Robert was disgusted with Steven. “I want to save her, but I can’t. I am not supposed to be in here. I am just a kid.” Robert walks away shamelessly. He left the house and went next door to his bedroom. Ronnie was still asleep. He shook him.
“What?” Ronnie asked sitting up. “What is it now?”
“Ronnie, I went in Lacy’s house next door. Their backdoor was unlocked.”
“Wait, you trespassed into a house uninvited? That’s insane.” Ronnie says staring at his brother.
“I kept thinking of Lacy. And when I did, I just had to see if she was okay.”
“Is she?” Ronnie asked feeling concerned now.
“No. She isn’t okay. I went over there and saw that her mom’s boyfriend was raping her.”
Robert said not sure if he should tell his younger brother.
“What?” Ronnie couldn’t believe what he heard. “What didn’t you stop them?”
“I don’t know. What are we supposed to do? I wasn’t even supposed to be in there. She needs to tell her mother what’s been going on.” Robert said and sat down by Ronnie. He felt worried about Lacy and helpless at the same time.
“Poor Lacy.” Ronnie said looking down. “I feel so stupid for just sleeping and thinking she was okay.” Ronnie felt bad. He wanted to see Lacy now and be there for her.
“Let’s go over there later today. Hopefully her mother will be there. I don’t think she was.” Robert says to Ronnie.
“Yeah, if she was there she would’ve seen that stupid fat ass rat in his tracks.”
Some hours have passed. It was 11 AM. Ronnie and Robert were going over Lacy’s house. They knocked on the front door. To answer the door it was Lacy’s mother.
“I’m tired and just got off of work not too long ago. What is it?” She asked them.
“We want to see if Lacy is home to hang with her.” Ronnie answers.
“Boys wanting to hang with Lacy? Are you two her friends or one is her boyfriend?”
“Friends.” Ronnie replied.
“Fine, she should be in her bedroom.” Abbilynn, Lacy’s mother, let both Robert and Ronnie in and then shuts the door. “No funny business.” She went to her bedroom to go to sleep. Robert and Ronnie made their way to Lacy’s bedroom. They found her lying on her bed. Ronnie closes the door behind him and Robert and they both go over to Lacy. They shook her.
“Ah!” She let out a little scream.
“It’s okay.” Robert said to her. Lacy felt like she was going to cry. She sits up. She was wearing pajamas. They were all black.
“What are you… two doing in my house?” Lacy asked.
“Checking in on you.” Ronnie answers and sits down on the bed by her. Robert sat on the other side.
“Lacy, you need to tell your mother everything.” Robert said seriously to Lacy.
“What? What are you talking about?” Lacy asks. She was confused.
“You know about what Steven has been doing.” Ronnie touched her shoulder.
“Do they know what he did?” Lacy asked herself feeling scared and nervous.
“It will get more worse if you don’t do anything now.” Robert tells her.
“No. I can’t do anything. If I do… he’ll…” Lacy starts to cry. “He’ll throw my mother, my brother, and me outside. Then we’ll be homeless.” Ronnie brought Lacy over to him and hugs her.
“Lacy, we already said before if you go ahead and talk to your mother about this, we’ll talk to our father about your family staying with us until she can save enough money to get her own place.” Ronnie said reassuring her and started rubbing the back of her head.
“But… what if your dad…what if your dad… what if he don’t want to help us?” Lacy asked crying still.
“Lacy, our dad isn’t the type of guy you think he is. He’ll help. Trust me.” Robert said staring at Lacy and touches a piece of her hair. She stared at Robert as she had her head on Ronnie’s shoulder.
“Are you…are you sure?” She asked.
“Positive. You’ve been tormented long enough. You don’t even deserve this.” Robert says calmly to her. Lacy felt safe being around them both. She moved away from Ronnie.
“As tempting that sounds, I can’t do it.” She said and was trying to dry her tears.
“Why?” Robert asked.
“Because, that stupid jerk will just tell my mother that I am faking it. That I have a crush on him when I don’t.”
“Then you need to let your mother catch that asshole in the act.” Ronnie suggested.
“I can’t. There’s no way I can prove anything!” Lacy started crying more. “I have to sit here and let him just hurt me!” Ronnie brought Lacy back over to him and was hugging her.
“No. No more hiding this. Where is that Steven guy?” Ronnie asked her.
“He…he went to work.” Lacy replies.
“Good. It’s a good time to tell your mother. Now. Everything. The truth.” Ronnie was talking in a different tone of voice. “It won’t get better until you tell her the truth. Or one day the truth will come out eventually. Just think about it, when it does, you’ll be pregnant by that stupid asshole. Do you really want to be pregnant by him?”
“I…I…I don’t…” Lacy says nervously. “I don’t want to have a…baby. I don’t want one with him…” Lacy answers and stared up at Ronnie.
“That’s what’s going to happen if you don’t tell now. You put it off, that’s what’s going to happen and then your mother will find out eventually.” Ronnie says and lets Lacy go. “Tell your mother now.”
“Lacy, do it, and we promise we’ll talk to our father into letting you all stay over with us. It will be simple as that.” Robert tells her. Lacy felt nervous and scared.
“But… if I tell my mom. Wouldn’t she get the cops involved?”
“Most likely, but we’re with you. Every step.” Ronnie tells her. Hearing that made Lacy felt better.
“You two really know how to make me feel better.” Lacy blushes staring at them both. “It’s weird that I just moved here and became friends with two brothers. No one at school even likes me.”
“Lacy, go tell your mother.” Robert says. Lacy left the bedroom. She walks slowly to the master bedroom.
“My mother is probably asleep. But… I can’t let this go on forever. Ronnie is right. If I keep letting this go on… I’ll… be pregnant. And then it will turn into more of a disaster.” Lacy opened the door to the bedroom and walks over to her mother who was lying on her bed trying to sleep. “M-mom…” There was no response as Lacy was quiet. “M-mom…” Lacy spoke louder. Her mother opened her eyes and looked at her.
“Lacy, I am tired. What is it?” Abbilynn said tiredly.
“Mom…I…” Lacy wasn’t sure if she could tell her mom everything.
“Your eyes look red, have you been crying?” Abbilynn asked her daughter and sat up on the bed.
“Mom…I…” Lacy felt like she couldn’t hold the tears anymore. They started coming out. Tears just came down her face.
“Lacy, why are you crying? Is something the matter? Did those boys did anything to you?” Abbilynn asked feeling concerned about her daughter.
“No! They didn’t do anything to me! Mom I hate your boyfriend Steven! I hate him!”
“I know but, please we don’t have nowhere to stay and I…”
“He doesn’t even love you mom! He doesn’t!” Lacy blurts out.
“Of course he likes me Lacy. Why do you think he doesn’t?”
“Because… he told me he didn’t. Last night when I was alone with him. He told me he didn’t love you.” Lacy admits.
“What are you talking about?” Abbilynn wasn’t sure what to think, but her daughter was crying in front of her.
“He told me that if I told… he’ll make it look like I have a crush on him. I don’t’! I hate him!” Lacy kept crying.
“Lacy, I know you don’t like Steven. Sit down by me.”
“Mom…I want to get out of here. This relationship with him isn’t worth it.”
“Sweetheart, why are you thinking that way?”
“Because! I hate myself and I don’t want to hate you if you want to stay here with him!” Lacy felt upset, she wasn’t sure if she could tell her mother what happened and what went on behind her mom’s back with her and Steven. What Steven did to her. “Mom! I don’t want to say this…”
“Tell me. You can tell me anything, Lacy. No matter what. I’ll believe you. You’re my daughter.” Abbilynn said and moves a piece of Lacy’s hair from her face.
“Mom… Steven…he…he…” Lacy felt like she needed to tell her, but wasn’t sure. Robert and Ronnie were eavesdropping on the both of them. They were making sure Lacy told her mother everything.
“Go on.”
“Mom…he…t-tou…touch… That guy touch…touched…”
“He touched you?” Abbliynn asks. “In what way?”
“Anywhere he…wanted to.” Lacy admits. Abbilynn didn’t like where this conversation was going. “Mom, he told me he was dating you because…because…he wanted to…wanted to…” Lacy felt nervous again. “Wanted to get close to me.”
“Lacy, are you implying that Steven is a creep?” Abbilynn asks. Lacy wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t even tell her mother everything yet. Robert and Ronnie felt like they couldn’t let this go on without Lacy telling everything. They both walked in the room. “Um excuse us but were having a conversation here.” Abbilynn said staring at both the boys.
“Look, we know what’s been going on in this house.” Robert said looking at Abbilynn.
“What?” She asked.
“That stupid Steven guy won’t leave Lacy alone. He touches her in wrong places! He is rude to her and uses you, pretends to be dating you all because he wants your daughter!”
“How would you know all of this?” Abbilynn asked.
“Because Lacy told us! And Robert said he saw that asshole Steven guy having sex with your daughter! Don’t you get it? That stupid asshole raped your daughter while you were at work.” Ronnie tells everything to Abbilynn. Lacy felt humiliated hearing it all.
“Lacy, is this true? Did he really do this?” Abbilynn asked. Lacy felt like she couldn’t respond. All she could do is cry. She gets up and was about to run off but Ronnie caught her and hugged her.
“Lacy, I’m sorry I told Ronnie about what I saw. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to stop him. I felt hopeless. But that’s why we wanted you to confront your mother about this.” Robert said to Lacy. She was crying on Ronnie.
“Oh my…gosh. I can’t believe. Lacy, how many times did he rape you?” Abbilynn asked.
“Just once he did. Last night while you were at work.” Robert answers for Lacy.
“I..I am sorry. I am so sorry, Lacy.” Abbilynn stood up and went over to her daughter. She pulled her away from Ronnie and hugged her. “It’s okay. I won’t let him touch you no more. I promise.” Abbilynn said to her daughter.