She didn’t know why they were fighting. All she could hear was them screaming at each other, screaming words that no four year-old should hear. While she just stood there in the middle of the living room, watching them with tears forming in her eyes, wanting to cry. But she knew that if she cried, that would seize her father’s attention away from her mother and to her. She couldn’t cry. She just couldn’t.
Her mother must have noticed her looking terrified as hell, because she stopped screaming obscenities and looked at her. “Fausto, stop screaming. Please. You’re scaring Christina.”
Fausto just shook his head and looked at Christina. “She should mind her own fucking business!”
Fausto moved towards Christina, about to scream at her. Before he could though, Christina ran out of the living room and into her room, slamming the door behind her. She fell into a heap on the floor, her back pressed against the door, and tears streaming down her face.
A few minutes after, the screaming had faded, and she heard a knock at the door. Christina jumped back almost instinctively. Her mother opened the door, and Christina was relieved that it wasn’t her father.
“Christina, we’re running away tonight. Pack your bags. Okay?”
Christina sobbed. “What? Where?”
“Honey, we have to get away from your father. We’ll live a normal life without him. It’s for the best.”
“SHELLY!” Christina’s father’s deep booming voice made her cringe. Her mother sighed and hugged Christina quickly before leaving the room.
“What, Fausto?”
******
“G-God.” Christina trembled; awake now. The light outside seeped through the blindfolds.
Christina got up, not wanting to sleep anymore. She didn’t want anymore traumatizing dreams.
“Britney?” She stepped out of her room, and heard the TV blaring. She walked into that room, seeing Britney sitting on the couch with JC and Justin, watching a movie.
“Oh, hey Chris.” JC looked at her, and then turned his eyes back to the TV screen.
“Shhh.” Justin pressed a finger to his lips, his eyes glued to the TV screen.
“Hey JC. Why are you two here?”
“This is the good part. Can you please be quiet?” Justin snapped at Christina.
“We just thought we’d visit our two ex-mouseketeer sisters.” JC replied.
“Jayce. Shut up.” Justin growled.
Christina rolled her eyes, and then grabbed Britney’s arm, dragging her out of the room so Justin wouldn’t complain again.
“What’s wrong?” Britney asked her once they were out of the room.
“Um. I had another dream again…”
Britney hugged her. “God, Chrissy. These are constant.”
“How can I sleep without having nightmares?”
Britney pulled back. “I don’t know. Maybe there’s like, pills you can take or something.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to see a psychiatrist?” Britney asked, emphasizing the sure.
“I’m sure.” Christina bit her lip. “I’m going to call Jorge.”
“Isn’t he at a club?”
Christina shrugged and pulled out her cell phone, dialling Jorge’s cell phone number.
“Yeah?” Jorge’s voice was shaky, and he sounded drunk.
“Jorge? Are you drunk?”
“Nah, I’m having fun. Who’s this?”
“This is Christina.”
“Heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy Chhrrrrriiisssttttiiinnnaaaa.” Jorge yelled groggily, he was obviously drunk. And then Christina could hear the faint giggling of a girl in the background.
“Jorge? Where are you?”
“I came back from the club. I’m at Mike’s house.”
“Who’s that girl?”
“That’s Mike’s girlfriend.”
“Oh.” Christina sighed, for a second she thought that Jorge was cheating on her.
The girl in the background giggled again, and Jorge spoke again. “I got to go. I’ll talk to you laaaaateeer, Chriiiiistina.”
“Bye Jorge.” Christina hung up the phone, still wondering exactly who that girl was. Christina shook the thoughts of cheating out of her head. It’s just Mike’s girlfriend, she told herself.