Scarred

Chapter 5.

Eliza

I head downstairs to the kitchen, where I see my mother sitting on the cooking table, clicking buttons on her laptop with one hand, and biting away on an apple with the other.

"Hey, mom?"

She turns to look at me.

"You need any help with anything?"

"Actually, yes honey, you can help me to cut the carrots, and then steam them."

I nod, as I get out the bag of carrots from the fridge, and take out a few.

"How's he settling in?" My mum asks, although her eyes seem fixated on the computer screen.

"I think he's just getting used to it," I reflect, as I place the carrots on the chopping board, and grab a knife. "Because you know, it's a lot to get used to."

"Is he being nicer now?"

"I think he's just struggling a bit," I respond, without directly answering her question.

"With the transition?"

"Maybe. But I also uh... I saw these scars on his back. They looked like-"

"Wait, hold on?" My mom interrupts, as she throws the finished apple in the bin next to her. "I need you to explain to me how you managed to get into a position where you saw these scars."

"Mom, relax, I was helping him with the shower."

"You were doing what?" She raises her eyebrows and voice at me, a menacing look of disproval creeping comfortably onto her face.

"Not like that. He didn't know how to work the shower, and I showed him. He took his clothes off to get inside the shower, and I just happened to get a little glimpse of his body. That's when I saw the scars and they were-"

"I don't think I have to tell you that this will be the only time you're seeing any part of his body that's not his hands, neck or face. I promise Eliza, if I ever hear about anything between you two, he is out."

"Okay, mom. But can I just finish off what I'm saying now?" I demand, growing increasingly infuriated at her lack of compassion towards the situation.

"Go ahead."

"There were so many scars. And I feel like something major happened for him to get them."

"Doesn't he just get in a lot of fights? He was, you know... On the streets."

"Yeah but... I don't know, what if living out there all alone made him prone to being attacked by people? When I saw him earlier on, he had just been harassed by another homeless guy."

"What do you mean harassed?"

"The guy wanted to know if he had some food, and he got really angry and grabbed Theo and-"

"Theo... I take it that's his name."

"Yeah. He heard you before you know."

"I'm sure if he was a parent and his daughter brought home a random guy that lives on the street, his reaction wouldn't be far off from mine."