Do You See Me Now? ✔

Chapter 23 - The Friend

Tuesday, October 30th

     Calix had taken Jesse home without asking questions as to why he was crying, or why half of his face was bruised. He didn't try to calm him down while they were outside in the freezing cold. He just told Jesse to hop onto the back of his bike, and took him home in silence.

It didn't go unnoticed that Calix had left in the middle of the night, and Jesse assumed it was because Calix had told either one of his parents that he was going to see Jesse after he had gotten a call from him.

Calix was like that. He didn't sneak out in the middle of the night, not even to pick up a friend.

He had, however, requested for his parents not to ask questions, and while he took Jesse to his own room, his parents went back to bed after making sure Calix would wake them up if needed.

Jesse felt jealous over Calix' relationship with his parents. He wanted to feel as supported and loved as Calix was. He didn't want a fake father who'd beat him up or kicked him out of the house.

But Jesse was thankful for his friendship with Calix nonetheless. No matter how hard it was to be with him in his bedroom, still feeling enamoured by him. No matter how much Jesse felt ashamed for what had happened between him and his father.

Never had Felipe lashed out at him the way he had done that night.

"What happened?" Calix asked as soon as Jesse had curled up in his bed, with the covers pulled over half his face.

"I got arrested, and Feli... Dad lashed out at me."

"So, you were home because you got arrested, not because they took you back in?" Calix remained calm, sitting down on the other side of his bed. Calix always gathered as much information as possible before drawing conclusions or forming opinions.

"Yes."

"Why did you get arrested?"

"Loek took me out to make graffiti art and we got busted," Jesse explained with a small voice. "Felipe lashed out completely after he and Mom picked me up at the police station. Said he needed to discipline me for refusing to listen."

"So, your father caused the bruises?"

"Yeah, and that's something I haven't explained yet. I said I was kicked out over my tattoo..."

"Yes?" Calix' encouraged him to go on.

"Mom called me to meet up because she wanted to talk, about two days after I got kicked out. She told me Felipe isn't my biological father and that's why he hates me as much as he does."

"Wait, so he was right when he said you weren't his son?" Calix frowned. "Why didn't your mother tell you before?"

"I guess she didn't want to make me feel unwanted. But I do feel unwanted. My biological father didn't want kids so he left her, and she went back to Felipe and he acknowledged me as his son on my birth certificate, but I'm not his and apparently I remind him of the fact that he almost lost Mom for good," Jesse said, sighing deeply.

"That still doesn't give him the right to beat you up like this." Calix pulled away the cover, forcing Jesse to turn his face so he could look at the bruise on his temple. "Is there more?"

"My ribs hurt a little, and I sprained my ankle when I tried to run from the cops."

"Show me, I want to make sure you don't need any serious medical attention."

Jesse rolled his eyes, but reluctantly agreed, throwing the cover off. He pulled up the sweatpants Calix borrowed him to show his ankle, and Calix carefully grabbed hold of his foot.