My friend, Demise

Chapter 9

I didn't go to school the next day.

"Why are you still here?" My father peeled into my room.

"Because I haven't killed myself yet. Get out."

"Sit up and talk to me."

"Why?" I scoffed, standing up and stomping over to his bruised body. "Why the fuck would I want to talk to you after what you did? I don't care that someone threatened you, okay, you should have been here. You shouldn't have been off starting fights, you should have been here!"

"I'm here now."

"Bullshit!" My voice broke out, making him ball up his fists. "You've never been here! You're always causing trouble or spending a night in fucking jail when you could be here with me! When you could be here FOR me! But you're not, because you're a mean man who can't get better. You're a dick!"

"I've gotten better."

"Yeah? What's this then?" I pulled an empty bottle of alcohol out from under my bed. "Why did I find this in your room."

"Azra." My dad calls me that when I'm in trouble. "Mind your own business."

"You're my dad. It is my business."

"Enough."

"What are you gonna do huh? Hit me again?!"

He drew his hand back and I closed my eyes, waiting for it to hit me in the face. But when it didn't, I carefully opened my eyes and saw Demise standing behind my father with a tight grip on his wrist. "Careful, Caleb. This is your son. So let's don't and say we did, alright?" His eyes held the bone chilling glare that they always did when he told someone what to do. It's as if he became the devil with one glance, putting everyone at his feet.

"Demise...?"

"We'll talk about this later." My father glared at me and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"You okay? That sounded bad."

"How did you....how did you stop him like that?"

"Let's just say that I know more about your father than you do at the moment." He pat me on the shoulder.

"Why are you even here?"

"You didn't go to school so I got worried. I'm glad I came by though, helped you avoid another scar."

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" I scoffed. "I can hear it in your voice, now spill it."

"Your dad works with my mine. Now that the word's out about me being his kid....your dad was threatened. The man asked where I was, knowing that he worked for my dad. Your dad refused to say anything."

"You-...you knew my dad was arrested before I did?!"

"Yeah."

"You-....you bastard!" Finally with a reason to start I fight, I grabbed his neck and slammed his back against the wall.

"You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday..." he looked down at my bloody shirt and grabbed ahold of the chain attached to my choker. "Did he hit you too hard? Did you pass out?"

I tried to his him but he kicked me between the legs and shoved me down onto my knees. He placed a foot on my shoulder and tugged on the chain, making me look up at him. "I'm the reason he's out of jail. Thank me."

"Why would I-"

He kicked me in the side of my face, so hard that my lip busted open. "Thank me."

"Hah..." I panted deeply, spitting my blood on the floor and sighing. "Thank you."

Looking up at him, even like this, I felt my stomach tighten. It felt good to have someone take charge since everyone else was too scared to do anything about it. Nobody ever knew how to handle my defiance but to Demise it came like instinct.

"That wasn't very sincere."

I relaxed my body, staring up at him and softening my voice when he tugged on the chain again. "Thank you..."

He tilted his head, a cocky grin on his face. "You're pretty cute on your knees."

I'd never been disciplined. Ever. Teachers were afraid of me and I was a relatively good kid at home so I'd get off with a slap on the wrist for fights.

"You gonna calm down?" He asked.

"Calm down? You're the reason my dad got in that fight!"

He yanked the chain so hard that I felt the leather choker burn the back of my neck. His smile grew, his eyes nearly psychotic as he leaned down to my level. His foot still on my shoulder hurt, but I didn't say so. "You're really turning me on right now. You should behave or you won't make it out of here walking."

My fave flushed red. "What?!"

"Come with me." He stood up and dragged me outside.

"Demi-"

"Sit in the car and don't move." I did as he asked, watching him sit in the drivers seat and pull an abnormally long black rope from the floorboard. "Give me your hands."

"Wha- no!"

"Now."