Loyal Like A Dog

Family Issues

(Y/N) looked out of it all the time. From the minute she woke up, her whole behavior was out of character for her.

With wandering eyes, her figure stood idly in the kitchen - cold, bare feet with curled toes on the kitchen tiles. Her hands were behind her back while she pursed her lips.

"It's nice here," she spoke quietly like she was afraid someone could hear her.

Jasper put the towel away he used to wipe the counter. "I know it's not what youre used to. I wish I could make it a bit nicer."

But (Y/N) said nothing. Her gaze was fixed on the various ingredients on the table. "What are you cooking?"

"Oh, I thought about rice for today? What do you think?"

Again, silence.

Slowly, Jasper was asking himself if what (Y/N) told him yesterday was everything that had happened. How else could he explain her changed demeanor?

Despite his curiosity, he didn't press on it. This way he would only push the young girl farther away from him.

"(Y/N)," he started again, careful to use the right words.

But the (H/C) haired beat him to it.

"Don't. Not right now."

Heaving a sigh, Jasper nodded with an unsure smile. Whatever was up with her, she was going to tell him later. He just had to be patient.

...

"Sit."

The two teenagers stood outside Jasper's front porch, looking at the other small houses. The neighborhood he lived in wasn't really wealthy, he knew that himself. People just barely got by here, doing everything they could to survive day by day.

It was the opposite of (Y/N) usual living conditions. He couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. He should be able to provide her with everything she needed yet he failed already.

"I remember when I used to live in a neighborhood like this," she mentioned as she watched a few cars drive by them before directing her eyes towards the sky. It was already dark outside with the stars providing them with light. If she looked any longer at the millions of little shining dots on the black canvas, she almost felt like it would swallow her.

A big black hole coming down to earth only to take her with it.

"You did?" Jasper asked with curiosity in his voice.

Nodding her head, (Y/N) reached out to take his hand into his and placed it on her lap, her fingers wrapped around his to prevent him from leaving.

"Before my parents divorced."

That sentence pierced through her heart and ripped it to the floor. Divorced. That's what she had to say. What her mother beat into her head to believe. And my God was (Y/N) a good liar.

Even Jasper believed her, right?

Turning her head towards the black-haired, she watched him take a deep breath, lips pressed into a thin line. His focus was on the street lamp opposite from them, illuminating the dark street.

A sudden thought crossed her mind. Something that the two teenagers had in common was sadly the lack of a second present parental figure in their lives. However, she didn't know why exactly this was the case. Why was Jasper only living with his father?

And so, she squeezed his hand tighter, directing his attention back onto herself. With curious eyes, he looked at her face, waiting for her to voice whatever was on her mind.

"I-," she started but closed her mouth as quickly as she opened it.

Would it be right to ask him? Wasn't it too personal for her to pry into it?

"What is it?"

But... he still waited patiently, encouraging her to continue.

There was an undeniable sense of comfort she felt whenever she looked into his eyes. Those eyes understood her. They supported her and they would never. Ever. Leave her.

Lowering her head, she cleared her throat. "I wanted to ask you about your mother."

As soon as those words left her, a silence spread between the two. Jasper's shoulders drooped down with his hand letting go of her own. She instantly missed the warmth around her fingers.

"Well, she... Uhm, she left my dad and me six years ago. No, uh she left me," he nodded like he tried to convince himself. "My dad did nothing wrong. But she couldn't stand me."

"Why?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I don't really know," the young boy rubbed his hands to warm them. "She was always so cold towards me. I was never allowed to do anything when she was around."

A weak chuckle left him. But he can't in the mood to laugh. Not at all.

"She used to forbid me from playing outside with the other kids. She said I was too socially crippled. I remember when I went to the playground behind her back. When she found out, she would slap my hands with a ruler and then send me to stand in the corner for up to three hours."

"That doesn't sound like a mother at all."

"She wasn't one. Never even considered herself my mom. I wasn't allowed to call her that."

There was a short silent pause between the two. Jasper needed time to gather his thoughts and (Y/N) gave him that.

"One day, I remember how she screamed at me because of something I did. My dad tried to defend me but she didn't let him get a word in. Just rambling on and on about how useless I am, how she never wanted someone as sick and deranged as me as her son. The next day she was gone."

"I... feel bad for what happened to you," there was nothing else (Y/N) could say.

If she didn't know any better, she would ask herself how a mother could ever do this to her child. But she knew exactly what people were capable of.

Humans are egotistical and selfish. Arrogant and greedy. They only ever care about their own needs and wants. They abuse and mistreat each other all the time. Out of everyone, (Y/N) knew it best.

"It's okay. I learned to deal with it," he reassured the (H/C) haired. "It gets less painful as the years go by."

A soft shaky smile was on his face but it never reached his eyes.