It's Gonna Take A Little Time... A Little Time To Think Things Over...

Chapter 16: I Think We're Alone Now

TW: HOMOPHOBIA, CHILD ABUSE, BLOOD, CATCHY MUSIC

DAVID
Dad stared me dead in the eyes, I was about to say 'no dad, I am not dating a boy' but my eyes must have said it all because he snarled "I knew it!" He then thrust a fist into my stomach. I keeled over and he kicked me in the shin. Then Dad, well William yanked my head up by the hair and shoved me against the wall.

"WELL LITTLE LADY, HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?!" He screamed in my face, flecks of spit flying like bullets from his mouth. "DAD STOP! PLEASE THAT HURTS!" He punched me in the nose and I felt a stream of warm blood flow steadily from my nose. "ANSWER ME!" He was furious. "Only a couple weeks, please Dad stop you are acting like a maniac!" He punched me in the eye and lip.

"Go pack your things and leave." William snarled and as he walked away I croaked "Aren't you supposed to love me unconditionally no matter what?" He turned back and growled "If you were normal, yes. I'm this case, no. You are never seeing that boy ever again." He then turned heel and went to his room.

I straightened up, wincing and legs shaking. I ached all over and could see blood seeping down my clothes from my nose. I limped upstairs, and grabbed my stuff. I then snuck back downstairs and out the door, onto the street. The moon shone above me, and the faint smell of freedom wafted around me.

I was about to go, but had an idea. I sat down on the door stoop and waited for Linda to get home. A couple minutes later, she drove up in her car. When she saw me she smiled and said "Hello Dav-" and then she noticed I was beat up.

She rushed over and crouched down next to me. "Oh David, what happened?" She said it in such a caring tender way, that I felt tears sting the back of my eyes. "Linda, I love you and need you to listen to me. I am running away. If you want to find me, I'll be at my other mom's house. William did this Linda. The reason why is because he found out Exer and I love each other more than most friends do. Linda, you need to leave this house and never come back."

As Linda listened her face was contourted into a pained expression. When I finished she gently wiped the blood away from my nose and kissed me on the cheek. "I love you either way sunshine, whether you love boys or not. I feel like that too, but a tad different. You see, I've always liked girls and boys. I can't have kids, and you are like the one I never had. I love you to the moon and back." Then Linda sat next to me, hugging me tight. I felt a single tear cascade down my cheek, and I hugged Linda back. I felt so safe.

Suddenly, light cascaded upon us as the door opened.

"DAVID GET YOUR FAGGOTY ASS OUT OF HERE. LINDA STOP HUGGING THE WHORE AND GET IN HERE!" William then yanked me up by the arm and slapped me. Linda stood up and yelled "You let my baby go!" And then proceeded to sucker punch him right in the face. Then Linda grabbed William and heaved him over her shoulder, and body slammed him to the ground.

"Well fiance, I'm not marrying you anymore!" (I know they are married on the book, but I think her being his fiance seems more suiting for Linda.) Linda screeched in his ear, and then with the edge of her heel, stomped directly onto, well, William's lower area. He yelled in pain as she heaved him back inside.

"David, be a dear and call the police would you?" I smiled and winced as I brought my stuff inside and dialed the police. "This is the local police station, what seems to be the problem?" I told them where to go and what happened, and five minutes later the police arrived. They rushed in and handcuffed William and I already knew he was going to jail for a long time. The police talked to Linda and me, than handed me a sticker. I looked down and saw it said 'When life gets rough, call the police.' I looked back up to see that they were gone.

I sighed and then saw Linda, who was smiling. "Linda, how the hell did you do that?!" I asked in shock. "Well, in 1983 I did wrestling on WWE." She smiled and then walked over to a cabinet and laid some towels on the couch. She then walked over to me and picked me up and put me on the couch. "I'll call your mother and boyfriend dear. You just lie down and rest." I heard Linda dial my mom, then Exer.

BRENDA

I was sitting on the couch, painting my mom's toenails when I heard the phone ringing. "Ooo Pamela is calling!" I stood up and ran to the phone. Pam always called Saturday night, unless she and Jackson were on a date. I picked up the phone. "Hi Pam!" But then I heard David's stepmother talking. "Hello dear. I want you and your mother to come over to the house. William has been arrested and David isn't looking too hot." She said kindly. "Alright Miss, we'll be there shortly!" I hung up the phone and said "Mom, we need to go to David's house now. Daddy got arrested!" Mom sat up and went and got her flip flops on.

I hopped into my car and when Mom got in I gunned it down the road. When we arrived, Linda was waiting outside for us. I dropped my purse and all my stuff fell out. "You go in Mom, I need to pick this up." Mom nodded and walked over to Linda. Linda started saying something to Mom, and I watched as her face fell and she clutched her heart. Then she ran inside. After I picked my stuff up, I waved to Linda and walked inside.

To my surprise Ronald, Ken, Jolie, Timothy, Jackson, Pamela, and Exer were there and Ex looked like he was holding back tears. He was sitting on the couch and holding David's hand. My mother was talking to David and clutching his face. Tears were streaming down her face. I got an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong. Very wrong. As I walked over I got a look at David and gasped.

"Oh David! What happened?!" I wailed. His eye was bruised and blood was on his nose. His hair was unruffled and he had bruises on his arms and legs. A red slap mark was plastered across his pale face, while David's normally joyful eyes were sad and dull. David was keeping it together, but his eyes were watering. "Brenda." He whispered and held his arms out. I ran and hugged him tight. "Gosh, I just can't catch a break." I heard him chuckle in my ear. I gave him a watery smile and kissed him on the cheek. He pressed a sticker onto my hand and smiled. I recognized it as a police sticker from the station.

David shakily started explaining. Each word hit me with a painful blow. My mom's eyes widened when he got to the part about Ex, but she gave a small smile and whispered "I knew it." Linda patted Mom on the back and looked sad.

Ken, Jolie, and Timothy were drinking hot chocolate and were wondering what happened, but didn't want to invade the privacy of the conversation. Jackson was holding Lucy in the corner wincing as Pamela took Lucy from him and was talking to him quietly. Ronald had hugged David when I was done and he had a expression on his face that screamed he was angry with Daddy.

I was mad with Daddy too. How could he do that?! I decided I would not tolerate him being my father anymore, the bastard. How could he be so cruel? "David, I promise someday when I get older, I will become a police officer and stop people like Daddy. No, William! Fuck that bastard! He can eat my shorts!" I promised my brother, holding out my pinky. He put his to mine and the swear was complete.

Exer put his arm around David's waist and gripped him tightly, as if he thought if he let go of David, he would dissipate. Exer kissed David on the forehead, and since Mom had left to buy more hot chocolate mix a couple of minutes ago, and Linda went with her, no one was paying attention. As Exer pulled away, with a sad smile he whispered "Can that be my move?" David nodded and mumbled "I'd rather go through that a thousand times than not be with you." Exer smiled sadly and whispered softly to David and after my brother nodded, Exer raised his hand to David's face and with a stream of tears cascading down his face, he kissed him. I felt a strong gust of wind and saw a green mist press around the boys.

"AHH DO YOU GUYS SEE THAT?!" I yelled. I felt someone grab me from my sitting position on the floor and pull me away. I looked up to see Ken, looking horrified as emerald swirled all around us "Bre, you okay?! This is fucking radical but still!" I hear him yell over the gust of green wind, and as I felt myself and the others swirl around, I heard Jackson yell "This is all my fault!" As the green crushed us and the world went dark.

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