The stories continue//COTC scenarios

Home is a place I hate

4/21/23

12 years ago

Mark's POV:My eyes were squeezed shut and the pillow covered my ears at both sides. Be quiet be quiet be quiet be quiet...Please, won't they stop arguing? "This is why we fight! This is why I had to go my sister's house last week! You never listen, you can't get anything through your thick skull!".

All the kids back at school, they always say 'My dad likes to take my mom out!' 'My mom likes to cook for my dad!'. But I can't say any of those things...Him and mom would have gotten kicked out for fighting and mom would probably put spit in my dad's food.

Usually kids were so happy to see their parents when they come to pick them up from school but all I get when I get home is a reminder of how much they hate each other! I don't know why Mrs.Bella is concerned I already know that word, mom and dad say it to each other all the time!

I just want to go to sleep tonight...But my mom keeps yelling at my dad and dad keeps yelling at mom. I don't even know what they're fighting about...Their arguments jump around like leap frog, one moment it's about how dad didn't wash the dishes to how mom forgot I didn't like the crust on my sandwich. Every time I came home I was welcomed by them screaming at each other.

I turned over to get my glasses from the desk, what time was it now. 1am?! Why can't they stop fighting, I want to sleep!

1 month later

I don't wanna go home, I wanna still be at the creek where I can't hear them fight but mom said her and dad had to tell me something. I said bye to Kenneth, David and Barry and walked home. They opened the door for me and I sat on the red couch, they kept looking at each other wondering who is going to say something. But my mom got tired and said something, "Mark, you know me and your father love you very much, okay? But that's not the case for me and your father, mommy and daddy are um...Divorcing, we're splitting up".

My mom explained that dad was going to move out tomorrow and live in some apartment he brought. I'll be packing my bags for some days and I'll be at my dad's apartment or at my moms house. They said I'll be spending the night at David's house cause they were gonna have a busy day at...I think court? Deciding what days who will have me.

This was how it was gonna be, I'll have to move place to place every few days. "B-But I don't want dad to go!" "Mark, it's fine you'll still have the both of us and me and your father won't have each other! Everyone is happy!".

Dad says nothing lasts forever, mom and dad will realize they love each other like Barry's mom and dad, Kenneth's mom and dad and all the other kids at school's parents! It'll be fine, they'll get back together...

It took awhile for the court to decide who will have me what days, I'll be at my dads apartment Thursday-Sunday and my moms house Monday-Wednesday. At the beginning of the day I was crying my eyes out to my friends about my parents splitting up, I was confused and sad. Kenneth said it was fine and my parents have their reasons and that it wasn't my fault. Kenneth was only a little older than me so he must know this stuff, I asked if my mom and dad will ever get back together and I won't need to switch homes. He stayed silent.

3 years later

I dragged my feet down the hallway of my dad's apartment, he was sitting in his armchair per usual his eyes glued to the tv. He put his glasses back on once he saw me come. "Mark, you're meant to be sleep..."He sighed. "I can't sleep..."I climbed onto his lap and laid there like a cat. "Dad" "Ya, Mark?" "When are you and mom getting back together?".

Just like Kenneth, he couldn't answer. Dad picked me up and carried me back to my room "No more questions, go back to bed. Have you packed for your mom's house?" "Yeah.." "Good, she won't like you being late I won't hear the end of it" "Why will she get mad at you?" "Well, I was supposed to bring you to her house, right? If I bring you late she's mad at me not you" "Why?" "She loves you too much besides it was my responsibility to take you".

Dad left me to lay in bed and go to sleep. I thought hard about that talk, then the truth hit me and it hurt.

They aren't getting back together, they don't love each other. All that screaming was cause they hated each other. From day on, I hated going home whether it was my dad's apartment with the loud neighbors or my moms house with the garden. I hated both, home wasn't where I could relax or feel safe it was a reminder how I can never have just both parents at the same time.