Rising Above: Super Story

Chapter 14: Are We Cool?

He was my enemy and I was his. We have been staring at one another for fifteen minutes. No words. Just an intense staring contest. Ryder wouldn't give up and neither would I.

 I'm not gonna choke it down this time but I'm gonna stand up and bite back. Come at me. I'm ready for it. Me and Everett used to have epic roast battles but had to stop because an elder didn't like our 'your mom' jokes or our 'that's what she said' jokes. What a party pooper. 

He blinked. Yes. Mwahah. "This is stupid and you are acting childish," he said, like he wasn't also trying to win the staring contest. "Doesn't matter. I won the contest." I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. He rolled his eyes. "I'm going to ask questions and you're going to answer." I was taking charge of the situation and asserting dominance here. "Okay. For every question you ask I get to ask something from you though. Nothing to crazy though." 

He crossed his arms and gave me the same look that I had just given him. Two can play this game. "Fine," I said. "What happened to your mother?" He shut off his emotions. I could feel the room shift. Too close to home too soon? "My father beat her to death in front of me and my sister. What happened to your parents?" My mouth dropped open. Good Lord I can't even imagine. "How old were you and your sister when he killed her?" I asked, my arms uncrossed and I sat up a little more. "You didn't answer my question. What happened to your parents?"

 He crossed his legs. Such an impatient person. I tried to quickly get through it, "they died when I was a baby mom died from giving birth to me and dad died due to suicide. Now answer my question." It hit me. I was all alone and it was all my fault. My dad died due to not being able to live in a world where my mom wasn't around and I killed her. I am a monster. "13 and 10. I was thirteen and she was ten when our father killed her." If it weren't for us being so close I wouldn't have heard him. "I'm so sorry. Is that why-why you obey your father? Because you don't want the same thing to happen to your sister?"

 I was nervous asking questions that seemed way too close for comfort. He took a deep breath before he answered. "My father believed my mother to be weak. She wanted to protect me and my sister from his violent ways and would get beaten in front of us as a way to make us 'stronger' as my father would say. My sister and I were not allowed to intervene to help our mother and if we tried we would get a punishment ten times worse than what my mother was receiving. The marks on my back are from the times I thought I could save her and from the times when I failed or I disobeyed. My sister and I get beaten on a regular basis and me being here has definitely caused her to become a source for my father to lash out on. I need to get back and help her. I might not have been able to save my mother but I will not fail my sister." He stiffened and looked around at our surroundings. "I don't have any more questions but I want to ask a favor. I know I am going to get out of here, it's just a matter of when. Before I go I wanted to know if you'd come with me," he said, his face went from no emotion to his eyes burning a flame. Despite his face showing nothing, his eyes said everything. "Don't answer now. Think it over," he said, he got up from his seat and laid down on the bed. My cue to leave.