Wild

Chapter 1: Eternal Darkness

Briella’s Point Of View

I wince as I clean the fresh cuts on my body and face. This time it was bad the cuts are deeper and the bruises are darker. This is gonna take a lot of makeup to cover before the show. I wince as I move it hurts super bad when I move.

“This is gonna leave a mark,” I mutter to myself.

I lay down in bed hoping for some sleep and to be less sore in the morning.

The next morning.

My eyes flutter open and my body is stiff and sore. I wince and move. The house is quiet meaning my parents have left for work. I stand up and head to my vanity and sit down. I pull out my makeup and start covering the bruises and cuts with concealer. The applicator is cold and slightly painful. I wince but continue to apply it lightly.

I blend it out with a damp beauty blender to cover everything even though it hurts like a mother. I can’t go to the festival with cuts and bruises without the questions being asked about where they came from especially with me going back stage for the meet and greet with Breaking Benjamin after the festival.

My parents work late tonight so I won’t have to worry about them catching me leaving for the festival. Which makes this so much easier. I am lowkey super excited to meet Breaking Benjamin they are one of my all time favorite bands in the world.

I get up and head to my closet and start picking out my clothes for tonight. I just am being very mindful of my wounds.

I decide on a simple black crop top with a pair of jeans and a small necklace and my smart ring. For shoes I am wearing my normal converse in black of course. I set the outfit out on my bed and head to the bathroom and brush my hair and teeth. Then I start puting my hair up into a high pony tail with some curls framing my face.

Once that is done I slide on my outfit and shoes before spraying my favorite perfume and deodorant. Then I go and sit on my bed relaxing for a few minutes trying not to let the pain to get to me. I shake my hands slightly even though that cause pain but I shake it of and get ready to head out cause it is a forty minute ride by bus to the venue.

“I got this,” I say to myself.

I head out the door and to the bus stop after locking the front door. I sit down on the bench at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive which is on time. I hum a Breaking Benjamin song to myself as I wait.

The bus arrives and I get on paying for my ticket and then finding a seat in the back before pulling out my phone to scroll through my social media that my parents don’t know about cause they would kill me if they found out.

I see a text from my friend who bought us the tickets cause my parents watch my banking activity for anything that they don’t approve of.

“Hey girlie are you on your way to the outdoor venue for the festival?” She sends.

“Yeah I am on the bus now girl thanks for buying the tickets,” I reply.

“No problem girlie it is Breaking Benjamin I wasn’t gonna let us miss this for the world,” she sends back.

I smile at her message and go back to scrolling as the bus moves closer to the venue. My heart is racing with excitement. I am getting antsy but I control it as not to hurt the still tender wounds from the other night.

Once the bus pulls into the venue I see my friend standing there waiting for me with tickets and passes in hand. She bought the VIP tickets for the festival. I stand up as the doors to the bus slide open and I walk down the steps my best friend Solana hugs me.

“Here you go girlie,” she says handing me the ticket and the pass before turning towards the entrance dragging me along with her.

“Thanks girl I love you and this,” I say.

She laughs and hugs me again as we walk into the venue. We get to the VIP section and sit down.

“You wanna go get us some drinks?” I ask her.

“Sure what do you wanna drink?” She asks.

“I would love a unsweetened iced tea,” I say.

“Okay coming right up,” she says standing up and heading to go get us our drinks.

As she head to get the drinks I lean back relaxing now that I am not in that house for a few hours at least. She returns with my iced tea and her soda and we settle back in and wait for the show to start.

“This is gonna be amazing,” I say.

“I know it will be girlie,” she says.

We keep talking till the stage lights come on and the sun starts to set completely. The first band comes on the stage and we watch with great interest.

We are cheering loudly just like the rest of the crowd. I pull out my phone and take a picture of her and I to post on my social media. The second act comes out and I am filming certain parts on my phone knowing they will make great posts for my social media accounts.

“Girl those vidoes are gorgeous,” Solana says.

“Thanks honey,” I say with a wide smile.

I don’t know that my concealer on my body is coming off due to the warmth that is L.A. Solana sees the bruises and cuts coming out but doesn’t say anything just yet. After two more acts it is finally time for Breaking Benjamin to take the stage and we both start screaming at the top of our lungs like the rest of the crowd.

Benjamin Burnley the front man for the band starts with the song Break My Fall. I start singing along with him. I am definitely the musical one in this pairing of Solana and I. She can’t carry a tune to save her own soul and she knows it.

“You sound amazing as always girlie,” she says.

“Thanks,” I say with a warm smile.

“Girl I have seen the cuts and bruises on your skin,” she says.

I look down and mentally curse myself for not getting the waterproof and sweatproof concealer.

“Oh that,” I say hiding my arms slightly.

“Tell me did they do that too you?” she asks quietly

I nod and look down at my feet.

“Oh girl,” she says hugging me gently as not hurt me worse.

We keep watching the rest of the show and then it is time for the meet and greet with the members of Breaking Benjamin. We head to the line for the backstage area.

“Are you ready to meet your idol?” Solana asks.

“Yeah I am this is gonna be the best part of the night,” I say.

The line moves slowly closer as more people get backstage for the meet and greet. When we are closer to the beginning of the line Benjamin looks up and our eyes meet.

Benjamin’s Point Of View

I look up after signing the autograph for the fan in front of me and I see a stunning girl who is maybe a few fans behind the current one she is with her friend. My eyes roam her body and I see the cuts and bruises littered all over her body. I feel anger burning deep inside me which is not normal for me. But she looks only nineteen and like she has been thorough hell.

I just know that I have to talk to her after everyone has left except her friend obviously. My leg starts bouncing a nervous habit I have when I am antsy. The rest of my band members look over at me with concern written on their face for my unusual behavior.

“Dude you good? You’re bouncing your leg like a mad man?” Jemery leans over and asks.

“Yeah it’s just that girl the one with the blue hair and grey eyes,” I say.

Jeremy looks over at her and sees the same thing that I did. He nudges the other members which is Aaron and Mark who look up at her with concern.

“Dude she looks like she has been beat,” Aaron says.

“Yeah I know that’s the f****d up part,” I say.

“We need to help her,” Mark says.

“Agreed,” I say.

We continue to sign autographs and the line gets shorter and shorter. Once the line is gone and it is just that girl and her friend I speak up addressing them.

“Hey ladies would you both mind following me and the band for a moment,” I say with a gentle tone.

They both shrug and follow me and the band to our dressing room.

Briella’s Point Of View

I look at Solana with a confused look. She just shrugs as we follow the band to theit dressing room.

“Girl what is going on this is super weird,” I lean in and ask her.

“I don’t know this is out there even for a festival of this size,” she says back to me.

Once we all get into the dressing room Benjamin turns to us.

“I know you girls are wondering why you are here but we need to talk about something the band and I noticed but first what are your names?” He asks.

“Okay. Well I am Briella and this is my best friend Solana,” I say.

“Nice to meet you both but now Briella I need to ask you what happened to you,” he says.

I look down at my body and mental face palm.

“Oh you saw those,” I say quietly.

“Yeah I did and I just need to know are you safe at home?’ Benjamin asks.

“No I ain’t to be honest these are all from my mom and dad,” I say.

“Do they do this often?” He asks with his jaw clenched in anger but not at me.

“Yeah pretty much every day,” I say.

“You need to get out of there,” he says.

“I know but I don’t have anywhere to go,” I say.

“You could stay with me,” he says his voice gentle.

“Are you sure?” I asks quietly.

“Yes I am sure,” he says.

“Okay but I will need to go back there and get my stuff,” I say.

“Okay just take Solana with you and I will be waiting outside your house for you,” he says.

We load up into his car and he drives us back to my parents house where my stuff is already packed but there is something at ain’t mine in a small basket that looks to be moving.

“What on earth?” I say.

We look in the basket and it is a small baby with a note from my mom and dad saying that she is my younger sister and that I am kicked out. All my stuff is packed and we start load it and the baby in the car before driving back to Benjamin’s house. The baby is passed out in the basket with me looking over her.

“Well my life has just got even more complicated,” I say.

“Yeah but I will be there to help you and so wil the band and Solana,” Benjamin says.

We get to his place and he helps me set up my sisters room and my room. Once they are set up and everything we eat and head to bed I fall asleep almost immediately not realizing how tired I was. For the first time in a while I finally feel safe. I could get used to this.