Unnoticed

What Happened Next

He said it with a smug smile, as he slowly closed the door. My heart sank with every inch that the door became closer to the latch. Finally the door closed and my heart was at my feet. This wasn't him, at least it didn't used to be. I have to remember that.

"It's your fault you know." He growled.

I almost didn't want to ask, "What is, dad?" I couldn't help it.

"Everything, all of it. You're the source of all the bad and evil in mine, and your brothers lives." These words were like daggers. I know he doesn't mean them, there just words that are tumbling out of his mouth, not unlike the drool of a sleeping man. But it's the very fact that those thoughts are in his mind at all, that hurt the most.

"You don't mean that?" I said it as a question, but I really hoped it wasn't.

I saw his hand raise , but it happened so fast. Next thing I know, I'm on the floor with a bloody lip. I knew to stay down and shut up. That was the best way, once the first hit is given. My brother and I came up with a rule, once you've been hit, shut up and stay down. If you stay down and stop talking, the rant will fade, with minimal damage. If you don't, your skin will be all sorts of colors the next day.

This was different, we were in public. If someone saw him, he could get in serious trouble. But I've never once stopped him, not in mid-rant. Heaven knows what he would do if I tried. 

I saw his foot coming and I braced myself for the impact. But it didn't come, I opened my eye's and Owen had punched my dad. My father fell over, given that he is drunk. I thought fast, I shot up, took Owens hand, and ran around the corner. I knew we had a minute or two, it would take about that long for my dad to make his way down the hall.

"What are you doing?" I asked frantic, my dad was making his way off the floor.

"He was going to hurt you!" He said in a clear defensive tone.

"I know, he's done it for the past year. I have the situation under control, you shouldn't have intervened!" I said the words not truly believing them. I checked on my dad, he had fallen over once more.  

 "Clearly you didn't! You can't let him do that to you!" He was not being quiet about his opinion.

"Yeah well what's done is done. Listen, right now he is drunk out of his mind, and he blames me for every bad thing that has ever happened to him. And that includes what you just did by the way. Anyway, the point is I'm used to this, and your not. You need to go back to your class, and we will have this conversation about what I should be doing, later." I said it fast, I'm not even sure if I know exactly what I just said. My dad was half way here.

"I can't..."

"Owen I am begging you, from the bottom of my heart, please go!" I felt a tear run down my face. These beatings were never meant for him to see. They were meant for me, no one else would ever be subjected to my dads wrath. Especially not Owen.

He looked at me, and with much reluctance, ran down the hall to his class. Meanwhile my dad had made his way to where I was standing. I was still focused on the door Owen had gone into, half of me wishing he hadn't. He was the only person here that would care about what was happening, for all the right reasons. Tears began to run down from my eye's like an avalanche.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, but it wasn't friendly or comforting. He shoved me hard into the lockers. Then he spun me around, and pushed me onto the floor. He crouched down next to me. He paused for a minute, then he spit in my face. "Your dirt you understand. Get in the car."