Boarding Boys (BoyxBoy)

17 - CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER 17

C.A.Y.D.E.N

I opened the front door slowly. Immediately I smiled. I loved it when the whole house smelled like freshly baked cookies.

"Grandma, I'm home!" I shouted. I was too excited. After throwing my backpack on the floor, I just ran towards the kitchen. My jaws hurt so much from smiling so big when I saw Grandma pulling the oven mittens off of her hands. I couldn't wait to eat those cookies.

"My sweet boy! How was school today?" Grandma asked me cheerily, still facing the stove. I felt so giddy. I wanted those cookies like right now!

"Can I have a cookie, Grandma? Please!" I pleaded, throwing puppy dog eyes at her. I loved Grandma's cookies. They were the best.

Grandma was busy putting those cookies onto wire racks. But I just couldn't wait. My mouth watered just from smelling them.

I pouted when Grandma ignored me.

"Grandma, please?! One cookie. Just one," I begged her harder this time around.

Then, I laughed merrily when Grandma just chuckled and muttered, "Patience, my sweet boy." I couldn't stop laughing with her.

Then, she turned around after putting down the hot cookie sheet and the spatula on the counter. "Jesus! Cayden, what happened to you?" she shouted. I flinched.

"God, you're a mess!" she finished, her voice higher than before. I jumped, scared. I shook my head, my lips trembling.

Immediately I cowered, stepping backward to get away from her.

"Stop, young man!" her voice even higher now. "Stand right where you are!"

I was so scared of her I started to cry. I never liked it when Grandma got angry. She rarely yelled. She definitely had never screamed at me, or beat me before. But this time I was very, very scared of her.

Grandma went and grabbed a small towel and ran tap water through it before wringing the excess water over the sink. Then, she walked up to me and crouched in front of me. My hands – no! My whole body was shaking. I couldn't stop crying even if I tried. I was such a weak, stupid boy. I didn't deserve Grandma. My sobs were louder than the radio she had on. She scared me so much.

Through my cries Grandma didn't stop cleaning my face with the wet towel. She then grabbed my palms and cleaned them with the towel as well. She kissed my forehead and then she pulled my shorts up to wipe and clean my bleeding knees. I hissed at the stings I felt coming from my knees and my hands. Through it all I just couldn't stop crying because they all hurt too much.

"I'm... I'm so sor-sorry, Grandma." I had to apologize for getting hurt again. I totally didn't deserve her. I was nothing but problems to her.

She shushed me and gave me plenty of kisses on both my cheeks before putting me on a dining chair. After swiping the snots from my nose with my shirt, I saw her retrieving something from underneath the kitchen sink and then she came back and sat down on her hunches and opened the first aid kit box. When she wiped my knees and hands with the cool alcohol wipes, it burned all over. I hissed and screamed because they stung so badly. Then, when she rubbed more of that hateful alcohol wipes on the side of my head and my forehead, I jolted backwards and cried some more.

"G-G-Grandma!" my screams carried. "It hurts!"

Grandma just kissed my forehead again and again, and then shushed me once more. "I know, my sweet boy. I know. Just hang on for me, okay?" she cooed softly. Through the pain, I nodded. I forced myself to tough it out for her. I just had to.