Don't Leave (Stay)

Another Beating

Two weeks later, walking home from school, Tobio sees a black car in the driveway.

Confused, he hurried his pace to see who it is.

Checking the windows, no one was in there. He heads toward the front door, finding it unlocked.

Carefully, he opens it, closing it quietly behind him.

Sitting on the armchair, a woman is sitting in it, legs crossed over each other. He freezes, as if cemented to the ground.

"Welcome home baby," she says. "You have a good day? I baked cookies, you want some?" He doesn't say anything. He can't. There's a lump in his throat.

Getting up, she walks over and hugs him. He doesn't hug back.

"What are you doing here?" He manages to say when she lets go. The woman sighs.

"I'm sorry I have to say this, but I'm selling the house."
"What? What house?"
"This house."
"What? But you can't do that."
"Oh yes I can. This is my house, and I find it pointless to have two. And I need the money. Children shouldn't live alone anyway."
"But-"
"So you'll have to pack whatever you need and want. Better make it quick." Her sweet tone is so sweet that he could actually throw up.

"But where am I supposed to go then?"
"Oh well that's not my problem." He stares at her, not knowing what else to do, unable to believe that this is actually happening.

"Tobio what did I just say? Get going."
"You don't get to call me that." He says, slowly coming to his senses. "What? Your name? Don't be silly, I'm your Mom, I'm the one who gave it to you." Her sweet tone is now strained.

"No you didn't. The nurse did because you didn't give a shit. And we might be related, but you sure aren't my mother." She slaps him. He feels the sting. He knows it's going to leave a mark.

"Now go." She spits out. Her sweetness now gone.

"Yes ma'am," he says quietly, heading into his room. He doesn't have much. Grabbing his bag, he shoves his other school books and homework in first, then his clothes, and other treasured items.

Walking out, he looks around the house for any other items he might want to keep before heading back into the lounge.

She's still there, eating another biscuit.

"Thank you baby."  The fake sweetness is back. But her smile and eyes are full of malice. "You can't do this to me." He says, gently dropping both bags down.

"Tobio." She warns. "I'm not leaving," he says stubbornly. "You can't make me." She sighs, inspecting her nails, coated in a dark red nail polish.

"No, I can't. But he can." A tall and muscular man steps toward them. Kageyama recognises him, he's her boyfriend, the one who had beat him up that night.

Kageyama swallows. "I suggest you leave, unless you want another beating boy." Tobio glares at him, unmoving. The man steps closer. Tobio grabs his bags, and heads toward the door, he couldn't care less about himself getting hurt, he cares more about the marks it'll leave.

He cares more about his teammates nonstop pestering, about the looks, the glances, the judgement from people thinking he got into another fight, then the fact that he might get hurt.

And most importantly, he cares more about Tanaka's worried looks, his voice filled with concern, then the fact that his body is going to be bruised and possibly broken.

Kageyama puts on his shoes, grabbing the few other pairs he has on the shoe rack and exits the house. His grandfathers house.

The door slams shut behind him. Rage starts to boil up inside him. Bubbling to the surface. It spills out.

He kicks the door. Banging his fists against it. "You bitch!" He yells. "You can't do this! Open the fucking door and let me back in!" Grabbing the first thing he sees, a brick, he throws it at the door.

"Open the fucking door!" He continues to yell, slamming his fists against it over and over and over. His knuckles start to bleed. "Coward!" He says, kicking the door.

The man comes out. Glaring at the kid. Tobio glares back. "You want another beating brat?" He asks, stepping closer, cracking his knuckles.

Kageyama spits at him. The man slaps him in return, then swiftly punches his nose, causing Tobio to stumble back and blood drip down. The man punches him again, causing him to fall.

He kicks him. Once. Twice. Three times, before getting on top of him, punching the teen once more, before wrapping his hands around the boys throat, squeezing.

Slowly, Tobios face starts to turn red. He kicks, trying to desperately claw at his face, which only causes him to squeeze harder. He starts using one hand to choke him, and the other to hit with.

Finally, Kageyama is able to hit back, just barely. The man stumbles back, Tobio doesn't have time to get his breath back. He kicks him in the stomach, getting the wind knocked out of him. Tobio punches him then picks up his bag up and walks away, before the man can get up and beat him more.

He runs until there's enough distance between the two, he stops to rest. His lungs are on fire. He wants to throw up.

He does. He hunches over on the grass, spilling his stomach out. He continues to gag even after there's nothing left, besides stomach fluid. A second ago, his day was going just fine, and now this. He wipes his mouth.

His body is aching. He's bruised. Another black eye, he knows it. He can feel it. He shoves the other pair of shoes in his bag, then continues walking.

Everyone he passes looks at him in horror, though says nothing, or they just ignore him, not even bothering with a glance. Although that's just how people are, how the world is.

They don't wanna get involved, they think someone else can do it. He's not mad at them, in fact, he doesn't expect anyone to help, or even want them to really. That's just the way the world is.

He slumps against a street pole and sits there. Everything is a haze. He's unsure how much time passes, all he can see is the day turning to evening, where the sunset lights up the sky with its bright fiery colours.

His phone keeps on buzzing in his pocket. He doesn't care. He just wishes time would freeze for s moment, like the moments he has with Tanaka.

Time always seems to freeze whenever they spend together.