The Things You Did For Me

Chapter 2: ALL THE WORLD MISJUDGED YOU

By the time Alex woke up she was gone. This was what she did. He often times woke up wondering if she ever was there. She always seemed to be like a dream passing through the night—light and effervescent, never truly in touch reality. But he knew how her family was, and he knew the consequences for sneaking out—or, rather, back in. He had to let her go.

He got up from the bed and moved down the hall, peering into his mother's room. She sat at her vanity staring at her battered reflection in the mirror. His heart ached at the sight of her swollen cheeks. She whipped around at the sound of the door creaking open, her hand of her heart to stop the beating. "It's just me," he told her. She smiled lightly at him. She was a pretender. It was her way of coping with the reality of her daily life. So he played along, smiling back.

She studied him carefully. She always did, otherwise he'd never let her in. She knew that. "You look exhausted." He shrugged at her. She ignored his nonchalance and turned back to the vanity to cover her blemishes. "Norma come over last night?" He refused to answer her. She glanced up at his emotionless reflection in the mirror. "I heard you talking."

He gazed back at her, unamused. "Sorry." He slumped down on the edge of the bed. He knew she didn't care about what he did with his friends...just as long as they were safe. And Norma was safer with him than anywhere else.

His mother went back to her makeup, blotting away the evidence of her husband's temper. Alex watched her. His expression aloof, disguising the hurricane of emotions storming through him. There wasn't anything he could do for her. He was just a boy. His mother shrugged, getting up to move over to her closet. "She's a nice girl."

"Yeah." It was best to stick to one word answers when it came to the subject of Norma. His mother didn't know the horrors of the Calhoun residence, though it was difficult not to. But she was too busy dealing with her own mess to notice anyone else's.

She reached into her closet and grabbed her yellow dress. "You ever think about—"

"Mom." He glared at her. He didn't want to talk about Norma with her. He didn't want to talk about Norma with anyone. The thought of him having actual feelings embarrassed him. And he hated when he didn't have the upper hand.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Alex." They glared at each other for a while before she cracked a smile and set the dress on the bed beside him.

He gazed at her softly. He loved his mother more than anyone. She was his best friend. There were no secrets between them. "Why do you let him do that to you?" He knew it was a touchy subject for her, but he wanted to help her—to save her. "Why don't we just leave?"

She sighed deeply, gazing down at him. "It's not that simple, Alex." He could see the anger and fear welling up in her eyes, so he stayed silent. But his silence only angered her more. She was a loose canon. She shook her head angrily and stormed over to the door to gesture him to leave. "I don't want to talk about this with you. Go get ready for school."

He didn't look at her as he left the room. Looking at her would send him spiraling down with her. He couldn't have that. He went back to his room and got ready as she told him to. The thought of her always clouded him. It was always just her and Norma on his mind. They were the ones that needed saving.

He stepped out on his porch to find Norma waiting on the step for him. He always drove her to school. It was easier that way. He smiled at her as she gazed up at him. He could see a faint shade of blue underneath her makeup, yet she still was as beautiful as ever. "Hey," he mumbled.

She smiled shyly. She was glad she had Alex. He was a nice escape. He offered her a place where she wasn't forced to be anything but herself. She loved that about him. "I grabbed you a waffle."