Crystal Bloom

22.

22.

[Jordan POV]
**THIS EPISODE MAY BE TRIGGERING TO OTHERS WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO STRONG LANGUAGE AND HARM TO OTHERS. TW: HOMOPHOBIA, GENDERPHOBIA, AND ABUSE.**

I was in my room, sitting on my bed and staring at my phone.

I had been waiting for Daisy to call to tell me how Crystal was since I didn’t feel like going anywhere today, even if I wanted to.

The front door to my echoey house slammed open. I quickly set down my phone and got off my bed so I could change out of my feminine clothing.

“JORDAN, ARE YOU FUCKING FINALLY HOME?” My father yelled from the stairs.

My room had been in the same spot since I was a kid.

“YEAH, I’M JUST GETTING DRESSED, HOLD ON!” I yelled back, sounding as calm as I could.

“WELL HURRY UP.” He said. I could hear him walking down the stairs from the echoes bouncing off of the walls of the house.

He slammed the front door closed.

Time to get my ass chewed.

I quickly threw on a cardigan over my white long sleeved shirt and tie and ran out my bedroom door.

I heard my phone ring as I was already walking down the stairs. Damn it.

I waved it off and quickly walked down the stairs towards the living room.

As soon as I walked in I was slapped.

“Why the hell didn’t you answer and why when you did answer swear at us.” My father said, walking towards the fireplace as I held my face, looking down at the ground, next to the couch.

“I was busy.” I said, still looking at the ground.

“BUSY?” My father yelled, his voice booming as he turned around to face me again.

“Yes sir.” 

“Don’t call your bullshit. I’m tired of your shit. Sick and tired, all you do is disrespect your mother and I. We do everything for you and get you whatever you want and you treat us like shit. We’re your parents!” He said in my face.

“I am sorry sir but my friend was in the hospital and needed me more than my piano lessons.” I said looking him in the eyes, face showing nothing.

“Nothing is more important than what we pay for, for you. Crystal Bloom’s family is shit and we don’t need you hanging out with a depressed brat just because her parents are trash.” My father said, trying to boil my blood.

My fist clenched. “Don’t talk about her like that.” I said, looking down at the ground.

“Oh why not? Is she your girlfriend again? Do you actually care about her? She’s a waste of your time when you have better things to do with your life, like get a perfect education so you can take on the business.” He said, flipping his hand around to show how much he had “cared”. 

“No, she isn’t my girlfriend. She’s my best friend and I care about her.”

He slapped me again.

“Stop being a brat like her.” He said, turning back towards the fireplace and running his hand through his hair. “I don’t deserve this attitude and your mother especially. She’s been through enough and you’re just hurting her. Especially with you being gay or some shit like that and wanting to be a girl. You’re mind is rotten from the world around you and the people you hang out with, especially with that Daisy girl and her liking to fuck girls. She’s a slut. You might as well be a slut. You want to be a girl? Go be a whore. You’ll earn some good dirt money and you can date all the guys you want.” He said, not caring what he had even been saying. 

Tears fell down my face. “Fuck you. You’re a bad dad. YOU’RE FUCKING TERRIBLE.” I said, yelling, my voice cracking. Then running outside, running somewhere he wasn’t.

“JORDAN!” His voice yelled from down the street. “FINE. TAKE MY ADVICE, WHORE!” 

I violently wiped my face with my sleeve as I ran.

I forgot my phone. Fuck.

I turned so many corners, I couldn’t see because my tears made my vision blurry.

Then I sat somewhere in an alleyway and cried.

[Daisy POV]

Why aren’t they picking up? Did something happen?

I looked back towards Crystal, she was watching the TV which had been playing an old Spongebob episode, I was holding the phone up to my ear, hearing it ring.

Crystal was smiling. We used to watch Spongebob, all three of us, with Jasmine while her parents were at work.

Crystal, Jordan, and I would all watch Spongebob while playing planes. Jordan would always crash their plane into mine while Crystal would fly her plane around Jasmine. Jasmine would always bark and jump up to grab the plane, it always made Crystal laugh.

I looked back at the wall.

Sadly, we aren't the same anymore. Jordan’s dad sucks, Crystal’s parents suck, and I’m just here, wishing I could do more for the both of them. I always just get them into trouble.

Suddenly the phone was answered.

“Hello?”

Jordan’s dad had picked up.

“Who is this, uhh… Flower person?” He said, confusion visible in his tone. “You’ve called my son many times now.” 

“Oh uh… Hello sir. It’s Daisy. I just wanted to tell Jordan that Crystal was okay since” I hesitated. “He had wanted me to call him once I got to the hospital.” I said, feeling very awkward since Jordan’s dad didn’t like me just like how Crystal’s mom and dad didn’t like me and because I had to call Jordan a he. I never call Jordan a he.

“I see. Well the brat isn’t home anymore. He ran away because he couldn’t handle the truth.” He said, sounding bored. “Maybe I’ve given him too much freedom.”

I was silent.

“Well… Do you know where-” I cringed, stopping my sentence then finishing again. “He is?”

“No and to be fair, I don’t care.” He said, then hung up.

God damn it.

I looked toward Crystal to see her on her phone now, as for the TV was now showing commercials. Her phone didn’t have any minutes but she had been using the hospital wifi so she wasn’t completely bored.

“Crystal, I can’t get a hold of Jordan sadly because they left their phone at home after a fight with their dad.” I said, sitting next to her, putting my phone in my lap.

She looked at me and frowned.

“Oh, okay. I’m sad I can’t talk to him. Do you think he’ll be home soon?” She said, placing her phone on her lap as well.

“Hopefully. I don’t know how bad the fight was.” I said, looking towards the TV. “I’ll try calling them back in a couple hours, for now let's watch Spongebob.”

“Okay!” She said happily, then looked at the TV again.

I looked at her. Then I looked back in the general direction of the TV. I hope they’re okay.

I thought, just staring at the wall now.