ANIMALS

Ten || Fuck Off

~Noah~

"I fucking hate this," 

I grunt as I flip my hood over my head, grabbing a pear from the fruit bowl and taking a strong bite while my dad gazed up at me. Mom curled his chin into the turtleneck of his fleece as he closed his eyes. Dark circles topped with bags now surrounding the rims of his eyes. 

"Not today Noah," Dad tiredly rubs the bridge of his nose. The two of them sitting together at the kitchen table waiting for me like we were some happy fucking family that eats together or some shit. 

Their divorce papers laid across the counter as Mom read over the papers with a plate of food beside him but eating nothing. 

"So today's the day huh? Is everyone going their separate ways or just two staying together?" I joke around like I don't give a shit when really my entire life was shattering before my very eyes. 

"We all decided to go our separate ways, Noah. But you don't have to worry about us okay buddy? Just focus on school alright?" Dad tries to crack a small smile as he goes to touch my shoulder but I move away before he can reach me. 

Pretty soon both of them would go upstairs and get dressed in their suits and ties to see my other father in court. At least they got the chance to see papa. 

I haven't talked to him since he left the house the day after the incident with mom. And I haven't seen him since my sister died. 

I heard in late-night whispers between my mom and dad that he moved to the Island of Bridgeport to start a new life away from us. Must be fucking nice. 

"Noah Lukas Jackson, sit down. You're being ridiculous," Mom growls, actually speaking to me for the first time in what felt like forever. I blamed it on the fact I looked nearly identical to my papa as much as he tries to deny it. 

"You can't tell me what to do," I laugh as I leave the house with no plans of ever coming back.

***

"Ow,"

Kaison winces as he holds the ice pack to his face and I roll my eyes at his dramatic antics. My girlfriend Alison, myself, and her long-time bully were stuck in the principal's office waiting for our parents to arrive.

"I'm sorry Kaison. I'm not sorry for hitting you but I'm sorry for saying what I did," I break the silence with Alison sitting in between us. Sure, I wasn't sorry for beating the shit out of the kid in the middle of class just to get out my frustration. But I was a little sorry for teasing him about sucking my dick last year in front of the entire class. 

"Go fuck yourself Noah," Kaison replies and for once I don't blame him. If I wasn't stuck in this office, I'd probably find the closest road and play frogger. 

I slowly lean back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, tapping my fingers on the armrest trying to relax until the office door suddenly slams open.

My principal quickly stands to his feet, but mom pushed past him with a look in his eyes that put the fear of God in me as he grabbed the collar of my shirt. With a sharp tug, he pulled me close to his face so I could stare deep into his hazel gray eyes. 

My knees started shaking in nervous anticipation as my mother paused, glaring so hard into my soul that I fucking felt it. 

"DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE WERE ABOUT YOU?!" Mom halfway yells and somewhat growls at me as I shake my head. Unable to speak and terrified that my own mother was probably going to murder me out in front of an office filled with people. 

I wouldn't put it past him. 

"Someone get security in here!" the principal calls and I thought Mom was about to snap.

"Matty stop!" I'm somewhat relieved when I hear dad's voice as he releases mom's death grip, sending me tumbling to the floor. 

Sure I haven't been home in a few days but I didn't think they'd notice anyway. 

"I stay up every fucking night waiting for you to come home! You never answer any of our calls then your father and I had to go to every police station in five counties looking for you! To top it off, on our way here when we got the call you were in a fight? Noah what the fuck is going on!" 

Mom harshly abuses me with his words and unable to escape, I'm left to face the truth and guilt for the pain I've caused them. Tears welling up in my eyes as I finally see the concern on both mom and dad's face. 

"I-I-I," I stutter, unable to say anything.

"I don't even want to hear your excuses! I get it, since your sibling died you've had a hard time but you think you're the only one? You think I can just break down and take a break from home whenever I fucking feel like it? No! I'm running around with your fathers, hunting you down, making sure Rumi is okay, checking to see if Nakoa is even alive cause he's deployed to the middle of the God-forsaken desert, helping Jaydean through her divorce, and Novalee with her law degree finals after losing one of her sisters," his mother spills all their problems and the room falls silent.

"Any other child would be doing their best to help their parents in this time, but instead you're disappearing like it's funny? I didn't know I raised my youngest  son to be such a selfish delinquent!" Matthias yells at him, panting as he does so from unleashing his pain onto his child.

"YOU DIDN'T RAISE ME! PAPA DID! AND THEN YOU RUINED IT! YOU KICKED HIM OUT AND RUINED EVERYTHING!" I shout right back, unable to take it anymore as my emotions exploded and mom raised his hand, about to slap me straight across the face when dad grabs his hand. Stopping hm mid-swing. 

"I DIDN'T KICK YOUR PAPA OUT! HE LEFT! HE LEFT US NOAH! HE CHOSE TO LEAVE ALL OF US! AND THEN SAID SCREW IT ALL!" Mom burst out and I felt my girlfriend's hand on my shoulder. 

"I think that's enough. Mr and Mr Jackson, please leave." The principal says and my parent's turn to him, as if they just now realized he existed. 

"What do you mean leave? We are his parents," Dad asks and the principal nods to the school security officers.

"It's clear to me that Noah lives in a toxic and possibly abusive environment with the two of you. So I'm going to call child protective services to get Noah into a temporary home," the principal announces and my mother gasps while Dad reaches a level of furry not previously recorded in my mental storage. 

"You're not putting my son in a foster home!" he argues and I get down on my knees to beg in front of him, putting my hands together in a pleading fashion. 

"No! Sir, it was just an argument! Don't take me from them, please! It's my fault not my mom or dads! Please!" I cried out but I could tell it wasn't working. 

"No! You're not taking my baby!" Mom fights as the security officers pull him from me. I got back on my feet, pulling away from my girlfriend's grip to rush towards my mother, embracing him in a tight hug. Until security tears us apart for good. 

"Wait! I'm here!" A voice pants and I look over my Mom's shoulder to catch sight of my Papa for the first time in nearly three years. 

"Holy shit,"