AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There won’t be a next time. I peel my upper lip in disgust.
I’m not coming back here ever again.
I’ll think about something.
He puts his palm in front of me, “Keys.”
I hand them over and they stump away.
The low grumble coming out of me is the only thing I can afford right now instead of screaming.
Anger is raging through my veins. I cock my hand back—like he did the gun in front of my face—in order to slam my fist into the desk but I stop myself an inch away.
My heart winches in pain.
The glow of the mirror on the wall catches my attention and I stare at my reflection.
The way I feel inside morphs into a fractured reality every waking moment.
I grab my jacket from the chair and stroll fast past all the chaos that I know is this house and dash out the front door.
I run all the way to Beth’s house, my soiled black Converse spritzing waters of every puddle on the way, streets blur until I see shapes standing in the driveway, fuming.
When she and Danny come to view the only thing I do is clutch onto them. Hug them.
“What happened, Dean?” She pulls me into her arms, “You’re sweating and you look pale.”
Everything is spinning as I reply, “I’m not going back there.”
She tightens our hug and I swear I can feel her curvy brow rising, “I told you, you can stay here and at Danny’s place whenever you want.” Her ‘I told you so’ strict tone tact in place.
“Of course, man.” Danny hugs us both. “You’re my brother.”
“Mine too.” Beth finishes.
She nods at Danny and glances at me again, pausing and cupping my face, “It’s not your fault! You’re so brave,” she kisses my forehead and quickly moves inside the house.
“Tell us everything, don’t spare a single word.”
I break down and tell them everything. All the frustration. Everything I bottled comes out.
“You won’t spend another minute in that house, Dean”, Danny stares at me with awe, not pity. “We’ll get your things in the morning. No one can know because you’re sixteen.”
I nod, already knowing that if CPS finds my ass they will take custody of me. And I don’t want to be in the system. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
“You’re staying with us, permanently!” Beth says.
I freeze for a moment. “Don’t you need to speak to your parents first before—“
She cuts me off, “Not negotiable.”
That detrimental environment and those memories of that nightmare used to haunt me for years. I wish I could burn them.
They are just memories of someone who feels like a stranger from long ago.
Tessa used to play guitar, she was good at it and had a passion that transmitted to each note. Before it got ape-shit she tried to be a parent. When the drugs kicked in it all turned black. Living in darkness, shut down from the world around her. From me. The moments she resurfaced, I got a glimpse of what could’ve been a life with a non-addict parent.
I made peace with it. I had to.
