Sweet Like Candy

It's not your fault.

JACK'S POV: 

     TRIGGER WARNING: Some slight curse words and domestic violence

JACK'S POV:

"I'm home!" I called as I entered the house. Usually it was a joyous occasion for me and my mother as she was the only one in the house when I returned to school. But the moment I saw her I knew I was in trouble.

     "Where were you?" my mother asked angerly, ignoring my  greeting. I've never seen my mother look this furious before. I thought about lying, but I knew my conscious would never allow me.

    "I... skipped class with my friend. Please don't be angry." I couldn't bare to look into my mother's eyes as I spoke. 

    I was totally expecting my mother to yell some more. Instead, all I heard was silence. With the little amount of bravery I contained, I looked up to see my mother. Her expression turned from angry to... I guess you could call it surprise. "You were with your friend?" I nodded. "I'm so happy!" All of a sudden my mother grabbed me into a hug, spinning me around as she did so. 

    When she let my feet back onto the ground, all I could do was stare her back surprised, as she did so earlier to me. "You're not mad?" 

     "I was... but I'm just too proud of you that you made a friend. I think that is much more important for you." My mother brought me into another hug, and this time I reciprocated, smiling widely as I did so. 

     "Thank you, mom." 

     When the hug ended, my mother stated, "We're gonna celebrate... again. And this time without your father." 

     My mother ordered lasagna this time from a nearby restaurant. Eventually she left to pick it up. I was left alone in the house for a while. During this time I took my phone out of my bag. I didn't even realize Jeff had texted me back... after the whole fiasco from last night. I immediately sent him texts. As I was waiting for my mother to come back, I was simultaneously waiting for a response from Jeff. But it never came and eventually my mother came home with steaming, fresh lasagna. All thoughts of Jeff had been pushed aside as I enjoyed the meal with my mother. 

    Of course, all good things must come to an end. That was when my father came home from work. Neither of us didn't even hear his arrival; we were too busy enjoying each other's companionship. "You started dinner without me?" My father dropped his work case onto the floor, flabbergasted. My mother's happy face instantly turned into a frown and I felt my face grow pale at the sight of my father. "...you even opened our special wine..." my father placed a palm over his face, absolutely shocked at the sight. My mother and I refused to say anything, instead watching my father cautiously. And just like that, my dad rushed towards my mother, his hands extended to grip at her blonde curls. "HOW DARE YOU!" he yelled. Dishes crashed onto the floor. Typical. And just as typically as that, I ran upstairs, hiding in my closet once again. I really felt bad leaving my mother behind. I really did. I was just too scared... 

    As I was whimpering in my closet, I felt my phone vibrate. I tried to ignore it, preferring to hear my parents' downstairs to see if I'd need to defend my mother if it got worst. Or the best case scenario would be if my dad just left. Eventually, I gave in... especially when I saw it was Jeff who wrote me. As soon as I wrote my text message back, we ended up messaging each other back for quite awhile. It was really nice and made me forget about the mess which was my father. I still tried to hear my parents as I was focused on Jeff.. but the noise quieted down a lot and my only guess was that my parents were making some sort of peace.

     Unfortunately, that did not last long. I finished reading one of Jeff's texts before my father pulled me out of the closet. "What are you doing?" My father demanded, crushing my arm that he held firmly. I was too scared and shaking from fear to answer. He saw the phone hanging from my hand and yanked it out. "Who is this?" He roared. I still could not find my voice to answer. A wicked grin appeared on his face, and knowing from previous circumstances, I knew this was not good. "Is this your friend?" My dad asked sarcastically. "Or is he your boyfriend?!!!" I thought I might have peed in my pants from the amount of fear that was quickly building up inside of me. "That's what I thought." My father whispered menacingly. "HE'S NOTHING!! NO FRIEND... NO BOYFRIEND... no anything." My father threw my phone against the wall with as much strength as he could muster. I thought for a moment it might have been broken. 

    My father then threw my onto the floor, beating the shit out of me. I refused to cry so he doesn't know that he has broken me. But the tears begin falling out of my eyes unwillingly. My sweet mother crashed into my room, trying to stop my father from hurting me. "STOP!" she cried as she striked my father with her clawed hands. But they seemed to have no effect on him. He didn't stop till I could no longer block his hits. By the end, his hands were purple and my body was covered in bruises. "I'm going to sleep," my father called sluggishly. "You better join me." My father gave a threatening glare to my mother, who had tear streaks littering her face, staring down at me pitifully. Then that man shut the door with me and my mother in my room. 

     She ran up to me, trying to get me back onto my feet and into my bed. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. 

     "It's not your fault," I whispered back, hardly able to talk at this point. 

     As my mother was tucking me into bed, she said, "I'd love to meet this friend of yours, maybe this Friday.. he seems to make you happy.  And that is all I want for you." 

    I smiled as she said this. "That would be great," I croaked. 

     There was guilt written all over my mother's face. She opened her mouth to say something and then immediately closed it. Instead, she asked, "Do you want me to stay longer?" 

     "No, you better go. You don't wanna make father even more mad." A tear drop fell down my mother's cheek and I wiped it away with my thumb. Silently, she nodded.

    "Good night, Jack!" she sang to me as she turned off my light. "I love you more than you could ever imagine." 

     "I love you too, mom!" She closed the door, leaving me in almost complete darkness; the moon shone quite bright into my room that night after all. Before I started falling asleep, I remembered about Jeff. I dragged myself out of my bed and towards my phone that was abandoned on the floor. I quickly sent Jeff a text and even inviting him over to my house this Friday.. I just hope my father doesn't show up. 

    It was after the short text message did I fell asleep... the sleep I really needed.