Don't Touch Me
SS by Laura
Chapter. 1
Britney slammed the door behind her with dignity and went to her closet while crying. She knew this was the best moment to end up all of the pain she has gotten. Indiscriminately, she put al of her clothes in her suitcase and turned around, to look at her bed. Her eyes filled up with tears again, with the thought that she had spent three years with a monster, she had said yes to him, and had bestowed him with her one and only daughter, which meant everything to her. Alex had actually given her a bit of happiness in her miserable life.
She looked around the room, the room where she had felt so much pain over the years, she sighed and got out. She headed to her daughter’s room. Poor thing, it probably couldn’t sleep after last night’s fight. Britney had heard her cry but she couldn’t go check on her because her husband, Jake, had been dead drunk and was beating up on her like he only knows. Britney went through her daughter’s gold hair with her fingers. Alex’s hand moved a little bit, then her gorgeous big brown eyes opened. A small, delicacy smile covered up her tired face, while Britney picked her up and hugged her.
“ Good morning, sunshine, how did you sleep?” She put Alex close to her face, but an unbearable pain occurred from the scars her husband had given her the night before. The little girl realized them and stared at them for a moment.
“ Daddy..?” Even if she was little, Alex knew what was going on around her. A little or not, it was obvious that her daddy was often beaten her mom, and only the scars were left over to prove it. Britney couldn’t stand the tears running out of her eyes, when she thought that even her child realized the crisis they were in.
“ It’s okay, baby! Mommy is okay. Now, I want you to behave and be quiet while I take all of your clothes. We are going to get out of here; I’m going to take you away from your dad. I would never forgive myself if he hits you, I don’t want such future for you” Britney dressed the kid and put her close to the door. “ If you hear the door open tell me, okay?” Britney knew that even if Alex was smart, she had no idea what her mom was saying but she at least hoped, she’d behave. Alex was usually behaving by herself, because she knew that if she weren’t her daddy would start being “bad”.
Britney put Alex’s clothes in the same suitcase as hers, took her most important things and took Alex with her suitcase and headed down. In the living room, Jake has broken and destroyed everything in his way. But Britney was tired of cleaning after him; she walked over everything and got to the front door. She kissed Alex on her cheek and said, “ We are getting out of here, Alex”
“ But daddy…” the little kid’s eyes filled up with tears. After all, the little girl loved her dad, but what she didn’t realize was that there weren’t many good people like her.
“ Oh, honey, don’t cry for him! Please! He doesn’t deserve anybody’s tears!” Britney said, while heading to the car. She opened the door and put the kid next to her seat. A second after, Britney heard steps and saw Laura Lynn.
“ You are almost late!” Britney said grumpily.
“ No need to worry, you haven’t left yet. Besides, Jake isn’t coming home any time soon. Oh, look at Alex, she’s so pretty!”
“ C’mon, c’mon, get in!” said Brit while opening the back door. “ I never thought it’ll be so easy to leave him…But still…” she sighed.
“ But still what? You still love him? Oh stop now! He is beating up on you and you still love him! I didn’t think you are so stupid!”
“ Oh, shut up! The reason of you coming with me is because I need someone to be beside me while I go through this! I don’t want someone who will insult me!” Britney started the engine and the car started moving. This was the beginning of her new life…
Chapter 2
On the next morning…
Britney had a sweet dream. Jake and her went to Disneyland with their child. They looked so happy. The smile couldn’t leave her child’s face, while her dad smiled at her and looked at his wife romantically. Suddenly, the whole picture changed and two dark silhouettes grabbed Jake while Britney and Alex stared. A moment after, they were in a hospital and a doctor was walking towards them with a somber look on his face.
“ I’m sorry,…” he said.
Britney couldn’t say anything, she looked over at her little angel but she wasn’t there. On her place there was a young lady staring blankly at her. Her daughter had grown up! Brit hugged her but her daughter pushed her away and screamed, “ You killed him, you killed him, you killed him….!”
The words echoed in Brit’s ears and she yelled, “ No, no, no….”
“Britney, Britney! Wake up!”
Britney slowly opened her eyes and looked at Laura.“ What…what?”
“ You had a nightmare!” replied Laura.
“ A nightmare? Oh yes. That was a nightmare?”
“ Yeah, what was it?”
“ Do you know what? I think it’ll be better if I go back to Jake…”
“ What!?” yelled Laura Lynn.
“ Oh, Laura, I shouldn’t try to separate Alex and her dad! And I think he will change, I’ll just have to talk to him and everything will be alright…”
“ Brit, what are you saying!? Stop dreaming impossible things! You have tried to talk to him so many times and nothing. Look at you! Is beating up on someone the way to express someone’s love? I can’t even believe you could love him!”
“ Lynn, I think I should give him another chance!”
“ I don’t think so!”
“ But my dream…”
“ I don’t know what you dreamed about but Jake will never change! You actually want to go through it all again?”
“ I am sure we will be alright!” said Britney.
“ No! Britney Jean Spears! Are you yourself? You are crazy!”
“ No, you don’t understand! If I separate Alex from Jake she will hate me when she grows up!”
“ That’s stupid!”
“ No! You have to believe me! And if I am wrong, I will be sure after he does it again!”
“ Okay, but promise me that if something bad happens you will call me immediately!”
Britney thought of Laura as the best friend in the world.
“ What would I do without you? I promise!” said Britney.
An hour after the car flew back to home. Right after Alex woke up they left the hotel.
Soon after…
“ We are here! C’mon sweetie!”
“ Yes!” said the little baby.
Britney got out of the car and opened the door for Alex.
“ Call me right after you talk and tell me the news!” said Lynn.
“ Okay! Bye!” said Britney.
What a mistake…
Laura left and Britney headed to the front door with her baby. Before Brit touched the handle the door opened by itself and Jake grabbed her behind the door…
Chapter 3
Alex screamed but he shut her mouth. Oh god, what is happening? Is daddy going to hurt them?
“ Let her go! What is wrong with you? Yelled Brit. Jake has never tried to hurt his daughter. He let go of Alex and she went behind her mom.
“ Where have you been?” he yelled. Britney stayed quiet. He was obviously not in his best mood. What should I tell him now, thought Britney?
“ I asked, “ Where have you been?” he yelled again.
“ Me? Oh, me and Laura Ly-“
“ I know where you have been!”
“ You do?” Britney looked at his eyes and saw hate in them. “ Alex, go in your room!” she said.
“ But…”
“ Now!” Britney seriously said. Alex did what she was told.
Jake went close to Britney and yelled, “ What were you thinking? That you will run away from me? ME? And that you can take my daughter with you???”
“ No, no…”
He started beating up on her like he has never done it before. He had obviously been drunk again. She had thought that if she talks to him, he’d change, but Lynn was right, he would never change! This was worse than a nightmare. Britney couldn’t defend herself from her strong husband with big muscles. She could hardly go to the kitchen with her bloody face, but he followed her. She took a glass bottle and hit him on his head. Britney looked at him with hate like every good feeling she’s ever had had left her. She wanted to take a knife and kill him. At that moment Alex walked in the kitchen and Britney went over to her.
“ C’mon Lexi, let’s go!”
“ Mommy, you are in blood!” Alex barely said. Thank god, she didn’t see her dad on the floor.
“ No! I’m fine, sweetie!” said Britney though she could hardly stand on her feet. She ran to the phone and called Laura.
Lynn’s car flew on the street where the Roberts’ lived.
“ Oh my god, Brit!” She stared when she saw in what situation her cousin was. “ What happened?”
“ Please! Stop! Just drive the car!” Britney said, trying to hold the tears in her eyes because Alex was in the back seat and she was confused enough. Silence fell over all of them. Laura gave Britney a box of tissues. “ Take that blood off your face!” she said and turned to see Alex who was asleep. “ Did she see anything?”
Britney took the tissues and turned to see her daughter. A tired smile filled her face. “ I think not. God, I was so scared. I thought he would hurt her! If he did, I would have broken a whole chair in his head, not only a bottle!”
“What? You hit him? Oh, why am I even surprised! It would have been better if you killed that pig to stop all the pain you have handled!”
“ Right now, the only thing I know is that we can’t be together. I’ll just have to run like I am the guilty one!”
“ What do you think? That you will stay next to him and look at him while he kills you? Oh, by the way, there is a serious scar on your arm.”
“ Look at the way you are driving! Leave me alone! I know what I’ll do from now on! I know I have done this all for Lexi. I used to stand him for her! I just hope…”
Britney couldn’t finish her sentence. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the brakes, and saw a strong light of another car. The car went zigzag, she heard a bang and then she went unconscious.
She felt a disturbing pain and smelled the smell of hospital. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw the outline of a room, but she couldn’t yet focus the picture. The objects slowly started clearing up and she saw hospital equipment stuck in her veins with some liquid medicine and chemicals. Her left hand hurt badly and she felt an unbearable pain go throw her. In that moment she knew what had happened. They have been in a car accident but that also meant that Laura and Lexi were injured too. With the thought that her little girl could be in a bad condition, Brit got up with the little strength she had. She took of all the equipment around her and with the help of the wall; she got up, slowly walking toward the door. She closed her eyes and opened it, got out of the room into the dark and empty corridor of the hospital wing. When she was thinking about going into the room next to hers, a woman ran toward her and said, “ Oh, god, how could you be up?”
“ Please, please, I need to know-” she was interrupted by the doctor, who took her back into her room and let her into the bed she found herself in. “ I’m going to get the doctor, but please promise me that you will not dare to move!” she said. Britney sighed heavily, worriedly about her cousin and her poor child. If something had happened to them she knew that she was off alone with nobody beside her, without her favorite people around her. A moment later the doctor came in, holding something, obviously her file.
“ Oh, Miss Laura Lynn! I’m glad you are awake,” he smiled, “ you weren’t in your best condition.
“ Uhh, there is some mistake…” Britney was interrupted again by the doctor’s words that were breaking Brit’s heart.
“ Unfortunately,” he began, “ Mrs. Roberts and her little girl weren’t as lucky as you were!”
Britney stared for a second and could not move. Was she hearing right? They haven’t had luck as she had? Mrs. Roberts, and her little girl? Oh god! Britney hurried up of her bed and pushed the doctor, but he pulled her back on the bed. “ My baby! Oh god! My baby!” Britney was in pain, “ What happened? Oh my god, what did I do to deserve this!?”
“ The little girl is alive,…” the doctor said. Britney felt the pain disappear. “ She is injured very bad, but still she is alive. I’m very sorry but her mom didn’t make it…”
“Oh god! Laura Lynn!” thought Britney, “ What had happened to you because of me? You have always helped me with my problems and now…who will help me now? And why are they calling you Mrs. Roberts? Oh, yes, my documents were last with you. I hope you sleep undisturbed, I will continue myself.
“ Can I…see Alex?” Britney asked, while tears ran down her cheeks. The only person who cared about her was dead, and her baby was in even worse condition. She was on the edge!
“ Right after I go through with you, we’ve got to know what your condition is.”
Twenty minutes after…
They put Britney in a cart and were pushing in the corridor, down to where they kept all the dead people. She had owed Lynn more that one visit and she had to go see her. In this part of the hospital the walls seemed darker somehow, yellowish and unwelcoming. Everything seemed dark with somber and pain. When they got to the cart, on which lay “ Mrs. Roberts” Britney asked the doctor to leave them alone. Britney cried again and found the body of Lynn. Brit expected to see her different. Laura Lynn didn’t seem to have been injured and there weren’t many scars across her face. The only blood she found was on her head and her lips were somehow bluish and her eyes seemed purple on the outside. Britney put her hand on Lynn’s hair. “ I can’t tell you how sorry I am! I didn’t want you to come with me! I have the feeling that something like this would happen… God, you are so cold! What am I supposed to tell Mark? You were going to marry and look what happened! I destroyed not only mine, but your life too! I didn’t have the right to do it! Can you forgive me? But I promise you that Jake will be sorry! It was all his fault, all his!”
Britney kissed the icy cheeks of Laura’s face and said “goodbye”. On the way to her daughter’s room Britney wished she had killed Jake the moment she had had the chance. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have had to see her biggest fear – seeing her child, Alex, in between life and death…
At the children’s wing there were toys and balloons all over. The corridor was silent and the only noise was from Brit’s cart. When they got to the door of the room, Britney stuck her nails on it. The doctor saw that and asked “ Are you sure you want to go in?”
“ Well, tell me, how does she look like?” her eyes were full of tears and she couldn’t look at the doctor in her eyes.
“ There is a special machine built into her bed that goes in her system and gives her the vitamins she needs.”
“ Is she injured in a lot of places?”
“ Not on the outside, but her inside system was damaged pretty bad.”
Britney sighed and nodded. The doctors left her alone. Britney opened the door and went in the light room where a lamp was on next to her daughter’s bed. Tears ran down her face when she saw the damned machine stuck into her daughter but when she got to her bed, she found her little angel asleep. Britney kissed her golden hairs and smiled. “ I am very proud of you, do you know?” she couldn’t continue for much longer… “ I am proud, proud because you are fighting so hard. I’ve always known you were my little brave girl! Keep fighting, Lexi, it’s all right, I will be here for you the whole time! I am sure you will make it! When you wake up, you and me will go to Disney Land! God, I love you so much! Don’t leave me, don’t!” Brit laid her head on her daughter’s hands and cried until the doctor broke the scene and said, “ I think it’s time for you to go back to your room. You must rest. If there is something new with her, you’ll be the first one I will tell.”
“ But I am not done with her yet!” cried Britney, looking down at her child. “ Lexi, mommy is going back to her room and you will have to stay here. I promise that I will spend the whole day tomorrow with you!” Brit kissed her and the doctor took her out. When she got to her room she laid in her bed.
“ Can I do something for you?” the doctor asked.
“ Can you fix broken lives?” Britney asked sarcastically. The doctor didn’t answer, as she understood the pain that Britney was going through and left her alone. Thirty minutes of thinking and sorrow passed and Britney decided to get out of her room. Out in the corridor, there were people for some reason and it was wild since it was morning, full of hope and life. She went to the drinks and took some water. Without looking at anyone she kept on straight, not realizing that she ran into someone and that dropped her bottle. When she realized it, she saw a good-looking young man who was looking at her guiltily.
“ I am so sorry! I just didn’t see you!” he said, while helping her get up on her legs, his hands so warm and delicate. Britney haven’t felt such warmth in a long while. The guy looked at the spilled water on the floor and said “ Oh god! What have I done! Here, let me buy you another one!”
“ No, no! There’s no need!” she stopped him. “ I wasn’t thirsty in the first place. You weren’t guilty about us running into each other, I wasn’t looking neither.”
“ Seems like you have problems too.” He said, liking the sound of her voice and the little piece of accent she had. For a moment he felt uncomfortable and couldn’t say anything so he looked down at his hands and thought about how to continue the conversation. “ By the way, my name is Justin. Justin Timberlake.” He smiled and put his hand in front of her.
“ Laura, Laura Lynn Covington!” she smiled and shook his hand.
“ Really!” Justin exclaimed excitedly. Britney looked at the cute guy in front of her with surprise like he was making fun of her. “ What, what is wrong with my name? What is o funny?” Lynn (Britney) said. Who was he thinking he was to make fun of the name!
“ Oh, sorry! I am not laughing at your name,” he said, “ I am laughing at this coincidence.”
“ What coincidence?” Britney asked interested.
“ My mom’s name is Lynn, so don’t think I am laughing at your name. It’s just the opposite!”
“ Oh really?” said “Laura” but Justin interrupted her again.
“ I’m sorry but I’m in a hurry! My little brother is feeling bad and I have to talk to the doctors. Maybe we will meet again…”
“ Maybe!” said Britney, hoping Justin to invite her.
“ Let’s have lunch together!”
“ Well…” Britney thought that she doesn’t even know him but then she remembered that she is getting out of the hospital today so she finally said, “ Let’s meet at the restaurant outside!”
“ Okay, but I have to go now.”
“ Okay.” Britney muttered.
“ It was nice meeting you!” he yelled while running.
“ You too…” “Lynn” stood with a dreamy look on her face for a minute or so, until the doctor found her and asked, “ Miss Lynn, are you going to Alex?”
“ What? Oh, yeah, I want to see her. How is she?”
“ Not very well, but we are doing our best…”
“ Yeah…” sighed Brit (Lynn).
“ C’mon, go and see her for a little while and then go talk to the doctor about the expenses.”
Oh, no, thought Brit, it is going to be really expensive I’ll probably not going to be able to pay for her, but I will do it, I will do anything for her!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the office of Dr. Moss ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“ Sit down, please!”
Britney sat and looked at the doctor with hope.
“ We will have to make a surgery but…” he didn’t finish.
“ But what?” Britney got scared from the serious look Dr. Moss’s face had.
“ There is a possibility that your daughter will not survive through it.”
Brit’s eyes filled with tears and the doctor said, “ You have to decide since you are the closest relative. We contacted the father but he…” As Britney heard that, she got scared that he might have found them “ didn’t want to listen to us” the doctor continued.
“ But he knows what had happened, right?” “Lynn” asked.
“ Yes, he knows everything, he knows that his wife is dead and that his child could follow her. Are you sure that Britney was married to that person?”
“ Yes,” said Britney, “ but that is not important right now. He doesn’t deserve to be even mentioned. Alex is important! What happens if you don’t make the surgery?”
“ She isn’t going to live too long. I’m sorry! With this surgery we have a chance 10:1, but it’s dangerous and expensive!”
“ I don’t care about the money! I’ll find them no matter what! Where do you want me to sign?” the doctor handed Britney a file and she signed.
“ You will be out of the hospital today, you can go home right after breakfast.” The doctor said, thinking that would make her feel better but he was wrong.
“ I would like to stay, if I could?”
“ It’s better for you to go home and to get some rest,” he said, “ Alex shouldn’t see you like this.”
“ Yes, yes you are right. When will the surgery be done?” she asked.
“ I’m thinking about the day after tomorrow,” he said unsurely, “ but you go home, and come back tomorrow when I will be sure about the date!”
“ Home?” said Britney. She had no place to go, but suddenly she remembered about the Justin with the curly hair who she had met earlier. She remembered about the meeting they had set for lunch and a smile covered her tired face. “ I will go back to my room.”
“ You do that.”
“ Thank you!” Britney said and walked out of the office, heading fast to her room. Her hand still hurt but it didn’t matter. She lay in her bed and waited for the time to pass by itself. She tried to ignore all the bad thoughts that were going through her head. All she thought about was meeting Justin. Maybe he would have helped her find a good paid job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the lunch with Justin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Britney went early and was waiting impatiently. After twenty minutes she had the feeling she was played again and thought how rude the people from the opposite sex were. Suddenly someone interrupted all of her thoughts…
“ Hi! Sorry, I’m late. Did you wait long?”
“ Oh, no!”
“ Great, I had to stay with my step mom and be sorry for not taking care of her son…”
“ Your step mom? Is that Lynn?”
“ No, no, Lynn is my real mom. My step mom is cool too but she has had much pressure on her shoulders lately… I was taking care of the boys…”
“ The boys?”
“ Well, my family is kind of strange. You see, my parents got divorced and my mom got married. My dad did the same and I had two stepbrothers from his new marriage. So I took the boys with me for two weeks and one of them got pneumonia. He was feeling pretty bad but I think he is fine now.”
“ Oh, wow, you could die from pneumonia! I’m sorry!” Britney said, like she didn’t realize that Alex was in the same condition-which was dying.
“ Yes, Steven was almost on the brink of getting even worse but we came on time and everything worked out. Why are you here?”
Britney thought for a second and felt bad for being reminded of her own problems. She felt miserable again and started crying.
“ I am so sorry! I think I did something wrong!” Justin felt sorry, realizing that she was in a deeper trouble.
“ No, no, I will tell you! We had an accident, my best friend died. My little girl can die any time now.”
“ I am sorry! I didn’t want to…”
“ No, it’s alright, it’s not your fault!”
“ I didn’t know you have a baby!” Justin said surprised.
“ Well, I do.” Britney realized that she was no longer Britney Spears but Laura Lynn Covington but she couldn’t lie about her daughter. She couldn’t have lied about it to the person who seemed mostly interested in her life and knew her. “ Yes, actually, I have a daughter but it’s a secret! Everybody around here thinks that I am my friend! Listen, it’s a long story! I don’t feel like talking about it right now. You just don’t tell anyone without asking me why I am in this mess!” I am so stupid, thought Britney, I know him from three hours and I am already telling him my biggest secret! Stop it, Britney, stop!
“ No, don’t worry. I am sure it’s not your fault!” Justin said.
“ Thank you for your trust!”
“ If I can help with anything, just tell me, okay?” he really cared about her, like he had known her for years.
“ I don’t think so…actually yes! Can you help me find a job? I need money right now and I don’t know anyone. It might sound selfish but…”
She seems shy but I need to help her, thought Justin. “ I’ll find you a job! Don’t worry! I just have to call a few places and it’ll be fine!”
“ Really? Thank you so much!” she hugged him and he smiled. He liked her a lot. She, on the other hand, was happy she had found a good person who she really liked and for her, this hug was more than anyone had thought… Actually, it was more for both of them.