The Mistake

Chapter 3

"Why did you get me into this?"

Noah was kinda upset, but he really didn't gave the right to be. I didn't tell him about the beating at school, but he's mad bcs I told a lie. But it's a lie that will keep the two of us from getting separated and going to a home. He would've told me to tell them that it was from rough housing. He knows it will keep everyone out of trouble.

"I'm sorry," he said,"I just don't understand why you passed out or anything."

"It's fine," and with that, our conversation ended. The rest of our car ride was silent. He didn't even turn on the radio.

I'm not allowed to listen to the radio. I'm not allowed to listen to music period. I'm not supposed to be in a piano class right now, but I snuck behind my mom's back. I lost dinner for a week because of it and got harder beatings as a punishment.

My parents discovered my love for music and my voice. I'm not allowed to sing at home or use any device that gives me the option to listen to music. Noah usually let's me listen to the radio until we get to the neighborhood, but he was upset with himself. He was upset because he yelled at me. He was upset because someone could've found out about our situation at home.

As soon as we got home, I was greeted by an angry father ready to hit me as soon as I walk through the door. I ran trying to escape him, but he grabbed the hood on my hoodie, choking me for a second and pulled me right back to him.

One.... two.... three.... four... I'm beginning to think he was drunk because he never hits me more than 10 times at a time unless he's drunk. 11.... 12.... 13.... 14.... 15.... 16.... 17....

Now he has me looking into his eyes. I am now so close, I can smell the whiskey on his breathe.

The one thing we have the most if in our house is whiskey by the closet full. My mother would catch fits for it, but has now given up and breaking him of his habit. Instead, she is uses it for evil. If he pisses her off one night, she'll go grab three bottles if whiskey and will either dump it all over him while he sleeps on the couch, or she'll pour it down the sink. It's her way of getting even.

I never understood my mom and her ways. But then again, we are on a strictly hate relationship basis for now, and forever. I feel, though, if I left the house, she'd miss me because then chores would become her problem. And because my old man might start beating her under the influence of alcohol instead of me.

Once in my room, I barakaded my door because the lock is on the out side of my door. My room resembled me. Cold. My room used to be the garage. There's no air conditioning, and I hardly have blankets to wrap up in. Some nights, I'd pick the lock on my door and go to my brothers room, making sure I had a way of waking up an hour early so I could go back to my room without getting caught.

My room was a dark, sad shade of blue. It reminded me of tears, and the darkest, deepest trench in the ocean. It was filled with a blow up mattress on the floor, a small desk that I had to bring in and fix with Noah, and a dresser that was given to me from my aunt on my mom's side.

My Aunt Ally used to keep me and Noah and her house for months at a time. She knew we weren't treated right, but she still didn't even know the half of it. Soon, her husband found a job in Oklahoma, and they had to leave. She promised me she'd keeps in touch, and she hasn't broken her promise. She calls Noah and I once in twice a month. Sometimes twice because she won't be able to call the next month for work reasons or something like that. This is one
Of those months when she can't call.

I sat in my room, lonely as always. Then, there was a knock at my door. That never happens. Typically, they all stay away from my room.

"Alex! Open up! It's me!" Noah yelled from outside the door.

I got up and moved my dresser back to its original place.

"If mom catches you, you're in trouble. If dad catches you, you are dead."

"I don't care," he said,"they left."

He came into my room and sat down on the mattress with me. He wiped away the tears that stained my face and hugged me gently. I squeezed him as tight as I could. He was really the only family I have. I don't want that to change.

He let me cry in his arms, even though I kinda got his shirt wet. He let me cry and cry and cry. Not once did he tell me to stop, or that I was overreacting. Not once did he tell me I shouldn't cry. Not once. He just let me cry. He let me let everything out. He let me cry until I finally fell asleep.