Page 56 of Rock and a Hard Place

“Yeah, I’d like that.” His voice cracked. Maybe his brothers weren’t so bad after all.

Libby tried to cry out for help but didn’t get a chance. Sophie grabbed her by the hair and slammed her againstthe wall. Then she grabbed Libby’s arm and twisted it behind her back. Piercing pain shot up her arm and shoulder. Sophie shoved her face against the sandy-textured paint, scraping her raw.

“Listen, bitch, don’t you ever cross me again. If you say one more word to Scott about me, I’ll break your arm.”

Libby didn’t doubt it for a moment. Paralyzed with pain, she tried not to breathe. She prayed for Sophie to release her. The girl was crazy. She bit back her tears.

“And when I say something’s mine, you just shut your whiny little trap and mind your own frick’n business.”

Thankfully, Libby saw Scott, their twenty-three-year-old “adult in charge,” walk around the corner, surprised. He rushed over.

“Sophie, what are you doing? Let go of her.”

“Just having a little chat here. Libby had a crick in her back and I’m trying to straighten her out.” Her viselike grip tightened.

“Let her go. Right now!” His raised voice brought Michael and BJ from the kitchen.

“Shit, Sophie, what did she do to piss you off?” Michael chewed on a Pop-Tart as he spoke.

BJ looked on, a satisfied smirk on his big, dumb face. “Feeling better now?” Sophie asked, getting up in Libby’s face.

“Yeah.” She groaned through clenched teeth. “Great.”

“Sophie, I said now!” Scott yelled.

Sophie stuck her elbow in Libby’s back before releasing her. “Anytime you need a little adjustment, let me know.”

Libby leaned against the wall for support, unable to bear the pain of straightening her arm. Slowly, she relaxed enough for the limb to fall useless at her side. With her other hand, she pushed away from the wall, her cheek aching and bruised, the wall marred with a streak of blood.

“Sophie, you’re killing me here. I thought you weren’t going to allow your temper to get out of control,” Scott said, this situation far beyond his limited skill set.

“Yeah, well, it sneaks out once in a while. I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again,” she said, clearly not meaning a word.

“You’re right about that.” Scott shook his head.

“Damn, Sophie! You’re goin’ back to juvie. It’s three strikes and you’re out,” Michael happily taunted.

“I’m afraid he’s right.” Scott wrung his hands. “I’ve got to call this in.”

“Yeah, well, screw you!” Sophie spat at Scott. “You’re such a pussy. You need to grow some.”

“Sophie, go sit in the kitchen while I handle this. BJ, please stay with her while I talk to Libby.”

Scott checked Libby for injuries and congratulated her for trying to get a peaceful resolution. Apparently, not fighting back or defending yourself qualified as good behavior. He told her to shower so she could clean off theto go in to school late.Yippee. She was sick and tired of being pushed around.

After her shower, she gave a report to the police about Sophie stealing her Jamieson CD. Narcing seemed like a lame reason to be pummeled against a wall, but the CD was the only thing she had left that tied her to Peter. She refused to put up with Sophie’s constant bullying anymore. In fact, she was done taking everybody’s crap. She’d spent nearly two years doing what everyone else told her to. She’d been the model orphan child. No more! She’d been lied to, misled, and manipulated. There was no one left who cared about her; they’d all left or been taken away. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t help, either. It was time to stop cowering in submission as other people made bad decisions for her.

Today this madness stopped. Libby refused to sit in this crappy house and get bullied and beat up. She’d been afraid for too long. That ended now. Today she would take back her life. Sink or swim, she’d do it on her own. She knew she could.

The decision made, Libby moved through her room with purpose. She dumped the schoolbooks and papers out of her backpack and kicked them under the bed. She went to the dresser and surveyed the contents. She grabbed a pair of jeans, three warm tops, a couple pairs of socks and underwear, an extra bra. Then she pulled a thick sweatshirt over the one she already wore. She dropped her makeupbag into the backpack, then pulled it back out. It took up too much space. She opened the bag, grabbed blush and mascara, dropped them into the pack and left the rest on the dresser.

She cushioned the picture of her family by wrapping it inside a T-shirt and then placed it in the middle of the pack. She moved around the room, scanning each item for something she might need in her future life. Nothing.

Her eyes settled on her narrow bed. Without pause, she went to the far side and reached deep between the mattress and box spring. She pulled out a bank envelope full of money she stashed from her job. She counted one hundred and fifty-three dollars, not nearly enough. She stuffed the cash in her back pocket. She opened the closet and examined the contents, a few shirts, several pairs of shoes, and the dress from homecoming that Miss Orman refused to take back. She left it all. She needed nothing from this place.

She looked at Sophie’s part of the room. Clothes littered the floor and the bed was unmade. She hesitated only a moment, then moved to the dresser and worked her way through it, drawer by drawer.

Bingo!

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