Chapter 39

                                    

                                          
Kalani's POV
                          
Mom looks furious, but I'm happy I told Miss Jess. We might actually be able to go and live with Dad and Jorja now! But for now... Mom isn't going to have any mercy on us. Who knows what she'll do! Kenzie and I run up to Dad and Jorja to say goodbye, while Kendall jumps in her car and drives off. Mom jumps in her car.
                          
"I promise I'll find a way to save you," Jorja whispers.
                          
"HURRY UP!" Mom shouts. Kenzie shivers and we sprint to the car before we can make Mom even more mad at us. On the drive home, not a word is exchanged between any of us. We get home and jump out of the car straight away. When we go inside, Kendall is already there, watching TV, because her sportscar is quicker and she left before us. As soon as Kendall notices us, she turns off the TV and comes to join Mom.
                          
"WHAT THE HELL?!"Mom screams.
                          
"Who was it? You'd better own up right now," Kendall continues. I silently will Kenzie to stay quiet and, to my surprise, she does.
                          
"OWN UP RIGHT NOW YOU LITTLE RAT!" Mom shouts.
                          
"It... it was me," I stutter. Kenzie looks at me in shock; she didn't expect me to say anything.
                          
"LIAR!" Mom yells.
                          
"No, I'm not, I promise!" I plead.
                          
"Well, if you did, you won't mind us asking Ms. Thornton," Kendall smirks.
                          
"Do it! It was me! I'm not lying!" I exclaim.
                          
"HOW DARE YOU BACKCHAT TO MY ANGEL!" Mom yells. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kenzie shiver. Mom steps forward and slaps me in the face. It stings, but I can't cry. If I do, she'll hurt me even more. I get kicked and punched and slapped even more. I can barely take it. Tears are streaming out of my eyes. I'm just a crumpled heap on the floor eventually. Mom grabs me by the hair to pull me up.
                          
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Mom screams.
                          
"Yeah, you don't even deserve to even breathe the same air as us, you rat," Kendall insults. I run out of the room before they can do anything worse to me. I sit on the boxes in the room that Kenzie and I share. I can hear sobbing and loud noises from downstairs, they're beating up Kenzie now, poor thing. Kenzie runs into our room in tears. I grab her and scoop her up into a giant hug. I have to be strong for her, otherwise she'll feel hopeless. And I can't let that happen. Because if Kenzie loses hope, she'll be in a horrible mental state, and that isn't good to have as an 11-year-old. 
                          
"Kalani?" Kenzie asks.
                          
"Mhm?" I reply.
                          
"Do you think we'll ever be able to leave them? Like forever?" she inquires. I want to say yes, but if I give her false hope, she'll be crushed. This isn't like the books and the movies where everything is guaranteed a happy ending. Who knows, we might be here forever!
                          
"Kenzie, I really don't know. I mean I hope so, but I can't promise anything for sure," I answer. Kenzie sighs.
                          
"I hope so too," she whispers, while hugging me. The door bursts open a second later and Maddie strides in.
                          
"I heard what you were up to today, rats," Maddie explains. Kenzie grabs me tighter and I hug her tighter, to assure her that she's going to be alright.
                          
"So you're scared of me, Mackenzie? Good! You should be! Mom wants you downstairs and after I want you back up here," Maddie demands. I shiver in thought of what they might do to us. Wasn't that enough?
                          
"What do you say?!" Kendall asks, who has come up the stairs.
                          
"Y...Yes, Miss Maddie, yes, Miss Kendall," I stutter.
                          
"And the little one?" Maddie insists. I nudge Kenzie to get her to reply to Maddie, so she wouldn't get in trouble.
                          
"Yes, Maddie, yes, Kendall," Kenzie says without thinking.
                          
"Excuse me?" Kendall asks.
                          
"Um... sorry, Yes, Miss Maddie, yes, Miss Kendall," Kenzie corrects herself.
                          
"Uh-uh, no 'Kenz' it's too late! Mom will be hearing about this," Maddie threatens.
                          
"No! Please, Maddie... uh... Miss Maddie!" Kenzie pleads.
                          
"There you go again, Mackenzie. I'm sure the world would appreciate it if you just shut your mouth and-" Kendall starts.
                          
"MACKENZIE! KALANI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP THERE!? MADDIE TOLD YOU TO COME HERE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU BETTER NOT BE DOING ANYTHING YOU'LL FORGET!!" Mom screams from downstairs.  Kendall and Maddie open their mouths to tell her about Kenzie, but Kenzie runs up to Kendall and grabs her arm.
                          
"Please, K! Remember when we were 8?! When you saved me from that bully?! Please, don't let her hurt us," Kenzie begs. A look of pain and remembrance washes over Kendall's face and she closes her mouth. The mask that Mom has made to cover Kendall's pain is washed off by Kenzie's memories with her. Maddie sees this and runs over to Kendall.
                          
"Get downstairs," Maddie hisses at us. Kenzie and I sprint down the stairs, but not before I hear Maddie say: "You have to be more careful, don't give in to them."