Take Me

Chapter Fourteen

♔ Chapter Fourteen ♔

"And where in holy Hell have you been?"

I sighed and pressed myself slowly onto the couch in our living room, head in my hands, completely tired. I felt stupid and destroyed. I'd never felt so pathetic in my whole entire life, for getting caught and for getting people involved in my bullshit, for just letting them think that what Isaac and I had was something that it wasn't.

And right now, the last thing I needed was more drama and more bullshit on top of everything else that had already happened that day. Now I had my mum on my back too, just for being a few hours late from school. She was always like this, too. Asking me question after question, pressing me about everything in my life. I knew it came from a warm place, and sometimes, she did get the hint that I didn't always want to talk to her about my problems, but other times she just didn't stop pushing.

Most peoples' Mondays sucked for other reasons, like hangovers, or that the weekend was over, or that they had to trudge themselves out of bed and get back into school. Of course, not me. My Monday was terrible because Isaac had hurt me again, and I'd been caught in a compromising situation. This Monday, I'd been hurt repeatedly, I'd been hugely embarrassed, and now I had my mum to deal with too.

The list of people that knew things about me just seemed to be getting  bigger and bigger. Now Mrs. Doorsdale knew, and on top of that, she and Darby both believed that I was trapped in an abusive relationship with Isaac. But it just wasn't like that. What we had was special and I didn't give a fuck about what they thought.

"Out," I groaned in her general direction, rubbing at my eyes.

I just wanted to find my bed and stay there for as long as I possibly could. All of the embarrassment and the pain of that day just needed sink away and leave me alone, but I knew it wouldn't. I knew hiding away from the world wouldn't solve my problems, but that was my go-to instinct. To hide away and forget the world, to face life later, because at the time, later seemed better than now.

"Out? It's nearly midnight, you've never been out this late before, where were you?" My mum's voice was a lofty mixture of concern and anger and pity.

I didn't even want to look up at her, she would be able to read my face like a book. She'd see my reddened eyes, and she'd know that I'd been crying. She'd see my inflamed cheeks, and she'd know that I was embarrassed. She'd see that I was wearing women's jeans, no thanks to Mrs. Doorsdale lending me a pair since I'd left mine in her classroom, and that would just confuse her even more. What if she assumed I was a transvestite?

"I was with a friend," I lied. "We were doing homework and I must have lost track of time, it isn't a big deal."

"Not a big deal!" she repeated, raising her voice. I didn't look her in the face, but I could sense her closeness, I could see her arms flailing up and down in anger as she started lecturing me. "I guess it won't be a big deal that I've set up an appointment with your therapist for tomorrow, after school, then, yeah?"

"Ugh, Mum, I don't need to see Dr. Darling, not again!" I insisted, but I knew she wouldn't just drop it. I knew it had already been arranged and it was too late now. Tomorrow, I'd be seeing the crude Dr. Darling all over again, and she'd sit there with her legs crossed, staring at me, judging me.

It'd be the first time we'd seen each-other since I fondled her son in her office. And she knew all about it. She'd give me that disappointed look, and she'd tut in disapproval like she always did. She was the worst therapist in the world. And I'd be seeing a lot more of her now that she and the devil spawn moved in the house directly over the road.

"You've forced my hand, Tom, you've clearly gotten back into old habits. I'm going to have to arrange weekly visits again, until your attitude improves. I won't let it get as bad as last time."