless, despite the way he behaves. He means well, sort of.”

She’s silent, doing her best to stop crying. When she does her head lifts slightly to look at him. Brown eyes searching green ones. There’s nothing there to say he’s lying to her. The again Aaron has only been truthful with her from the beginning. Doesn’t treat her as if she’s a waste of space, but more like a person. Almost like she’s the most precious thing in his. He’s generally the first to check on her too.

“Thank you…”

Her voice comes out in a whisper, barely audible. But he hears her and smiles a little. Happy that she’s not having a different reaction.

“Let’s go inside. Maybe watch a movie or something.”

Another nod as she cautiously lets him help her up and then follows him back inside. No surprise that Eijinn is still lying on the floor. His eyes are half-lidded. Not even paying attention to her. Again, instinct takes over, tempting her to flee. That is until Aaron guides her to sit beside him on the couch. Bryant can feel her shaking in her body. He’s never seen anything like it. Nor has he had to ever deal with this before a girl who’s terrified of the male species. Her trembling rocks the couch. Luckily, Alexander is not on the same couch. Not that the baby-blue eyed blond isn’t shooting dirty looks at her anyway. It is, after all, what he’s good at. Making others feel bad themselves. Internalized self-hate. Sadly, Marie’s his current target. Although, Bryant’s pretty sure she has more than enough reason for her actions. Most people usually do. At least from what he’s seen.

“Hey, Marie, can you help me with something in the kitchen?”

She startles, but nods her head and on unsteady feet follows him to the kitchen. And at first he makes it seem as if he does need her help and then turns to face her.

“You don’t have to tell me. It’s literally none of my business. But you avoid us like the plague. We’re harmless. At least, where it concerns you. We wanted to ask as a group, but I feel that’s a bit much. Again you don’t have to tell me, but can I ask what’s going on with you?”

Wide eyes stare up at him. A frown forming on tiny lips as she tries to come to grips with herself. Still not entirely sure if she can trust them. Despite the generosity most of them, if not all, have shown her.

“Like I said you don’t have to tell me.”

She’s shaking again. A single leaf in the middle of winter. Something is definitely eating away at her. Bryant’s starting to regret asking. Believing he may have pushed too far. Watching as her mouth opens and then closes. At this point she’s in the verge of tears. Definitely should not have asked. I’m such an idiot. Out of habit he reaches to hug her. Stopping when she visibly flinches.

“Please don’t say anything to anyone.”

“It’s not my place to. Unless you did something illegal. In which case we have nowhere left to hide the bodies.”

He chuckles a little bit, so that she isn’t frightened of him. However, he can still see the tension spilling from her skin and it makes him silently pray that whatever she has to say isn’t too terrible. His heart on the other hand already knows that it’s bad. Her mouth opens to speak, but then stops. She still visibly shaking. It’s upsetting to see someone so broken. Again that feeling of having asked her wasn’t such a good idea resurfacing. Suggesting that maybe he should leave her alone. Until she speaks:

“I can’t go home.”

“Okay,but why?”

“I just can’t.”

“It can’t be anything worse than almost being run over by Mitchell.”

“Please…I just can’t go back.”

“No one’s going to make you, but we can’t help or at least make sure you’re semi-comfortable if you won’t tell us what’s wrong.”

She won’t look up at him. Slim fingers tugging at the material of a shirt Aaron gave her to wear. The same Aaron quietly slipping into the kitchen. Bryant’s glimpsed him eavesdropping the whole time, which he finds rude. He didn’t want to startle Marie by saying anything. Besides, it almost seems she’s trapped in here with them and that’s not how he wants her to feel.

“I just can’t. I won’t. Not again.”

For a moment, just a single moment, Bryant is confused. Looking her over before his brain clicks. Jesus! His eyes meet Aaron’s. The other wearing a grim expression. Bryant figures he must’ve already had some idea and this is just a confirmation. Plus, if he’s figured it out who’s to say no one else has. Then why didn’t anyone help her before us?

“Please don’t make me go back.”

There are tears in her voice. She’s shaking even harder than before. However he’s angry. How can one treat their own flesh and blood so cruelly with no remorse whatsoever? It’s still taking his mind a bit to process what she’s been unable to say aloud. With so much more caution than he’s ever had, he leads her back to the spare room. Kicking Eijinn gently and yet still hard enough to get him to move aside. Once the door is closed with her safely inside he goes back to look for Aaron.

“They say birds of a feather flock together.”

“She’s different. The lot of us are only friends because we’re moths drawn to the same flame. We thrive on our own self-destruction.”

“Yeah, but she’s still similar to us in many ways. Nothing is going to change that. Remember how different we all seemed? I mean, you practically hated my guts when we met.”

“Who’s to say I don’t still hate your guts?”

Aaron runs a hand through dark hair. A sarcastic grin poisoning the features of his face. His ears pick up Bryant’s gentle scoff. The two have been friends for a long time. They know what pisses the other off to no end. Yet, they still get along so well.

“You can’t say anything about what I uncovered? It’s bad enough I pressured her to tell me anything. You two however, it’s very different. She trusts you more than anyone else. You may as well be best friends. Meaning it’d be best if you kept it to yourself. I know it pisses you off to no end.”

“It does more than piss me off. To think her own family can abuse her and not one of them has remorse. Or so much as try to help her. How can you look at your own relative and not think, ‘this is wrong. Should I stop it.’? I’d love to give these people a piece of my mind.”

“Yeah, well, keep it to yourself. And keep an eye on her.”

Aaron nods and sighs, knowing full well the consequences of sharing someone else’s private information without their permission. He simply zones out, green eyes dark and brooding. Bryant leaves him be. Knowing the results of being around an angry Aaron. Back in the living room the others look at him expectantly. Except, as usual Eijinn, who is nowhere to be seen. Jason simply points down the hall to the room Marie’s in. With a raised brow, Bryant starts down the hall. Thankfully, the door is still closed. Closed with Eijinn leaning against the door frame. Marie’s sniffling can be heard on the other side.

“You didn’t say anything to her did you?”

“No, she didn’t even open the door when I knocked. Is she okay?”

Bryant’s aware his friend means well, but she may not see it that way. As far as she’s concerned everyone is a threat.

“Don’t worry about it. So long as you didn’t say or do anything to her it’s none of your business.”

The red-head looks up at him perplexed as he passes into the room. A frown forms on Bryant’s face at the sight of their petite guest. She’s curled up in a ball against one wall of the room. Tears stain her face and her nose is running.

“Marie, princess come here.”

The door shuts gently behind him. He moves to sit on the bed and after some hesitation she sits beside him with her head in his lap. The tears fall heavier and all he can do is wait it out. Her body shudders as each sob leaves her throat, broken and deformed. He never though he’d be doing this. Let alone face to face with someone who did not look the type to be victimized by the world’s evils. Yet here she is like a burning fire. Terror violently mutilated in the form of a girl who’s lost all hope in the world. A part of him realizes now, why she’d been so standoffish the first time. And yet still found a way to have comfort among them. It seems cruelty is everywhere and she got stuck with it. What kind of life is this?