in my usual sweatpants and t-shirt, I notice Brie’s door is open, and she’s not in her room.
I hear Mom chuckle from her own room and head in that direction. Standing in the doorway, I watch as Mom squirts something into Brie’s palm.
“Just rub it all over your face and neck,” Mom says.
I lean a shoulder against the doorjamb and ask, “Brie, you want to watch a movie once you’re done?”
She glances over her shoulder. “Sure.”
Even though I’m worried about Brie, I know hovering around her won’t help her heal. Reluctantly, I leave the women to do their thing. I know the time they spend together is good for both of them.
I go to the living room and sitting down on a couch, I switch on the TV and begin to scroll through the movie selection.
I have no idea what Brie likes to watch, but luckily I don’t have to wait long for her. She’s aiming for the other couch, but I catch her hand and pull her down next to me.
Mom goes to get a glass of water, then says, “Enjoy the movie. I’m heading to bed. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Night,” I call out.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Lawson,” Brie says, and then she looks at me. “What are we watching?”
“I have no idea,” I admit. “What kind of movies do you like?”
I scroll through a couple, and when Brie doesn’t answer me, I glance at her. She’s drawn her bottom lip between her teeth again, then admits, “I don’t know what I like.”
Oh, right. She wasn’t allowed to watch TV, and the way she reacted when Mom said she should take a long bath tells me that was an issue with Brie’s mom as well. It must’ve been hell growing up with that woman for a mother.
Not wanting anything intense, I go to the fantasy and sci-fi section, then ask, “How about The Host. It’s about aliens taking over the planet.”
“Okay.”
I press play, and we watch the first couple of minutes. A soft scent drifts from Brie, and it makes me highly aware of her.
I clear my throat and ask, “Do you feel better?”
She wipes imaginary fluff off her pants, then mutters, “Yeah, sorry. I don’t know why that happened earlier.”
Lifting an arm, I rest it over her shoulders. “Was it a flashback?”
She nods, and I pull her into my side.
“It happened to me the other day at school,” I admit, hoping it will make her feel better.
“It did?” she asks, glancing up at me.
“Yeah. In history.”
A light frown forms on her forehead. “Was that when Mr. Donati asked if you’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
She hesitates, then asks, “What was the flashback about?”
I’ve never talked to anyone about the abuse we suffered at my father’s hands, and it feels awkward. “The first time my father beat me.”
A sad expression tightens Brie’s features. “I’m sorry it happened to you.”
I shrug, not knowing what to say to that. Wondering why she doesn’t ask me why I didn’t stop him from beating me, I ask, “Aren’t you going to ask why I didn’t stop him?”
She shakes her head. “I know the reason.” My brow furrows, and it has her explaining, “It’s easier said than done. The fear they instill in us overrides everything.”
I think about what Brie just said, then reply, “That wasn’t it in my case. I didn’t fight back, because being indifferent used to piss him off even more. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to me. It was a catch twenty-two situation. The more indifferent I became, the more violent he got.”
Movement from her hands catches my eye, and remembering the bandage she wore the other day, and now seeing the almost healed cuts, I ask, “What happened to your hand?” I reach for her palm and softly caress my pointer finger over the marks.
“My mom broke a glass, and I was picking up the pieces.” Brie pauses for a moment, then continues, “She squeezed my hand closed over the shards because she wanted a reaction from me.”
Brie’s eyes snap up to mine as if she just realized something. “I guess I did the same thing with my mom. I didn’t give her the satisfaction of getting a reaction, and it used to infuriate her. She always called me out for being a zombie and pathetic.”
Brie sucks in a deep breath, then admits, “That’s what my flashback was about.”
A guilty pang fills my chest. Before I got to know Brie, I used to call her out