The Gentle Giant and the Melancholy Monster

Chapter 7

I have one more day to spend with Jesse, and he won't be back to visit for four months. In comparison to the last four years and eight months that we had zero contact with each other, that didn't seem like much of a wait. I just wish that he wasn't currently getting ready to go out to eat with Noa while I had to stay home and practice driving with my dad. Third-wheeling isn't my thing, and I am happy that the two of them got along, but I knew what was in store for today. My father has grown more visibly sad. Even more so than how I remember seeing him last night before we left. He has hardly talked to me today, and we have been sitting in the living room watching his favorite wildlife documentary channel for the past two hours.

Between dozing off and sitting up to drink my green tea, which was now completely cold, I would hear my mother talking to her friend angrily on the phone. I didn't even think Mother had any friends, since all she ever did was work and cook. She let my father quit his job, and now he's been watching television shows about tigers all day, every day.

"I don't know, Gayle! But he won't get his shit together, and I have two children who don't fucking drive or even know what they plan to do after high school. I have two options, but I can't leave the kids with their father."

"Atarah, can you get me a beer from the fridge?" My father lazily stretches out on the recliner, sticking out his belly that has grown twice the size as it was two months ago.

"Dad, it's 10:30."

Thankfully, Jesse came moping down the stairs to give me a third option. And, something besides my parents to think about for a moment. "Hey, change of plans, I think," Jesse mumbles.

"Oh, no, honey what's wrong? You're crying!" My mother slams her phone down, rushing to comfort my crying best friend, completely ignoring the new wounds on my body from earlier this morning. I intentionally stuck out my legs where they were in my mother's vision. She doesn't care how badly I'm in distress, but any other person I know is welcome in our house and treated ten times better. I once even got home from school early, and my mom didn't know. I had to call Noa, because she had an extra key to get in the house, but I didn't. Still don't. What's next? Is she going to swaddle Jesse in blankets and make him hot tea and fresh cookies she never made for me, but always for Stefan when he's sick or upset?

"Oh, I'll be fine, Mrs. Bucur. I kind of just wanted to talk to Tarah about this."

Jesse manages to pull away from my mom's death grip. I shot her a dirty look, to tell her that I knew very well what she was talking about on the phone. However, knowing my mom, I should have been more prepared when she pulled me off to the side halfway up the stairs and gave me a slap across the cheek.

We don't disrespect my mother and her rules. Not even my father, because he will get it too. Jesse stared back behind him in horror. I shut him up before he questions everything about my mom's parenting skills out loud to her and receives a punishment as well. I closed the door behind us, slamming it hard enough to express just a bit of anger, but not as much as I felt deep inside me, though if I did ever slam a door, I would be grounded. Mother never took away my phone though, at least. She could never figure out my password, which was a good thing. My phone is where I keep all the information that could get me in trouble. That, and my journal. It's like a diary, but without a lock, and it says "History Notes" on it, so my parents don't go snooping through it, thinking of course, that there's nothing in there. And, by "parents," I mean my mother, because my father has been completely neglecting himself, his family, and his own responsibilities.

Jesse turns to face me, cupping my face gently. "Lucian, are you okay?" His voice and hands were shaking tremendously as he spoke to me. But to me, it was just another Sunday. "I can't believe your mom hits you like that. Does your dad know? Does he encourage it?"