The Scene~Chapter Seven

“Bro she has made up her mind. She must really care for you.” Joey said.1

“I care for her Joey so please tell her she can not go.” I asked.2

“Dude she is coming bro we are ripping of the house tonight and leaving.” He said.3

“You are fucken unbelievable Joey.” I spat.4

“Dude did Stephanie tell you about her stepfather?” He asked.5

“What about him?” I asked giving a confused look. 6

“This stuff is all his man.” He told me.7

“So what’s that got to do with Stephanie?” I asked frustrated.8

“There is a reason we came up here. I came hoping she would come. I was going to tell you sooner, but I couldn’t get a minute alone with you. She loves you Corey and I know she wouldn’t want me telling you about this.” He started cryptically. 9

“What the hell are you talking about Joey?” I finally snapped.10

“He touches her man, in ways a father shouldn’t touch his daughter.” He told.11

I gave him and enraged looked and said “Fucken bullshit.”12

“Fine you go ask her! You get her to look you in the eyes and tell you.” He snapped getting up. “But she is my fucken cousin and I loved her before you ever did, and I don’t give a fuck what you say, I’m not leaving her here with him.”13

I put my head between my hands not sure of what to do. I felt sick in the stomach. This was just too much for my head to deal with.14

“You’re for real aren’t you.” I said quietly looking at him.15

“Why would I make shit like this up? Yes for real man! She was embarrassed to tell you about it bro. But I have known for a while. Why do you think we came here.” He said.16

“You didn’t let her have Harry did you?” I said standing up.17

“Yeah she took it Corey.” He said.18

“I don’t get her really I don’t. Why can’t she see how much I care about her and why I want her to stay.” I said.19

“Well she can’t understand why her step dad touches her. What I don’t get man is how can you expect her to stay now that you know about it. Her life isn’t the fairytale you think. You should at least be a little happy man now the two of you won’t have to say goodbye. Now come on Corey man, you have got to be at least a little happy about that?” He said.20

“I would rather say goodbye to her, then take her with us man.” I said.21

“And what leave her here all alone to continue being raped and touched and beaten by her dad? What the fuck is wrong with you man?” He yelled. 22

“Surely she must have other family Joey that we can take her to?”23

He shook his head. I looked at him and said: “If she comes Joey I want to look after her. That means no more drugs at all for her. I don’t want to get into fights in front of her either.” I said giving my terms.24

“You really care about her huh?” He asked.25

“Yes now promise.”26

“All right dude now come on and shoot up man we have to get packing.”27

I nodded and went downstairs and shot my Harry. Later on in the night we had stole as much out of Stephanie’s house, that we could possible take without looking to suss. 28

Stephanie mostly clung to me for most of the time we were doing this. I think she was sucking up because she knew I was pissed off with the whole situation.29

After we had unplugged all of her computer Joey came up.30

“Corey man you can drive stick huh?” He asked.31

I nodded. “Yeah why?” 32

“Cause Stephanie’s step dad’s van is full of shit and he keeps spares keys” He said and chucked them to me.33

“Who is riding with me?” I asked. 34

“Your women” He said and smiled.35

Stephanie hugged into me “Who else?” She asked.36

“Cody and Tony cos you have the most stuff. He will be doing most of the driving.” He said. 37

I nodded. “In that case we can not have too many people in the van.” I said.38

“We are going to head back to Sydney. We’ll stay a while at the cross.” Joey said.39

“What the fuck? Why the hell are we going there?” I asked.40

“Bro we need to get rid of all this stolen shit, and I know how to down there, we don’t know anyone up here. It’s not money up here, it’s excess baggage.”41

Stephanie hugged into me tighter. “When are we leaving?” She asked.42

“I just came up to help you down with the computer. Then we’re out of here.” He said.43

“Well it’s all ready to go.” I said.44

20 minutes later we were all in the garage. 45

“So I take it I am following you then?” I asked Joey.46

“Yeah man, we’ll stop in about 6 hours and Tony can drive sound good?” He said.47

“Yeah sounds good.” 48

“Keep to the back roads, its just safer.” He said.49

I nodded and Stephanie got in front of the van with me. She looked at me “Are you talking to me yet?” She asked.50

“Put your belt on.” I said looking at her.51

She did as I asked and then looked out the window. Cody and Tony got in the back. 52

“Corey Joey said to watch your speed and be careful in the rain ok.” Cody said.53

I nodded and then Joey pulled out and I followed. 54

“Corey man I am just going to catch some sleep, if anything looks weird up ahead, or Joey phones you cos he thinks something is up. Wake me alright?” Tony said.55

“No problem bro.” I said as he disappeared into the back of the van.56

I had been hoping that we would not be left alone, I didn’t want to talk to Steph, but I knew she had something on her mind. 57

“You have to talk to me sooner or later you know.” She said breaking the silence.58

I kept on concentrating on the road ahead. “Get some sleep.” I said.59

“No. Don’t you sit there and talk to me like I am a child in the wrong. I won’t go to sleep. You can’t treat me like this.” She snapped. I was caught a bit off guard.60

“Well someone has to take care of you now don’t they.” I said.61

“No they don’t. NO ONE has to take care of me; I can take care of myself. I just ran away from a father figure. I don’t need another one. You are being a stubborn prick. I came to get away from stuff that was going on in my life.”62

“Well running away is not going to fix anything, especially running with us, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” I warned.63

“You’re one to talk Corey. Why is it I met you? Just out of the blue, you came on a holiday didn’t you?” She laughed. “Anything has to be better than what I had back there. Plus I have you, I love you so can we stop fighting and you just deal with it?” She added.64

“You had a life back there, I told you about all the shit we are in, and you still wanted to come.” I said.65

“I had to get out of that house ok. You don’t know what it was like there.” She said with tears filling in her eyes.66

“I know Steph, Joey told me.” I said.  67

“What did he say?” She said looking furious.68

“He told me about your dad Steph.” I told her.69

“That big mouthed fucker.” She yelled.70

“He needed to ok. Do you really think you would be in this van with me if he never told me? Stephanie as much as I love you I would not have let you come with me. But after he told me that I could not leave you behind.” I said.71

“Corey I love you but please! Get over yourself! You wouldn’t have let me come? I wouldn’t be in this van? You cannot tell me what to do. I am here because I want to be, and there is nothing you could have done to stop me.” She said. 72

“You know that’s not true, I would have left.” I said.73

“Yeah you would but that wouldn’t have done much. I still would have gone with Joey. With or without you I would have gone. There is no way in hell I would have stayed.”74

I was shocked that she was sticking up to me. I didn’t know that she had it in her to be so outspoken. She had always in the time we had spent been so quiet and she just agreed with what everyone was saying. Normally someone talking to me like this would turn me off. But it made me love her so much more. She had fire, her eyes were filled with such heat and emotion. She wasn’t going to back down. For some reason that made me feel much better knowing that she could defend herself. 75

“Ok Steph. I am still a bit upset with you taking that heroin though.” I said knowing that I didn’t have much more of a fight in me.76

“Corey that wasn’t the first time I have taken it.” She said avoiding my eyes.77

“You are kidding right?” I said shocked, that was the second shock of the past ten minutes.78

“No I have done it once before at a party at my friends house. His brother and his friends had some and his little brother took some.” She said.79

“Stephanie why are you telling me this?” I asked.80

“I don’t want to lie to you Corey. I got nothing to hide; I am not the little breakable porcelain doll you think I am. I am stronger than you think. You don’t have to shelter me and hold me carefully I’m not going to break.” She said.81

I had never felt more affection for her, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever met, she was strong, she wasn’t afraid of who she was and I liked it.82

“Come here.” I sighed and then said come here she moved closer to me. I hugged her with one arm and with that her first fight was settled and over.83