Back Talking & BackHanding

Back to the Small Town

Sean POV

I looked at myself in the mirror for a while. Ari's tear stained cheeks, her swollen eyes, her black and blue and purple bruises, flushed my mind. But most importantly, her bleeding lips. Her mouth, normally of cherry or green apple, tasted like blood. Normally small, they were swollen and plump. I could tell they were sore. She laid quietly in my arms on top of me. What did I do? Why did I do it? Ugh. I hated myself for what I did. That was worse than the last beating. My anger rose higher than before.

And I knew that the more I came to loving her, the more angry I would get. The worse my anger would prevail and the more I would hurt her. The worse her pain would get and the stronger my guilt would grow. I didn't want that. She didn't deserve that. I needed to get away from her. I needed to escape the pain I was feeling and the pain I was causing her. I refused to let the boys into the bedroom. I did not want them to see her like that.

So I lied. Telling them she was very upset and not feeling good. That she was sick, and had the biggest headache, and needed rest. They believed me, thank goodness. I held Ari close to me but not too tight. She had bruises everywhere and I didn't want to hurt her more. Marc had talked to me about it and we decided to go to the small town later if Ari woke up. If she didn't we would go anyways. I was not going to wake her up. She needed sleep after such a traumatizing incident.

I tired to stand but Ari's hands clutched my shirt. "Sean," her raspy and upsetting voice called. It just broke my heart to hear her like that. "Yes?" I asked. "Fuck you." she spat. I sighed. "Um, the boys and I were going to go to the small town to try to figure out what's wrong with them....and maybe...uhh...I don't know bring you something back..." I said. "You're gonna leave me here again?" She groaned. "Well yea, but since they have the car it-"

"Just go. Just go and leave forever why don't you?" She barked. But she was still laying on me. I knew that probably had something to do with the amount of pain she was in, though. "Ari I-"
"What?!?" She growled. "I...Can I at least help you up?" I asked abandoning my original words. "I can do it on my own." she said with an attitude. And so I watched. Her attempts to remove herself were devastating. Try after try, fail after fail. I made an effort to help her but she hissed, "Don't touch me!"

The second time I tried to help her she knocked me in the face. "OOOWWWGGGRRR!" I groaned. She'd caught me dead in the eye and managed to stand somehow. But her injured body gave out and she fell. However, I caught her. "Let go of me!" She roared. "I need you to calm down, Ariana." I soothed trying to sit her down on the bed. "Get away from me, jerk!" Her snarls were intimidating, but not intimidating enough.

Managing to get a firm hold on the only part of her body I hadn't destroyed, her hands, I pulled Ari to me. "I need you to stop for a second." I was doing my best to stay calm. There was more than just her attitude that was getting me amped up but also how much pain Ari looked like she was in. How much she looked like she hated me. The venom in her voice was heart wrenching.

"Why? So you can beat the shit out of me?" She asked pulling away from me. As she stood there, I could tell how much damage I'd truly done. A large gash rested on her side. Looking more than painful. I could bet it was from my kick(s). A bruise sat at the top of her head. One that had gotten worse from the first beating. Yes. They were beatings. Abuse, they call it. Her lips were still bloody. Eyes still puffy. Hair, a mess.

Cuts lined her arms. Blues and purples and blacks marked her normally pale skin. Her face was flushed red and her voice was no longer delicate. "No. Why are you fighting with me? Why can't you just let me say what I have to say?" I asked. "Because I'm scared of you!! You're going to hurt me!" She screamed starting to cry. Ari laid her head onto my chest and I held against the temptation to wrap her in my arms.

"Shhhh," I cooed. "I'm not going to hurt you." I told her. "LIAR!" She screamed. I shook my head and kissed the very top of hers. "Ari, just lay down sweets." My tries to calm Ari weren't going as planned. In fact, you could say they were back firing. "DONT CALL ME SWEETS YOU RETARTED FUCK!" She growled pushing me as hard as her limp arms would allow her and kicking me in the private area. "AHHH!" I screamed clutching my member as I fell onto the ground. Ari, not being able to support herself, also hit the ground.

"Ari?!? Are you okay?!?" I whimpered concerned. "Fine! Just fucking golly!" The girl's tone was bitter and sarcastic. When my penis stopped throbbing I stood and limped a little to Ari. "Here, let me help you up." but it was no use. Ari shook her head and cursed at me to leave her alone. As much as I didn't want to I nodded and walked away. I gathered the stuff I needed for the trip while Ari struggled to crawl over to the bed.

Making and failing my last attempt to help my beloved Ariana, I turned to her and whispered, "Please be okay." before I left with the boys to the small town. They couldn't see me cry. I was not about to show them weakness. But I was not about to sit up there and hold my feelings in either. I threw on my hoodie and topped on my hood. Crying silently in the front seat while looking out the window on our drive to the small town.

We got there a lot faster than I would have on foot. The drive consisted of several stops, lots of fooling around from the boys, me holding my swollen eye and Marc's hollering. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, though. Marc parked near the cabin I was staying in and we went inside. The boys had a lot of energy and they were running and playing like adolescent puppies. As amusing as it was, I was tired. And a little grumpy. But not as grumpy as Marc was.

"Settle down, boys." He said in his deep voice. There was a knock on the door and I knew it was Ms Abelina. I went and opened the door for her. "I see you have company." she said letting herself in. Nothing new. She carried one large glass dish that was covered with foil. "Oo! She has food!" Avis said running to the kitchen where Ms Abelina was.

"Who's that?" Marc asked walking up on the side of me. "She's just a woman I met here who brings me food when I come." Marc nodded. "Good because I'm starving." he said gripping my shoulder and walking into the kitchen. I'd made sure not to look at Marc directly when he was talking because I didn't want him to see my eye. Then he would ask what happened and I was not about to tell him. I hadn't even planned on telling Rick but, not everything goes as planned.

Ms Abelina told jokes to the interested and hungry boys. They seemed to like her. She made them a football out of pig skin and thread. In my opinion it was pretty good. The boys ran outside to play catch, of course leaving poor Avio inside. Marc and Ms Abelina, however, sat down next to me. Just looking at me. I kept my head down. "Aren't you going to eat, Sean?" Marc asked sounding ever so intrigued. "I'm not really hungry." I said.

"But it was a long trip here. I'm sure you want some food." He urged. I shake my head. "I'm fine. Really." as if to go against my word my stomach growled loudly. Marc gave me a seriously look. "Can you look at me, Sean?" Ms Abelina asked. I stayed silent. Why did they wanna see my face? Nothing interesting on my face. Sure I was good looking but don't they know it's rude to stare?

"Okay..." Ms Abelina said. "So I heard Ari's sick...how is she doing?" She asked softly. Ari, Ari, Ari, Ari, Ari. Her face blurred my eyes. Her cries and yelps filled my ears. I couldn't hold it anymore. I just couldn't. In front of Marc, in front of Ms Abelina, hell, in front of those boys I didn't give a shit I wasn't about to keep it in anymore. I covered my eyes with one of my hands and placed my elbow on my knee for support. And I cried.