No Longer Silent Around You

4

Warnings:
-Bullying
-Abuse

Clay's POV

I was waiting for my mother to walk home with me after school and I was really excited again. I saw George saw my notes again and he smiled at them. I had already been thinking of more things I could tell him.

My mother walked up to me after a while and smiled as she held my hand. I started swinging our hands and smiled, feeling happy to be with someone I could speak to.

'What makes you so happy today?' my mother asked me, but I didn't reply. I started hopping around and my mother smiled. 'How did you do on your maths test?'

'I h-have a h-higher grade t-than l-last time,' I muttered. 'She explained something with ducks.'

'What did she explain to you?'

I held up my hands. 'Ducks s-swim around t-the pool t-twelve times and f-five ducks in t-t-total.'

I tried to explain to her what my teacher explained to me, but I gave up after a while of trying. I started hopping around again and when we arrived at home, I sat with my dog before starting my homework.

My mother was just walking a bit in the room and I leaned in to my dog. 'I w-was with G-G-George t-today. I was v-very h-h-happy to be w-with him.'

I laid with my dog and sighed softly. 'I w-wish I c-could talk to h-him, I t-think I r-really want t-t-to be f-friends.'

I talked to my dog for another few minutes and my mother suddenly sat with me as she gave me a hug. 'Do you want to do some homework?'

'Did y-you listen t-to me?'

'No,' she said with a smile. She kissed my cheek and lifted me up. 'Let's do your English homework today.'

I nodded slowly and we walked upstairs, but I was way too excited to do my homework. My mother lifted me up on her lap and gave me a hug. 'Why are you so happy, honey?'

I smiled shyly. 'I w-walked with George t-t-today.'

'Who is George?'

'I l-like George,' I whispered.

'Do you like him as a little bit more than just a friend?'

'A-as a friend. I w-want to b-b-be his f-friend. He's very s-sweet and cute.'

'Aww, did you communicate with him?'

I nodded shyly. 'I w-write notes to h-him every day and t-then I secretly p-p-put them in his l-locker. He's v-very sweet. I w-walked with him t-today and he t-talked to me.'

My mother smiled and kissed my cheek. I told her more about him and then we had to do my homework.

'It's reading and writing in English this time,' my mother said as she pointed at the book. 'Can you read that to me?'

I looked at the text, but the words didn't make sense to me at all.

'Spell out the letters,' my mother said. 'Start here.'

I nodded slowly and looked at the first word.

'A-a-a.' I got frustrated because of my stutter and my mother rubbed my back.

'It's fine, honey. Calm down.'

'A m-man-. I d-don't know.'

'I will read it first, okay? Then we will read it together and then you can try to read it alone.'

My mother started reading really slowly so I could take my time to process her words. She read it all to me and stopped after one paragraph.

'Do you want to do it together now?'

I nodded slowly and started reading with my mother, but I still couldn't do it. I got so frustrated with myself that I stood up and walked away while I cried. I went downstairs to my dog and cuddled up with him.

'I c-can't do i-i-it, I f-feel sad.'

I started crying really loudly and just kept cuddling with my dog as the door opened and my brother walked in. I immediately hid my face since I was really scared of him and cuddled with my dog.

He walked closer to me and I stroked my dog's skin because I was anxious when he was closed.

TW abuse and bullying

I suddenly felt him kick me against my back and I started crying immediately. I turned around to look at him and he gave me the meanest face.

'Go away, pussy. You're so annoying, I'd rather have no brother anymore.'

TW over

I stood up and walked to the door to run upstairs to my mother. She was still sitting on my chair, writing down some helpful things for me. As soon as she saw I was crying she opened her arms and pulled me on her lap.

'What's wrong, sweetie?'

'H-h-he k-kicked me,' I whispered, sniffing loudly. 'And h-he was mean.'

'Who? Reman?'

'Yes,' I whispered with loud sniffs.

'I'll go to him.'

My mother let me sit on my bed and walked down the stairs.

'I want your phone, right now. You're going to football training and after that you'll sit in your room without your phone. How dare you kick Clay? He has done nothing wrong, he was just calming down with his dog.'

TW bullying (mother dearest pops off)

'He's annoying as hell. I can't stand that dumb twat.'

'Good job, no phone for a week,' my mother yelled at him. 'Which also means no PC, iPad or laptop.'

'You can't take that away from me,' Reman shouted back.

'Then maybe you shouldn't kick your sibling. Clay's body isn't the strongest and you could have easily broken a bone.'

'He's just a weak pussy.'

'He got born way too early and that's not his fault. You can be glad he's still here.'

'I'd rather have him dead.'

'No phone for two weeks,' my mother screamed. 'To football training, right away. If you don't disappear out of my vision right now, I don't think you'll be having much fun at football.'

'You're just as dumb.'

'Want another week extra?'

'No.'

'Then leave.'

1066 words

Summary:
Clay's brother kicks Clay and then swears at him so mother dearest is a hero and saves the day.