It's Nice To Have A Friend

24) A New Chapter Of Life Begins

The night before had been an eventful one, to say the least. Poppy hadn't only found out why her brother had put her on the train seven years ago, but also learned that all the pain he had been through in his life had been a sacrifice he had made for her.

Her whole life seemed to be one big question again, every truth she had ever known she suddenly wasn't sure of any longer. All she did know was that she needed to keep FP in her life at all costs.

Poppy had been up for hours, replaying the revelation of that night all over in her head. She hadn't heard FP coming out of his bedroom, approaching her place on the couch where she had stayed that particular night.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" FP asked her quietly, as he sat down next to her.

"I barely closed an eye." Poppy sighed, and pulled the blanket she had used to keep herself warm a little closer.

"You've been crying," He noticed the red stains in her eyes, and recognized it from all the times she had cried as a kid. It broke his heart. His sacrifice was meant to make her stop hurting forever.

"Seven years... I was mad at you for seven years..." Poppy croaked quietly, as her tear stained eyes met his sad brown ones.

Their eyes were not only identical in color, but even more so in the hidden hurt that seemed to come to the surface when they looked at one another.

"And only now I know what you sacrificed for me, through how much pain you went for me." She wished she hadn't hated him for so long, and she knew she wouldn't have if she had only suspected the least of what was really going on at home.

"I'd do it again if I had to." FP said without missing a beat.

His late teenage years with his father had been a complete nightmare and had scarred him for life, but if that was something he needed to do to keep her from that awful, deeply terrifying pain he wouldn't hesitate to do it all over.

"I used to look up at Dad." Poppy confessed.

"You were young, Poppy. You couldn't possibly have known." FP knew where this was going, and he didn't want for her to beat herself up about something that she had no control over.

"He's not the hero I thought he was. I loved him, while I hated you. All this time, it should've been the other way around." She took his hand into her own and held onto him tightly.

Poppy wasn't sure she would ever be able to forgive herself for what he had been through, but she would try every single day of her life. FP gave her a small smile. He would never hold any of that against her, and she knew that all too well.

Suddenly, she stood up from the couch and made her way towards the front door. His brow furrowed, as if he could sense that what she was about to do was drive by rage.

"Where are you going?" He asked instantly, standing up as well to hold her back if he needed to.

"To pay him a visit. Is he still in our old trailer?" Poppy's eyes were bursting passionately.

She knew she needed to speak to him and tell him off, to let him know how deeply disgusted she was by what he had done to his own flesh and blood.

"Oh... no. He isn't." FP swallowed.

"Where is he then?" She wondered, anxiously.

"He passed away, Poppy. He's dead." He told her, giving her a sad smile.

"What?" She croaked, her eyes welling with tears. In this very moment she wasn't even sure if she could feel sad, or angry that she could never yell at him anymore.