Learning To Live

Chapter 13

~Vic~ (surprise!!)

I heard random rustling and guessed he put the phone back in his pocket. My frustration subsided and the terror returned. I was sitting in Mike's car two streets away from Kellin and his Father's house. Mike was in the passenger seat playing on his phone.

"I don't see why you don't leave him be. He's a senior, almost 18, he can handle this himself." Mike said absent-mindedly.

"If you knew what I do, you would understand how incorrect that statement was."

"So? Who cares?" He scoffed.

"I do! And too much might I add." My hand gripped the steering wheel tighter and my knuckles turned white.

"I don't see why."

"God dammit! That's the point because neither do I!" I put my face on the back of my hand. I don't know what I'm doing. He's just going to leave like everyone else. I failed. I told myself that I was done caring about people but I can't help it. I care about him.

I heard mumbles on the other end of the phone and I pushed it closer to my ear, straining to hear what was being said. Kellin was yelling and his father was just as loud.

He's going to get hurt. This was a bad idea.

I drove to the next street and stopped. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to be there with him, beside him, holding him, protecting him. I was shaking and tears were falling into my lap. Mike's arm moved and rubbed my back. I calmed down some but I was still panicking.

"I'm you." I said looking over to him. "For him, I'm you."

"Okay, I get it. You need to calm down though. One thing I learned from helping you is the more you freak out, the less you can help. Calm down and listen to what they're saying." I took in a shaky breath and listened.

"She's not mom!" I heard Kellin yell through tears. "How could you do this?!" I looked at Mike horrified. He glanced at me sympathetically and kept rubbing my back.

"Kellin, your mother is dead! Get over it!" His father sneered.

'I thought his mother left... she's dead?' I thought to myself. Mike's eyes widened. I guess he could hear them too.

"You don't know that! She just left your sorry ass! She could be alive." I heard Kellin scream then a loud crash. There was complete silence. I started to panic and I wanted to say something but I didn't want his father to hear so I stayed quiet. Seconds later I heard another loud noise, shuffling, and then Kellin's breathing.

"Please come get me." I put the car in drive and quickly went over to the next street.

"I'm at your house."

"Not even going to ask how. I'll be out in a minute." He said and hung up. A little bit later he was walking out of the house with the sleeve of my jacket up to his nose. I smiled to myself seeing that he was using it to calm down. I looked at Mike and got out of the car. My brother climbed over the center console and into the driver seat.

My arms wrapped around Kellin when I was within arms reach of him but he didn't hug me back. I looked up at him in confusion and saw that his eyes were screwed shut and his left one was red and swollen. He hit him! I let go of him and his arm went to his ribs. I was furious! He gave him a black eye and hurt his ribs! I clenched my jaw and his eyes widened. I stared at the door and backed away from Kellin.

"Vic no, dont." He said and grabbed my arm.

"Please go get in the car." I said quietly, trying to hide my anger.

"Not unless you come with me." I heard the car door open and heard Mike walking over to me.

"Vic, calm down and come get in the car. You got Kellin, it's not worth it." He told me in a quiet voice. It pissed me off even more. His father just hurt him and I can't do anything?! No, I'm going to go in there. I just don't want Kellin to be scared of me. I need him to get into the car so he doesn't follow me. I'm tired of his father's shit. He treats Kellin like a punching bag and I'm sick of it!

Mike was rubbing my back but I ignored it and looked back at Kellin. "Please get in the car."

"Come with me."

"Kellin get in the car please" Mike said softly. I guess he realized I wasn't going to calm down. He was right, I wont. You can do whatever you want to me, but you don't fuck with the people I care about.

"No. I want him to come with me."

"And he will. Please just go." Mike's hand was gripping my shoulder to the point were it was bruising but I barely felt it. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I was staring at Kellin and he was looking back at me.

"Please." I said, begging him.

"Please." He said, asking me to give in and get in the car.

"I cant, he hurt you!" I yelled. I saw someone move in the house. Mike must have too because his grip tightened and he started to pull me back. A fat, bearded guy stepped out onto the porch.

"Get in the car." I said through gritted teeth.

"Kellin, I'm asking you too. Please get in the car." Yeah, Mike definitely caught on. His hand loosened and he backed away. His arm reaching toward Kellin. He moved away from his hand and his body tensed up.

"Mike don't touch him." I said my expression softening slightly. Kellin looked at me and then sighed and walked to the car.

"Get the fuck away from my son!" I heard from the porch. The car door shut and I ran at the less-than-a-man and pushed him inside. His face turned red and a girl jumped off the couch and stood in between us.

"Lady, I suggest you move." I said angrily. She looked at the two of us and then sat on the couch.

"So you're the faggot that turned my boy gay." He snickered. "Well then. Stay away from him." His eyes narrowed.

I clenched my fists tighter and as he went to talk, I swung my fist and hit him above the eye, blood pooling on the skin immediately. He wiped at it with the back of his hand and tried to punch me but I ducked down and nailed him in the stomach, his arms going around his torso. I punched anywhere I could until he fell to his knees. Then, I kneed him in the face and he passed out.

"Whenever he wakes up, tell him I said to go fuck himself!" I told the girl. She nodded and I kicked him in the ribs once before walking back outside. Kellin was sitting on the porch with his knees to his chest. My face softened and my hands relaxed.

"Kellin?" He looked up at me and then stood up and backed away from me.

"Stay away from me!" He yelled. He was crying and I looked over at the car. Mike was leaning against it with a guilty look on his face.

"You saw." I said looking at Kellin. "Oh my god, no." He sat back down in a ball. "Mike, why didn't you stop him?!"

"You told me not to touch him. I tried to tell him not too but he didn't listen." He replied.

My face dropped. "Vic, he passed out!" Kellin yelled at me. What the hell? He just beat the shit out of his own son but yet he still loves him? Oh no, Kellin loves him and I just hurt his father. He stood up and walked passed me. He kneeled on the floor beside his father and touched the bruise forming on his eye. "How could you do this?!"

"Kellin you have the same bruise on your eye, your ribs are more than likely broken, and yet you're upset about him? I'm more upset about what he did to you!"

"But I love him!" He yelled at me, trying to verify his anger.

"And I love you!"