Behind School Doors (1)

° eighteen °

Abuse / Child Abuse

*****

"Watch out." A girl brushed Aponi, making the boy jump as he moved out of the girl's way. Said the girl, who was lugging a bucket of ice since the ice machine for the drinks wasn't working.

"Aponi, you're on fries." A manager commanded. "Kai, be the bagger for the window." Kai nodded silently, stuffing the last food item for the lobby. Pushed the button to print the receipt, and turned around to call out the number.

The person got it, and she went to bag the food for the drive-thru.

"Shit, Kai where's the fry containers?" Aponi turned over to her as she had a few bags already packed, just waiting on the fries.

Kai's eyes stayed on the screen, getting some chicken nuggets. "Under the fries, the cupboard." He looked down to see it, opened the door to get the medium fry containers out, and started to get some fries out.

The hours flew by, and their shift soon ended.

"Yeah, just put your finger on the scanner, and you know what else to do." Kai yawned, tapping the tip of her shoe on the ground feeling the pleasure that it gave.

Aponi did as he was told, getting in the small room with her. They slipped on their jackets. "Are you ready?" Kai muttered. The guy stared at himself through the mirror, seeing himself.

He remembered when he was young, begging to leave the hell hole he called home. He tried to run away, but they always got him, and the cycle repeated.

Seeing that old disgusting man was the worst part of the day for Aponi throughout our life.

The older man had a scruffy appearance. You'd think he'd never worked a day in his life, but it was true. He stopped working when he was in his early 20s, going in and out of jail for low criminal things. He was an easily spotted guy, everyone knew him.

Knew to stay away from him.

His beer gut showed where the money he magical had gone mostly. A beard that has never been tended to in the years that it started to grow in. Some would comment on what they say in it. Ear hear that has never been trimmed.

His skin had dark spots on it, some could say it may have been dirt, or it may have been rashes. The man has a stench that lurked around the radius he was at. Everyone knew he was around. His hair was not tended to for a few months each time they see him. Causing bald stops all around. He had chunks of hair all around.

His teeth were all stained and looked like they'd never been brushed.

It's not like he didn't have things to help his appearance. The man had water, hair products, toothpaste, and actual healthy food.

He just didn't want to use them. He called it 'useless'. It was an effort that he wouldn't like to use.

His name is Dean.

Dean's stench was known as the worst ever. The musty, moldy smell you could take. The smell that you'd gag at, as it runs through your nose. It was like you'd eaten it. The smell of sweat was already terrible enough, but what was more terrible, was the smell of a man who'd rarely showered. Every four months yes take one. It never helps anyone around though. They could still taste the smell.

The last month would be the worst. You can smell the man's feces that he had on his body that he was too lazy to take care of.

Feeling the taste of the smell in his mouth now, made him sick.

He's not as tall as Aponi now. Aponi stands at 6'5 and Dean is 5'9.

But Aponi is too afraid to hit someone. He's too afraid to go against his dad and his family.

Aponi has more muscle on his body from doing wrestling, karate, and football.

Dean had just been fat from eating all day and night.

.....

"Let go!" A small child cried out, getting dragged by the back of his hoodie.

His wish came true, but not in the way you'd want. He was thrown on a table, his back hitting the metal leg as he whined in pain.

"I told you not to go to that damn club!" The man loomed over the young cleaned-up boy.

Aponi felt his tears burn his face, seeing his mother in the back with a disgusting face. Her eyebrows were pulled down as far as they could go. Her nose doing the same, slightly twitching. Her face witnessed up from the expression she had made. Her lips pulled up.

Her expression said it all, 'you're a disappointment,' 'disgusting,' 'mistake'.

The days were filled with beatings and punishment. He was so malnutrition that many times they has to do to the hospital. But soon, the visits stopped as suspicion rose. So he suffered more at home.

He had more near-death experiences than the days in a year when he was five years old. It kept rising, it never slowed, it just sped up.

.....

"Aponi," Kai called out, her hand resting on his shoulder.

He saw her face in the mirror, her eyes on him.

The man was scared to bring Kai to his ho... former home. His father would try to do something to her. Or she'd be too disgusted to help him any further.

The girl smiled like she knew his thoughts. "It'll be fine. If you want, we can get some reinforcements. Or we can do it another day."

"No, I need to do this today."

The two left the building to get in the truck.

His hands shaking. His face lost the natural brown color as she swore it was turning white from good scared he was.

"I can ask Tyler and Micheal if they can help."

"I don't have much." He whispered.

Kai smiled lightly, her hand resting on his. "It's for comfort." She muttered.