Bringing the Light

4. Stephen Jacob

I opened my eyes and saw I was still in my basement room. Alex had dragged me down here after Mommy told him about Miss Arlene visiting and how I was a bad boy for not cleaning well enough.

My shoulder felt like it was both on fire and freezing. I couldn't feel my arm and I still couldn't move it. What little I could hurt so much, I wouldn't move it if I didn't have to.

It was going to make putting my shirt and pants back on hard.

Besides my shoulder, my body hurt. I felt like my lower half had been torn open. I saw a little blood on the mattress where I'd been laying. Luckily, Mommy never comes all the way down here so she won't be mad about that. Alex might be, though. I decided to try to flip the mattress over but it hurt my arm, so I just piled my pillow and blanket over it.

"Hey, kid!" Alex called down from upstairs. "It's time for school. Get your ass in gear. I'll drop you off."

I didn't want Alex to drop me off. I wanted to walk. It was safer. But I felt like it would hurt more to walk. And if I said no, Alex would come downstairs again tonight. And I didn't want that. I was already sore enough.

Sighing, I did my best to get dressed as fast as I could, which was hard with my arm not working. But I did it.

I went upstairs where Alex was waiting impatiently.

"I got shit to do, idiot. Get a move on," he said, punching me in the shoulder. I cried out in pain.

"Shut up. I barely touched you," he growled. "And don't wake your mother up you little shit. She had a late night."

That means Mommy stayed up drinking with Alex and their friends. And smoking. And doing other things. I always tried to plug my ears when I heard them upstairs, but sometimes, they were all really loud. I didn't mind it when they played the stereo really loud because it covered the sounds. Unfortunately, it also meant no one could hear me when Alex came downstairs. I'd learned to stop screaming, no matter how much it hurt.

I climbed into Alex's truck carefully, trying not to bump my shoulder, and ignoring the pain in my rear end.

Alex drove erratically, tossing me from side to side as he sped around corners. He smiled every time I whimpered, and I tried not to.

"Alright you little faggot," Alex said, get the fuck out of my car. Try not to get in any trouble for a change, huh?"

I don't get into trouble at school. I do my work, stay out of everyone's way and keep to myself.

Alex pushed me as I was getting out of the car and I fell to the pavement. Mrs. Racicot saw and came running over.

"Stephen, are you okay? Oh, Mr. Fredricson, if I could have a..." Alex sped away from the curb. "word."

Mrs. Racicot helped me up.

"Are you alright?" She asked me.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm okay," I said. My shoulder was screaming at me.

"Are you sure? Your shoulder looks swollen," she said.

"It's not. I'm okay," I said quickly, backing away and heading into the school.

"Stephen, I want you to go see the nurse. I want her to take a look at your shoulder. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said. I would not go to the nurse. Mrs. Racicot was the librarian. We only went to the library on Tuesday and Friday.

I walked into the school carefully. It hurt to walk.

"Stephen?" Mrs. Racicot called me again. I turned around.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're alright? You're walking funny."

"Yes, ma'am," I said. "I played soccer yesterday and my legs are a bit sore from running around all day. I'm okay," I said, trying to sound upbeat and convincing. Alex said if I ever told anyone what he did, he would kill my mom and then me. No one could ever know.

"You're sure you're okay?" She asked again, looking directly at me. I dropped my head a little.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm alright," I lied.

"Okay. If you're sure. Off to the nurse and then to class, got it?"

"Got it. Thank you, ma'am."

I went into the school and straight to the washroom. I went into a stall and pulled down my pants. My underwear didn't have any blood in them. I was okay.

I left the bathroom and went to class.

Everyone was talking about the new ET movie.

"Hey, Stephen," the kid in front of me turned around. His name is James. He's okay. Usually he ignores me. "Did you see ET?"

"No," I said.

"Man, you gotta go see it. It's amazing."

"Okay," I said.

Carl, a bigger kid in my class, who wasn't exactly a bully, but wasn't nice to me, walked by and checked me in the shoulder. I tried to stay quiet but I couldn't stop the tears from coming to my eyes.

"Holy fuck, Stephanie," Carl said. Okay. He's a bully. "I barely touched you and you're crying? Fucking loser."

I wiped my eyes and waited for Mr. Graham to come in and start our class.

When he did, I breathed a sigh of relief. Carl would leave me alone, Mr. Graham would give me worksheets that were harder than what everyone else was doing. And he'd let me read whatever I wanted once I was done.

"Stephen, nice to see you back," he smiled as he came in. The whole class turned around and looked at me. Probably they didn't realize I'd been away all last week. Again. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, sir," I said, my voice shaking because my shoulder hurt so much.

His face clouded over and he frowned at me. He didn't look mad. Maybe confused?

He got busy teaching his lesson and then handed out our worksheets. He didn't give me mine.

"Mr. Graham?" I asked. "I didn't get a worksheet."

"I didn't get a worksheet," Carl mocked. Mr. Graham frowned at him.

"No, I know, Stephen. Give me one minute. I'll come there and talk with you. Okay?"

I nodded. I was in trouble. Probably because I missed so much school.