Chapter 4: Shopping with The Schuyler Sisters

That day was very busy after I was done meeting the cast and I had dinner since I spent the whole day with them, I went back to the Williams house. Once I got there, I had little time to pack my back before I had fists connecting with my body. Most of them connected with my face while others connected lower; some of the abuse increased past mental and physical but I took it as tears streamed down my face because I was looking forward to something.

Before I left the theatre that night, much to the disappointment of the cast, I was asked to wait in front of the school for the Schuylers. Lin had told me that they were going to take me shopping and that I was going to leave the Williams for good.

"Where is your worthless ass of yours doing," a voice grumbled as I stood, waiting in front of the school as I sighed

Why can't I leave without having any more trouble from them

"I'm going home," I answered nonchalantly as I looked straight ahead at the line of cars that slowly come up to the front of the school

"A car isn't going to come up and take us home," Mike grumbled, "do you have amnesia from the number of times we hit your head? We always walk home starting your punishment of the day there," he said as I saw him smirk out of the corner of my eye

"Not with you," I replied, "I have no amnesia, I'm going away from your family," I added

George's eyes widened but then formed into a glare, "You're running away," he said, "not on our watch."

I sighed, "Now if I was running away would I be out in front of the school waiting for a ride where everyone can see me," I asked backing away slowly

I was too slow as I fist connected with my gut and I kneeled onto the cold December concrete. "What are you saying," Mike growled as he readied himself for another hit and I stood up

I sighed, "To put it to where your feeble minds would understand," I began thinking of a way to dumb it down for them. "I am not running away; I am just waiting for a ride that'll take me to a better place than your family."

"Our family," Mike said through gritted teeth as he swung a fist towards my jaw

"I have had enough of this," I mumbled to myself as I ducked his blow that would've broken my jaw. As I was crouched down, I grabbed their legs and yanked them from underneath them just as a car pulled up next to us. After some uttered curses they started getting up but I didn't wait for them to stand so they could hurt me more. Once I noticed the car that pulled up had the sisters in it, I hoped in. "Please go," I said right as I closed the door just as the brothers stood up

Thankfully, without question, Renée pulled out as fast as she could without running into any of the other cars. Most of the ride all of the sisters had a worried look on their face, stealing some glances at me and the new bruises that I had on my face.

Soon enough I was getting the irritated with the suspense, "What," I asked with my bag at my feet

"What the hell was that," Renée asked first then Phillipa turned towards me

"Also, why do you have more bruises than yesterday," she asked as I sighed

"Before I begin," I started, "can I call you two by your nicknames?"

"Yes, you can, now answer the question," Jazzy urged as she sat next to me in the back seat

I sighed once more, "After I was dropped off at the house by you guys, I snuck in. I had enough time to pack my bag before they knew I was back and that was when they started punishing me for having help," a tear streamed down my cheek. "They punched, kicked, and sexually abused me, they told me that if I told anyone about that then I'd be dead but that is a thing that is too terrible to keep from you three."

Right when I finished the car stopped as I started to cry more, "There is no reason for you to cry if you are crying because you're afraid or feel bad. You did nothing wrong there and you are never going back there," she said turning in her seat as she spoke

Pippa smiled but still kept her worried expression, "She's right," she began as she tucked her legs underneath her so she could see me better. "You're going to be with us from now on; you're never going to see that family again," she finished as I smiled through my tears

"Thank you," I said with a sniff after I finished buckling my seatbelt since I forgot because I wanted to get away from the brothers

"Out of curiosity," Pippa began once we started moving again, "why haven't you fought back before?"

I sighed, "I fought back twice and that was why I was dumped off at the nearest group home once I got here. I fought back against foster siblings one other time and got the crap beaten out of me," I replied shyly. "I only fought back today because I knew that I wasn't going to see that family again," I added as Jazzy grinned

I smiled as Pippa looked at me, then at the bag at my feet, "Is that all you have," she asked the shock evident in her voice and on her face

"Yes," I replied shrinking back a little as another shy smile formed on my lips

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that we're going shopping then," Renée said with a laugh as Pippa picked up my bag and started looking through it.

"Sorry," she began once Renée glanced in her direction, "I should've asked, do you mind if I look through it," she asked with a small blush of embarrassment on her face

"No," I said shaking my head as I started looking out the window; I haven't been a fan of being in cars since the crash but I've gotten used to it

"It looks like you're going to need a lot more than just summer and winter clothes," Pippa said after a minute of silence. "You barely have anything in here," she added as I blushed

"Well then, I guess we're just going to have to quicken the pace," Renée said as the car started speeding up a little more

"You guys don't have to do this," as said once the bag sat at my feet once more

"Yes, we do," Pippa said turning to me with a smile, "we don't have to but we want to," she added as her smile widened

"But, why me," I asked the three women in the car with me as some tears started forming once more

There was some silence before Renée answered, "Because," she began, "you remind us of what Eliza was trying to do. While creating the orphanage, she vowed that each child will be protected and helped. This is so that each orphan won't ever go through the same trouble that Alexander did in his hometown."

"Really," I asked as every girl nodded in agreement, "I didn't know that my life mattered that much. I thought that ever since I became an orphan that my life would be tossed around until I turned eighteen since no one wants a teenager."

"That is where you're wrong," Pippa said with yet another smile as we pulled into the driveway of the mall. "It doesn't matter if you're an orphan or you have either one or both of your parents your life still matters," once parked she turned in her seat once again. "You're still alive for a reason, don't think that your life isn't worth it simply because you're an orphan; don't throw away your life because of something as drastic as this."

When she finished, she gently squeezed my knee, it didn't hurt; it was more of a reassuring squeeze. "Okay," I finally said with another shy smile

Pippa's grin widened once more, "Okay," she said as I nodded, "now who's ready to go shopping," she asked and the three sisters raised their hands. As they noticed that I didn't raise my hand they started arching an eyebrow one by one.

I chuckled, "What," I began, "in my whole life I have never been a fan of shopping; much less clothes shopping," I explained as they all laughed

"Neither was I kid," Renée began, "but it always matters who you're with; you're going to have fun today."

I smiled, somehow, I knew that was true but deep down a part of me feared them. I silence that fear as I jumped out of the car

"Have you been here before," Pippa asked as she closed the door and I shook my head

"None of the families cared enough about me to take me shopping here," I replied as the three nodded

"Well, I guess this is a learning curve for you," Renée said as she walked around the car, putting her arm over my shoulder. "Relax, we'll have fun here," she reassured me, and this time I knew she wasn't lying.