The Problem Child.

Chapter 12

Sitting on Joseph's bed again was an odd feeling. He opened me in his house with open arms, but since we sat down it's been an awkward silence. He paced his room, and grabbed a big tee shirt from his closet. 

"You can wear this.." He said, glaring at me in my robe. "I don't even wanna know what happened.."

His clothes were warm and cozy, so naturally I felt the need to get lazy. I snuggled up under his bed covers, and watched him pace his room. The stern look of concern was written across his face. I watched him move so slowly; his shoes shuffling across the floor very swift. A huge bruise covered his right fore arm, and I noticed his left eye was a little swollen.

"Look, we need to talk, okay? There's a lot of thing you don't know about me, Hannah. My parents are a little bit different.. They do stuff.."  The look in his eyes said it all. I didn't need to hear anything else. The bruises, swollen eye, everything was beginning to make sense. Joseph was being abused. 

"How can I help you?" I asked. My problems in my life seemed to  vanish. He was the only thing important. 

"I don't know.. I just want you to understand that more than anything I need you to be here for me. Just talk to me. No one understands what its like to be in my situation, and the last thing I want is for you to leave me when I need you the most.. I talked to my older brother, and I'm moving in with him in a few days. I'll be about twenty minutes away, but I'll still be going to school. Can we still see each other?" He asked, with a tear sliding down his cheek.

"Yes. I'll always be here for you. Now.. Do you mind if I spend the night? I've had a rough time." He slid in next to me and put his arm around me; and we cuddled while I told about what happened. I've never felt so vulnerable in my life. 

~~~~ The next day ~~~~~

"GET UPPPPPPPP" I said, pushing Joseph off the bed. He tumbled to the floor, and grumbled. 

Laughing I said," How's the weather down there?"

"Why don't you find out?" Grabbing my arm, he pulled me to the floor. We rolled around and wrestles for a while until he pinned me to the ground. After we jumped up, we raced down stairs and ate some quick breakfast.

"Today, I'm gonna teach you how to have fun." I grinned, and grabbed his hand.