Children of the Boss

Chapter 15: Gabriel

August 24th

I was the first one inside to hear Carmen screaming from outside. I looked out the window and seeing your sister get punched in the face and kicked in the side multiple times was an awful way to start my morning. It was actually very scary. I mean, Joe seemed nice enough. 

Tamir and Alyssa pulled up as Joe was still on the ground and Pop and Emilio were outside. The morning had started off good enough. I mean, I loved having Emilio and Michael over. They were just more gay dads of mine honestly. We were joking and having a good time. Tamir and Alyssa loved them too since they had gay dads and they were all friends. 

"Joe came out of nowhere and just started hitting Carmen," I said in the car, on the way to school. "Apparently she broke up with him last night and he just spazzed out. Kenneth was scary too though. If he hadn't been pulled off he probably would've killed Joe." I let out a shaky breath. "It was just...scary. I mean, just last Monday it was only Kenneth and Carmen at the house because I left early and..." I shook my head. "A few days before Carmen had left without Kenneth and it's like what if Carmen had been the only one at the house when he came." 

I was an emotional person and I cared a lot about my family. Seeing Carmen's bruised face and Kenneth hitting Joe. It was too much. Alyssa climbed into the back seat and held me. I wasn't making it about myself but it was just scary. 

It was a B day so I didn't have my first class with Tamir or Alyssa, but I did have it with Abe. Over the past week we got to know each other better, still flirting. It was nice seeing his really cute face every morning. That morning it was obvious something was wrong.

"You seem glum," he said. 

"It's been a bad morning," I said quietly. 

We were sitting in the classroom for our first class but the only other people in the room were sleeping on their desks or listening to music.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I sighed. "My sister's boyfriend just started beating her up in our front yard and my brother just started hitting him. I don't know, it just sucks. I don't like seeing my family hurt." I let a tear fall but didn't want to start crying again.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, quietly. "You're a very caring person?"

I nodded. "I'm just so thankful for my family. I have a big family and they're amazing. I hate seeing it. My brother was so hurt just seeing Carmen so hurt." I wiped my face. "Don't tell anyone, by the way."

He shook his head. "I would never, don't worry."

"I just worry about my family a lot. Like, a while ago my father used to sleep in a different room than my other father. I'm glad they're fine now but it was hard. My sister Eve is so...I don't know, I feel like she's going to crack one day and now she's in the city. Dean is by himself in the city too, I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself and he fights with my dad so much." 

My family didn't know how much I thought about them. They also didn't know how much I knew about them. 

"My sister Eve is also gay and I don't know if she like struggles with it. Then today, god." I shook my head. "I know my brother Ken probably feels like it's fault or something," I said. "My brother and sister have feelings for each other and I know they struggle with it and can't do anything about it, but I hate seeing the people I love most so hurt."

"My grandparents were brother and sister," Abe said. He shrugged. 

"My brother and sister aren't blood related," I said. 

He smiled, chuckling. "Oh. That's...that's a little different."

I managed to laugh. "Were they really?"