Haunting You - Boys of Tommen

Hold Me

"Villain and Violent, Infant and innocent, baby, both arms cradle you now" - Adrianne Lenker

October 31st, 2005

Hugh:

My head was spinning and I was having to focus on not slurring my speech, but despite all of the intoxicating drinks I had drank, I was still conscious enough to watch Lizzie and Patrick kiss. 

In the middle of the dance floor, on my birthday. I knew I shouldn't be so affected, I had a girlfriend and they were both free agents. Although actually last I heard Liz was dating Pierce, but knowing them, that had most likely changed by now. 

I felt betrayed by my best friend, and I knew it was unreasonable, especially because I had been diligently ignoring her for years. The kiss seemed to take him by surprise, and he didn't seem very into it, but I my mind was also spinning, so I didn't really know what to think. 

My racing mind was pulled away when I heard some sort of commotion outside, until I see him. 

Fucking Mark Allen is standing in my driveway, before I can even think I'm out of the door, "What the fuck are you doing here?" I demand as I walk towards him. 

I barely even notice the others follow me out, including Lizzie. "You fucking brought him here?" She asks and the betrayal and anger in her voice is potent. 

"Go home Mark," Gibsie demanded, looking venomously at his step brother, "now."

"Your Mam sent me to collect your drunk ass," Mark replied, and I could feel the anger coming off of me in waves, itching for somewhere to go. 

Lizzie moves past me, trying to get closer to her sister's abuser, "How fucking dare you!"

The rest of our group has joined us now, as well as some more bystanders who are curious about all of the yelling. 

"Liz, let's go back in, okay?" Shannon says, trying to coax Liz away from the situation, but it falls on deaf ears. 

"You and your fucking family!" Lizzie screamed at Gibsie, but he looked just as distraught at the sudden arrival of Mark.

Mark then threw an empty beer bottle that had been discarded in her direction, and narrowly missed Katie, thankfully Feely was able to block it, and it was the final straw. He was the reason Lizzie's sister had killed herself and now he was throwing glass at her. 

No one could have stopped me if they tried, I was on him. I punched him square in the jaw and didn't wait for him to recover before I was hitting him again. Mark was older than me, but he was no match, even if he had been my match physically, I was much angrier. 

I had him on the ground, straddling him and not letting up. I had seen the damage this pathetic excuse for a man had inflicted on Lizzie, I had helped clean her cuts, accompanied her at the funeral, and witnessed her lose herself to the misery. It seemed to all pour out of me in this moment, and it was oddly therapeutic, getting to pummel this asshole into the ground, it felt like my own retribution.  

My attention wavered when I noticed that Lizzie was going after Gibsie, trying anything to get her hands on him, scratching and hitting and he was trying his best to get away from her. I knew they had a complex dynamic, and that Liz wouldn't piss on him, if he was on fire. But I also knew that Gibsie wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her, although just his familial connections hurt her. 

My little sister had come out now and was admonishing us but I wasn't paying her any attention. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing on my property?" I yell at him, less of a question more of a way to release more of the rage I'm feeling.