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Running upstairs in the dark, I filled the bathroom sink with cold water and used my t-shirt and what was left of the soap to wash myself down as best I could. I was just pulling on my cleanest shorts—which weren’t clean at all, but of all my clothes, had been worn the least—and another ratty t-shirt, when I heard a loud knock at the front door.
I ran back downstairs and opened it a crack, keeping my foot firmly behind it so no one could kick it open. I’d learned my lesson over the years. The sun had set completely, and it took me a second to realize who was standing out there, in the darkness.
“Tanner, sweetie. Sorry to bother you at home. We need to speak to your mum. It’s important.”
“Lori? Phil? She’s at work. Can I ask her to call you later?”
“No, sweetie. You can’t. Can we come in?”
“Sorry. I’m not allowed to let people in when she’s not here,” I said quickly, hoping they wouldn’t hear the lies in my words.
“Tanner. You’re not in any trouble and we will explain everything to your mum when she gets home, but we’re not leaving here until we’ve come inside and spoken to her. It’s up to you, but just so you know, we’ll stand here all night if we need to.”
My breathing quickened as my panic grew.How do I explain? What should I say?I realized I only had one choice.
“Come on in. I’m sorry about the state of the place, it’s just…”
Lori stepped inside, wrapping me in a hug. “You, my sweet boy, have nothing to apologize for.”
She and her husband, Phil—solicitor, band roadie, and general all-round good guy—stepped into my house, and I knew everything was about to get a whole lot worse than it’d been for the last six weeks. They both walked into the dark kitchen, only illuminated by the moonlight shining in through the uncovered window.
“Tanner, can you flick the light on, sweetie? It’s a bit dark in here.”
“The power’s out,” I mumbled. “It should be working again soon. Mum had a problem paying the bill.”
“And it’s freezing. Is your heating out too?”
“Yeap,” I replied, knowing there was no point trying to lie. I was exhausted from it all.
Lori pulled her phone from her back pocket, turning on the torch, nudging Phil to do the same. It took them a minute to take it all in; the rubbish, the empty fridge, my makeshift bed on the sofa, because my room was too cold to sleep in, and the pile of dirty, worn-out clothes that was my wardrobe. She walked over to me, taking me by the hand.
“Your mum, Tanner?”
I simply shook my head, unable to look her in the eye.
“Get what you need, sweetie. We’re going home and you can have a hot shower and borrow some of the twin’s clothes. Then we’re going to talk. You’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on so we can help you. Okay?”
“Okay,” I let out with a defeated sigh.
After a long hot shower and dinner with the twins and Frankie, Lori, Phil, and I sat in the living room. They both perched on the white wooden coffee table in front of where I’d sat on their giant dark brown leather sofa.
“Where did you get the bruises, Tanner? And I noticed the cuts and burn marks. Please don’t lie to me. We can’t help you if you’re not honest.”
I shifted uncomfortably.
“You’re not in trouble, sweet boy, and we won’t tell the others if you don’t want us to. Everything you say to us in here can stay between us, but they’re your best friends and they’d want to help.”
I nodded. “Let them hear. I’m not sure I want to say this more than once,” I huffed out, dreading telling them all about my pathetic home life.
Phil called the twins and Frankie into the room, where they gathered around me on the sofa. Frankie leaned against my side, her warmth spreading through me, and I didn’t feel alone for the first time in forever.
“The marks… the bruises, they were from Mum’s latest boyfriend, but she may as well have given me them herself. She doesn’t really like me. Thinks I’m holding her back. She likes to remind me how much I ruined her life.”
“Tanner, where’s your mum?” Phil asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I got home from school and she was gone. She left me £50 for food but after a few days the lights, the gas, heat, everything went off. I’ve been on my own like that for about six or seven weeks.”
“Shit, man, why didn’t you tell us?” Maverick questioned. “We would have been there for you, you know that.”
