My friend, Demise

Chapter 8

The place Demise had chosen to take me was oddly fancy. It made me even more nervous. "Don't look so scared, I'm not going to do anything."

"Yeah? Why'd you request the collar then?"

He smiled but dodged the question. "Do you know what you're getting yet?"

"I don't want you to spend a lot of money."

"Well, I make a lot of money so get whatever you want."

My heart feels like it's going to burst. Why does he keep looking at me like he wants to devour me whole?!

"Okay."

Demise is actually pretty kind even if he doesn't come off that way at first. My first impression was mostly that he was obnoxious. Now, I'm not so sure.

"Somethings bugging you. What is it?"

"How do you know that?" I picked at my nails. "Amanda asked that too."

"You're avoiding eye contact and you're fidgeting. You're also acting less angry and more quiet."

"I'm avoiding eye contact because I'm still embarrassed."

"That might be part of it. But tell me what's going on."

"It's not hour business."

"Fine. Would you rather talk about what happened at school?"

"My dad's in jail." I spat out, looking him in the eyes for the first time. "He got in a bad fight and I don't know how long he's staying there. Usually it's just overnight but I'm scared this time."

"I thought I was dying when my dad went to prison." He leaned on his fist. "And not just because he'd been shot. How bad was the fight?"

"I don't know. Police officers said it was bad but neither of them died. My dad started the fight which is the problem."

"Did they tell you what it was about?"

"Nobody knows what it was about."

"I think he'll be okay, if it helps."

"It doesn't, but thanks anyway."

Dinner went by in a blur, the only thought on my mind being my father. I really wanted to fight someone but when during the walk Demise and I took after dinner, there was no one around to fight. "You still upset?"

"No."

"You've been so quiet, I thought I was doing something wrong." He laughed. "But I guess there's a lot on your mind today, huh?"

"Yeah. But going out was actually fun."

"Do you want to go home? I mean if you're worried about-"

"I don't." I grabbed his hand tightly. "Please don't take me home yet. I'm not ready."

"Okay. Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Can you hit me?" I turned to him and looked down. "Would you beat me up? Please?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I need you to. Could you please?"

"I'll hit you once. But that's it." He pulled his hand back. "How hard?"

"Hard enough."

The look on his face went cold but I didn't mind, feeling his fist hit my face. He immediately gasped and grabbed my arms. "I'm sorry! That was too hard, wasn't it? Your nose is-"

"I'm okay." I wiped the blood from my nose.

By the time I went home, my anger was still taller than my pride. When I saw my father's car in the driveway, I ran inside. "Dad!"

My father was sat at the table, his face beaten. "Kid, I don't want to hear it."

"You idiot..." I clenched my jaw and stepped forward, my hand flying a cross his cheek. "Why would you do that?! Why would you do it again?!"

"Azriel." He grabbed my wrist when I tried to hit him again. "That's enough."

"Is it? I'm so sick of this....why are you such a jerk?! Why do you have to start fights every day?!"

"Why do you?" He stood up and grabbed my jaw so tight that it began to bruise. "Do not lecture me when you're the one who's taking after me. Now go to your room."

"No." I kneed him in the stomach and pushed him back from me. "You're the reason I'm like this....I hate you!"

My ears began to ring when his fist hit my face and my body hit the floor. I felt warm blood creep down from my mouth and nose, my knuckles bleeding into my shirt. "Don't say that to me. Ever. I got into a fight because that man threatened my family. Don't ever tell me that you hate me when I do everything I can for you and your mother."

"You could have gone to jail..." I groaned, sitting up with my back against the wall. He grabbed a wet rag and sat down in front of me, cleaning the blood from my face.

"I know. But I'd rather be in jail with you two safe than be out here with a dead family."

"Why didn't you tell the police that?"

"I did. That's why they let me out. Now just... calm down, okay? We don't need to fight each other too."

"Yeah, okay."

I went to my room, being followed by my mother. She entered and sat down beside me. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"Yeah. My dad went to jail for the day, used my first condom on a dude, went on my first date and got hit in the face because I asked for it, so yeah. I'm okay."

"Back it up."

"The date went well."

"...back it up a little more."

"I had sex with a guy. At school."

"Did you get caught?"

"No?"

"Then why are you worried about it?"

"You're missing the point. Those are all things that happened today. Things my parents should have been around to hear about. And... and dad just doesn't care about the consequences of what he does. All he knows how to do is throw a punch and apologize later."

"Remind you of someone?" She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Unfortunately."