Trial Of Young Love

Chapter 3

I race home in a half sprint. Catching my breath before I step through the door. Breathe, I say to myself. 
"Mom, I'm home!" taking my shoes off at the entrance I noticed that she didn't respond. "Mom!" 
"No need to yell in the house." Derek stands in the kitchen, looking at me with cold eyes. 
"Oh, sorry sir." I look straight to the floor, unable to feel comfortable with his gaze on me. 

"Oh, welcome back sweetie, how was your first day?" My mom walks into the kitchen patting Derek on the shoulder as if to comfort him. 
"It was okay, nothing too exciting." I sway back and forth awaiting any news on why Derek messaged me. "So, uh. Why did you guys want me home so quickly?" 
"Do I need a reason?" Derek raises his eyebrow. I look at mom and she looks defeated. 
"...No." 
"Good, anyways the reason we wanted you home is to remind you how this school year is going to look." His words passing through one ear and out the other. We've had this conversation more than enough. I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. "Do you remember? No outside activities unless school related. No running around goofing off and absolutely-"
"No boys. I know, we've talked about this before." I look up from the ground and catch my mom's expression. She looks sad and conflicted, like she normally does. Derek is staring with his eyebrows crinkling together. Shit. 

"Do you know why those rules are being enforced? Because you couldn't keep up with your grades last year. You wouldn't leave your room. You talked back to us every chance you got." He's getting angrier with every sentence that passes by. I can feel tears starting to form in the outer corners of my eyes. I nod along to what he says. 
"Honey, maybe go easier on her, she is just a kid." My mom tries to help me out even though I know I brought it on myself. I knew I was giving Derek pushback. 
"No Marge! She needs to learn to be responsible. I don't want her ending up like her father!" He really laid into me with that comment. 

With tears now streaming down my face I couldn't mutter another word. I turn and run up the stairs to my room and slam the door as hard as I could.  
He thinks he can just barge into my life and try to turn me into some perfect daughter. Too bad, I'm not his kid to begin with! I throw my backpack into the corner of the room and start silently crying. This house is stupid, he's stupid, even my mom is stupid. Letting that wicked man boss us around like he's on some sort of ego trip. I wipe my face and head to my dresser to pull out some night clothes. Plaid pajama shorts and oversized hoodie. If I'm going to be sad might as well be comfortable. In a fit of rage, I text Brooke to try and calm down. 

ZOE: He's at it again! Ugh, I really hate him! Who does he think he is telling me "NO BOYS" He even brought up my dad! 

BROOKE: I'm sorry ZO :( I'll treat you to coffee tomorrow again! Try to rest and ignore his self-absorbed ass! I really wish your mom would do something...

She's right. Mom does nothing to try and fix the situation. Derek since day one has been telling us how to live. Mom used to paint, sell artwork, she used to walk around playing loud music and dance with Dad. She's different. I hear a small knock come from my door. It opens before I could answer. Mom walks in, shutting the door behind her. I rub my eyes while she sits next to me on my bed. 
"He means well Zo... I know it may not seem like it." I scoff at her in frustration, she acts like I don't see her caked over bruises, the way she flinches when he gets mad.
"Means well?! Mom, he degrades us any chance he gets!" She reaches for my shoulder, but I pull away. "You know he does; he talks to you like you're dumb and you just play along with his housewife fantasy! You don't even act like a mom anymore!" 
"Honey, it's more complicated than that. He just wants us to have the easiest life." She pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing. "I know it may not come off the way he intends but he's only trying to do right by us, he's learning too." I roll my eyes and sink my head into my knees. 
"I wish Dad was still here... I hate Derek." I start to sob. 
"I know, I miss your father too." I'm mad at my mom but I shouldn't be taking all my anger out on her, but in that moment, I was just so enraged. 
"I hate you too... You aren't the mom I remember." I sneak a look and see her eyes start to water. Without saying a word, she gets up to leave the room. 
"I love you Zo, I always will." With that she silently closes the door. Man, I'm such and asshole.

I wish I could be happy where I am, but I'm not. I roll over in bed. It's only seven. I think I'm just going to go to bed. Maybe my dreams will be sweeter than this nightmare. 

I wake up in a sweat. What time is it? I turn and look at my phone, ten thirty? Groaning I toss and turn in the covers. This is exhausting, I think I'm just going to get fresh air. I slip on some fuzzy slippers and open my bedroom window. It opens up to a mostly flat part of the roof, this is where I go when I need to clear my head. Slipping out I stare at the open sky. I can't help but think about everything today. I feel like I was out of line, mostly to mom. I let out a deep breath and pull my knees closer to my body. 

After about 20 minutes I decide to head back inside. While turning something on the street catches my eye. Xavier? I watch him as he walks the street by my house. What is he doing out this late? Eh, he probably gets away with it because of how scary he looks. He hunches over something. What is it? I try to stand a little higher to see. He slightly moves to the side and reveals a small kitten. Looks like a stray. He wraps a bandage around the kitten's paw. He seems gentle about it. Reaching into his backpack he pulls out a can of cat food and cracks it open. Watching the kitten eat I can't help but think it's kind of cute and ironic, a giant angry looking boy feeding a stray. My head tilts to the side just watching. Xavier stands and stretches a bit; I can see his lower back briefly as he does. Looks like some more smaller scars. What is with this guy? As I'm watching he looks around, scared I'm going to get caught I start to head inside. But not without one more look. As I turn my head towards him our eyes meet. In the moment of embarrassment, I fall into the window knocking over some items that sat on the shelf beside the window. I groan a bit in pain but it's quickly replaced with embarrassment.

I really hope he didn't see me. What am I saying, he totally did! I flap my arms in the air and pace back and forth. That's so embarrassing he's going think I'm a creep! Ugh! Well! Who cares! He's mean anyways. Maybe I should check to see if he's still there. No! Well, maybe. Sneaking towards the window I peak out. I see nothing. Thank God he is gone. I stumble to the bed and flop into it. How am I going to explain this! I roll back and forth, thoughts filling my brain of how tomorrow will look. That's when I hear steps walking towards my door. Shit! Derek. I fold the covers over myself and close my eyes pretending to be asleep. I hear the door creak, and footsteps slowly walk up to me. A finger brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. Mom... As fast as she was there, she left. I really need to apologize to her. 

ZOE: Xavier saw me watching him while I was on my roof! :(