"Okay, okay will it help if one of us was in there?" Anna asked. "This way you guys can get cleaned up and be separated at the same time." Willow slowly nodded, she did want to get clean, just not with everyone nearby like this. Stupid jocks! She thought as she got up and followed Anna. She didn't seem like those kids from school. She understood that her parents had reasons for moving, but this was one of their crazy ideas. She wanted to laugh, but didn't she couldn't. It still hurt from all the bruises she had gotten, but at least the warm water would make some of the pain go away. Most were now yellow and almost gone, it's just that damn car accident two weeks ago. Anna went to get some towels and turn on the water while Willow took off her shirt. It took everything Anna had not to scream, "Willow what happened?!?!?" she asked trying not to scare her or sound angry.
"I...I...it just happened while we were trying to get here, but he didn't...."Willow said as she started to cry. She was stuck without her shirt and in the worse position she could ever image. Not only that she looked around and there was no place to get away while in this room. She was trapped.
"No, I didn't think he would, but where did you get them?" Anna asked. Willow just looked down at her feet, her parents would be ashamed of her right now. "I'll be back you get in. Under the water, there you go. Don't worry about anything and stay there till those feel better." Anna said, then she closed the curtain and left.
All Willow could do was shrink to the floor and let the water flow over her. She had never lied before, and this whole few months had made her start to hate herself. She had, dreams, goals, plans and now what does she have-nothing, but a long list of things she'd have to apologize to her dads. Thinking all of this and letting the water fall on her the pain slowly started to fade. She still wished that she could just go home, but the emptiness had left her if but for the moment. She welcomed this relief as she looked around for the soap. Maybe getting the dirt off would help keep this feeling for a while, but of course, no promises. After three or four scrubbing of both her body and hair, she finally got as much of the dirt off as she thought she could. Her hair had taken the longest and in her mind it had lost all that had made it so beautiful. She remembered how much Papa said that he always loved my hair. Willow thought, remembering all the ways he would tie it up, curl it, make fancy braids, everything. Whenever she needed to talk to him he would get out his stuff and he wouldn't even ask. She started to cry again, not hearing the person who had come in. They knocked on the side of the wall to get her attention, and with that she stopped crying.
"Well, if I hadn't seen it for meself, I'd never believe 'ya, Anna. Not that it matters, but who'd 'ya fight for these, luv?" Willow looked confused like rather than warm water she had been sitting in a bucket of ice water. "I've seen bruises like these, have even gotten a few, you get these from a fight. The looks of it, this must have been one hell of a brawl, " she again looked down and tried not to cry. It was bad enough to have Xavier know, and to even stop one or two, but a stranger didn't need to know. "All right, well, this part over here should be easy to do, same with most of the ones on your arms just that giant of a thing there," pointing to one that stretched from her shoulder to her waist that one will need a bit more time on its own but some painkillers might be good. What have you got around here" Anna shrugged, not really knowing. "That's okay, I think I have a bottle in me bag."
"Wait a minute, I only saw alcohol in there," Anna said looking at him.
"And? Best thing for pain, and you can get it most anywhere. In fact, they make so many different kinds nowadays I doubt anyone really knows what the real stuff tastes like anymore" Ryder said thinking back to his youth. "Oh, and if you're worried about anything, sorry you aren't really my type." After Ryder said this Willow relaxed a bit but not completely. She for some reason felt like Xavier needed to be by her and because of this she couldn't stop herself from crying. "What's wrong Willow?"
"It's just...it's just my dad and papa are going to be so mad about this whole thing, they already were mad nobody did anything about the fights to begin with," Willow said still crying a bit.
"Wait a second, Willow, are you adopted?" Anna asked. Willow nodded, finally looking at her. "Crap she could be something completely different." Looking frustrated, but still helping Willow she got her to a chair. She spent some time working with Ryder and after a short while Willow's arms had no more than a few scratches on them, and the only real bruise left out of the patchwork she had was the one on her left side. She looked much better and even had lost a bit of the sadness that she had. She now thought about trying to find a way to talk to her parents. She loved them and she didn't want them to think the worst had happened. She was sure that some sort of message could be sent to them and may even her and Xavier going home.
"Al righty, now here is the best to get 'ya till morning." Ryder had thrown a shirt at Anna which she gave to Willow. "I need a bit of rest so I'll be seenin' 'ya out there." he gave her a wink and left.
"I feel bad for his girl, if she is that," Anna said and she started to help Willow dress. The look Willow had was one that needed no words and it caused Anna to laugh. "His girl is a changeling, you'll get to meet her. At least I think it's a her, one time she showed up as a guy so.."Anna talked trying to distract them both. They both had a hard night and didn't know if they could take much more.
"Hey is there a chance we might be going home, I really miss my dads and I am sure they are going nuts trying to find me," Willow asked. A small look of hope, it would be worth a thousand Christmas' just to hear their voices, but she'd rather be held in their loving embrace and never leave it again. Anna gave her a sad look and lead her out of the room. At least she wasn't crying, but then she didn't think she had any tears left for the world to have.