Pretending (bxb)

Prologue

A/N: It's only going to be in italics for the prologue so don't worry.)

TW: Domestic violence and abuse. Don't read this if that kind of stuff triggers you! Some parts may get graphic.

I was so fucking tired.

I can't think of a time where I haven't been tired the last few months, considering my very healthy relationship with sleep (note the sarcasm).But this time I was so tired that I could barely keep myself standing.

After coming home from school, walking into the living room, and wincing at the smell of alcohol roaming the air, I decided to head straight to my room. He wasn't usually home this early so I knew something must of been wrong.

I needed to leave for work in like 30 minutes, so I can't walk in with my face all screwed up.

You needed to pass the kitchen in order to get to my room so I kept my head down and sped walk through the living room and into the kitchen. After almost reaching the hallway that led to my room, I was grabbed by the hood of my sweatshirt and yanked backwards.

"I got a call from your school today," he started and my heart dropped to my stomach. Why the fuck would my school call him? I don't even remember doing anything this time. I was quiet all day, didn't even spare a glance at any of the boys that I used to start trouble with. What could I have possibly done? I didn't even skip a class-

"They're concerned 'bout you." He forces me to turn around and face him, grabbing my shoulders and pushing my back into the fridge. "Says you've been comin' into school with bruises on your face. Also told me you don't participate in class."

I stared at him blankly, trying to keep my fear of him at bay. But when he reached out to grab my hair, I flinched and shut my eyes tight.

"Do you know how much I fuckin' pay for you to go to that goddamn school Quinn?" He pulls my hair tight, forcing my head up. "Look at me," he says, but I only shut my eyes tighter, silently praying to anyone to save me from him.

"I said look at me! Goddamnit!" He slaps me across the face with his free hand, and steps closer to me. At this point I'm shaking. I can feel his breath against my face, smell the alcohol from his breathe, and hear his rapid breathing signaling that he's angry.

"You should be thankful that I even let you go to school. That I let you leave this house. You should be thankful for everything that I do for you, yet I'm getting calls about you, taking time out of my day. Time that I need in order to keep this roof over our heads!" He punches me this time, hard right in my cheek. Fuck that was gonna leave a huge bruise.

It's literally his own fault that he gets calls from my school. He hits me almost every day, what does he think is gonna happen?

"I swear to god if you don't look at me right now, you're gonna regret it." I'd rather he not give me a black eye today, since those are rather hard to hide, so I obey him and slowly open my eyes. This only seems to make him angrier, because then he yanks my head forwards and slams it back into the fridge.

"Ow!" I hiss dramatically. He does it again but this time with more force. I can feel my vision start to blur. I fight the urge to scream out again, knowing that he'd probably slam my head again or do something worse.

"What did I say about crying?" He yells in my face. I didn't even realize I was crying until he pointed it out. Fuck I'm so stupid. "What did I say?!" He repeats himself. Before he can slam my head into the fridge again, I give him the answer he wants.

"Boys... boys don't cry."

"That's right," he says "so why the hell do I need to remind you of it!?" He grabs my sweatshirt in his hands and walks backwards, bringing me with him, only to push me back so I fall against the fridge.