Secrets are my Sanity

Chapter 8

Forgetting all the hurt inside

You've learned to hide so well – Leave out all the rest.

 Chapter 8

Shane was surprised to find out his brother was pissed about him leaving. “You got your own place? That fast? What the fuck?” Michael demanded when he stormed into his room that night.

Shane lowered the book he had been reading. “Why are you having a cow?”

“Now who am I going to talk to?”

Shane smiled and realized even though Michael could be a huge pain in the ass he loved him. “We can still talk, there are phones.”

Michael walked over and punched him on the arm. “I want a key.” He stormed off after that. Shane laughed as he picked up his book and kept reading

Nick sat with Julienne at the park bench. “Now tell me the truth about this whole roommate thing.”

She looked at him, her eyes serious. “I told you I’d come up with something, I promised and I like to keep them. I know it might be uncomfortable for you but it’ll be a hell of a lot better then you staying with your aunt.” Tears glossed her eyes as she explained her train of thought.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Thank you.”

“I want to kill them for hurting you.” she cried. “You don’t deserve it.”

“If I could’ve just been normal….” He thought about it often, that if he could’ve just been a normal boy, would they have loved him? Would they finally stop the verb and physical abuse and they could’ve been a real family?

“No! Don’t you dare do that. You taught me that it isn’t the problem with us, it’s the problem they aren’t willing to face about themselves. There is not a fucking thing wrong with you.” her tears came harder as her anger soared. She stared at him and started to laugh.

“Are you losing it again Jules?”

“Maybe, I was thinking we should go back to Florida and let Mrs. Robinson have her way with you and maybe on the side Dr. Sharon can give you sessions so you can stop telling me you aren’t normal. You’re the most normal person I know.”

Nick smiled as he remembered the summer he spent with her in Florida while she was in that rehab. He had never felt freer. “Thanks.” He held her close and together they stared at the stars with their worries taking a backseat.

That Saturday Nick agreed with Shane to move into their new place.

Nick was stealthy about it, he packed his clothes and his few other items into his car and left while his aunt and uncle were at work. He left a note on the kitchen table wishing them luck and said his goodbye.

Getting Shane moved out was a different story. His parents doted on him and wished he wouldn’t go. Even Michael was sad. For some reason it was amazing to Nick to see bad boy Michael upset that his big brother was moving out.

He helped them move everything from Shane’s room into the moving truck. He was leaning against his car taking a break when Mrs. Gregory came and stood next to him. “You’re done moving you’re stuff that fast?”

“It was just a few things.” He was wary, why was she interested?

“Nick, I’ve been a mother of two boys for a very long time. I know things and I know a few things means some clothes and that’s it. You can’t just sleep on the floor.”

“Mrs. Gregory---”

“I have some furniture just gathering dust in the garage, you’d be doing me a favor.”