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Chapter 7: Getting to Know You

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"Sofi, honestly, what happened to you?" Gerard's voice was urgent, strained and he was obviously waiting for an answer.

"It was nothing. I made him angry, that's all. It was kinda my fault...I know how he gets in the mornings sometimes, and I wore my pajamas outside of my room...which I never do and then, when I ran into him in the bathroom, I actually lied to him, which you NEVER do..." Sofi kept rambling, her sentences running together and it was pretty clear that she was making excuses. Gerard looked at Ray, catching his eye in the review mirror.

"Sofi...what did he do to you? I really, really, really want to know. I'm here to help you, I just want to help you." Sofi looked up with tears in her eyes, not knowing where to start.

"Can I tell you later? I just really don't want to go into it right now." Gerard wrapped his arms around her, reassuring her the only way he knew how to.

"Absolutely, whenever you want to tell me, I'll listen. Don't feel as if you need to explain anything to me right now. It's all on your time. Only your time." By this time, they were in front of the apartment. "Look, let's just go inside. We can work everything out with the guys and just hang around until you need to go home."

"Okay, that sounds good. Something I actually really need right now." Sofi forced a half smile, not knowing just how much she broke Gerard's heart when she was trying to be so cheerful. Ray came around to the side and opened the door and Gerard helped Sofi out of the van. They walked into the apartment building and up the stairs, Sofi taking in her surroundings. "This place looks really different when I don't have a bag over my head and I'm not scared you're going to kill me." Her voice was full of laughter, and Gerard chuckled, remembering yesterday as if it was an eternity ago.

"Well, it's a lot easier to climb up these stairs when someone isn't trying to kick you in the face."

"It's not my fault...I was scared! I can't be blamed for something that happens when I'm not of sound mind and body...and let me reassure you, neither my mind and body were sound at that point in time." Ray started laughing , not being able to hold it in anymore. Gerard and Sofi joined him and they opened the door to the apartment and had to fill in the guys on what was so funny. They all had a good laugh, and then the guys took a real look at Sofi. Her outfit was eye-catching and the guys couldn't help but stare.

Mikey spoke up, voicing what they were all thinking. "Sofi, what's with the outfit? And the makeup? It's a little flashy, especially for just the five of us!" He ended with a laugh in his voice, but she could tell his question was serious.

"Okay guys, why don't I go wash this off, and then we can talk for real, okay? I feel really weird with you guys just staring at me."

"Sounds like an idea...here let me show you were the bathroom is." Gerard guided her down a side hallway, showed her where the towels and wash clothes were, and went back into the living room. The guys talked amongst themselves, all of them privately wondering what Sofi may look like under all her makeup.

Sofi tried not to cry as she looked at her bare face. The swelling was really obvious now, and the small incision she had made to drain the blood was starting to scab. She looked awful. What were the guys going to think when they saw her? What was Gerard going to think? What if he got angry? Would he hit her? Questions ran through her mind and it took her awhile to finally get up the nerve to walk out into the living room again. The shocked looks on all of the guys faces made her want to run back into the bathroom and lock the door.

"Sofi, oh my gosh...what the hell happened?" Frankie's voice had gone up a couple of octaves and his face was horror stricken. Bob, Ray and Mikey looked like they wouldn't be able to form coherent sentences if they were asked to at gunpoint, and Gerard stayed rooted in the same place he had been when Sofi walked into the room. Sofi turned, preparing to go back into the bathroom, but Gerard caught her before she could go.

"Honey, your face! Why did he do this to you...why did he hurt you like this?" Gerard looked like he may cry and Sofi couldn't stand it. She tucked her face into his shoulder and let her tears go. No one spoke for a while. Sofi finally was able to calm down and the guys made room on the couch for her and Gerard to sit, since Sofi wouldn't let go of him. "Sofi, please, we want to help you. Tell us what happened."

"Okay, well, this morning I woke up really early and forgot to change out of my pajamas before going into the bathroom." Sofi ignored their puzzled looks, not wanting to answer the questions she knew where inevitable. She finished the story, tears flowing down her face and she had a hard time talking, because she had developed a pretty severe case of hiccups.

"So, he did all of this because you said you wouldn't shower with him?" Mikey's face was horror stricken. He never knew a father would do such awful things to his own child, especially a daughter.

"Well, it was hiccup more my fault hiccup. I really hiccup should have hiccup changed." Bob got up and got her a drink of water, thinking it might be able to help. " I know hiccup that seeing the hiccup pajamas always sets him hiccup off." Frankie was trying not to giggle at her hiccups and suggested that she hold her breath, since that usually worked for him. "Oh, wow, that actually worked. Thanks Frankie! Okay, anyway, also, I know to never lie to him. I really should have been watching what I said."

"Sofi, you're his daughter! It's not your fault if he gets so angry he can't control himself. No one is supposed to hit their child, no matter what is going on." Ray's voice was grief stricken. He knew what it was liked to be abused, enduring years of it himself. "I know it feels as if you shouldn't have done something, or you set him off, but it's all him. It's his fault, and only his fault. Sofi, you need to believe that."

Sofi began to cry again, and Gerard held her close. He didn't know what to do; he always felt lost in these types of situations. Mikey moved in next to them and started rubbing Sofi's back, soothing her. "Sofi, if you don't want to keep talking about this, that's fine. We all understand. Just know that if you ever need to talk to anyone about this...we are all here for you. And if you ever need a place to stay, the couch does pull out." Gerard looked at Mikey, silently thanking him for the offer he had made. Sofi sat up and looked at Gerard, then Mikey.

"I think I'm gonna go wash my face, and then we can talk about other things. Okay?"

"Absolutely, whatever you want to do, is okay with us. We'll just relax for today." Gerard walked her down the hallway again and gave Sofi's hand a squeeze before she closed the door behind her.

When Sofi emerged, she had a new glow about her. Her eyes were a little puffy, but nothing that wouldn't go away in a little while. The guys had turned on a movie and they just sat around relaxing for the duration of the movie. When the movie was over, Bob went out to get Chinese, towing along Gerard and Ray and left Sofi at the apartment with Frankie and Mikey.

"Okay, well, this silence could be awkward, so let's find something to talk about. So, are you guys seeing anybody?" Mikey and Frankie exchanged a look and a smile.

"Well, actually...we're together. We have been since high school, actually. We're gonna be celebrating our five year anniversary in 3 weeks." Mikey's smile was amazing, showing how in love he actually was and Sofi felt so happy for them.

"Wow you guys...that's so cool! You're friends and you're in love. That's so amazing." Sofi was amazed by how shocked the guys looked. "What? What does that look mean?"

Frankie answered for both of them and Sofi felt heartbroken by the answer, "Well, no one has ever been so accepting of our relationship right away. People usually judge us, trying to make us "see the error of our ways". It's just surprising, that's all."

"I would never judge people who are so obviously in love, like you guys are. I'm happy when people find love. Not saying I exactly understand same-sex attraction, but still, I am happy for you, honestly."

"Wow Sofi, that's so great. We're so glad that we don't make you uncomfortable." For the rest of the time that the guys were gone, they sat around, sharing stories and laughing about some of the crazy things Mikey had done in the past. Sofi didn't even try to contain her laughter when she found out that Mikey had blown up a toaster, a microwave and a coffee pot in the span of 2 days, and that now he was never allowed near a kitchen appliance.

"It's not my fault any of those things happened. Those were really old appliances."

"Exactly baby, they were old. Now they will never work again!" Frankie said this all with a laugh and Mikey punched him in the arm half-playfully. Just then, the door opened, revealing Bob with bags full of food. They got some utensils and plates and sat around the table.

Gerard was the first one to break the silence. "Okay, so I think the best plan to getting the numbers without setting off any alarms is if we scan the sheets of the numbers into the computer, that way we have the logs without actually disturbing the pages."

"That actually sounds like it will work," Ray said. "That might actually be the only way. If we tip him off, who knows what could happen to those kids." The faces around the table became grim and Sofi pushed her plate of food away, her face showing that she felt slightly nauseous.

"Sofi, are you okay?" Gerard half-stood up, preparing to run her to the bathroom.

"No, I'm fine. I just hate thinking about what that notebook stands for; what my father has done all these years. I can't believe I never knew what he was doing! I should have figured it out."

"Sofi, you wouldn't have been able to stop him, even if you had tried. We might have been hurt worse than you have been already. Don't beat yourself up over something that you have had no control over." Gerard sat back down, and the meal continued, everyone a little more somber but trying to have a good time.

When the meal was over, Ray and Sofi cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes while Gerard and Bob scanned the numbers into the computer. By the time everything was done, it was time for Sofi to go home again. This time, it was hugs all around and Sofi was heartbroken to have to leave them. She silently wondered what it would be like to live with people like them, but then put it out of her head. She didn't need to fill her head with wishful thinking.

The ride back to the house was quiet, Gerard and Sofi in the back, sitting close and Ray glancing back every few minutes. Sofi brushed tears off her face.

"Well, at least he won't be home for a while. I can get cleaned up and do my homework and he won't ever know that I didn't go to school." Sofi tried to sound upbeat, but inside she knew that this was going to be awful.

Gerard looked at Sofi, searching her face. "I don't know when we'll see you again. It should be end of this week sometime, when we figure out who we can get in contact with to find out some information. Don't worry though, we aren't going to abandon you. We will come for you, I promise."

Ray stopped the van in front of the house, since no one was around, and Sofi went to open the door. Gerard helped her out. "I would walk you to the door, but I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll see you around lovely." Gerard leaned in to Sofi, taking her face in his hands, and softly placed a kiss on her lips. Gerard got into the van, closed the door and Ray sped away. Sofi made her way inside, put her stuff away, and laid down on her bed.

"HE KISSED ME!"