Mending|a.i

Chapter 4: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

Friday, October 23, 2015
Ashton's P.O.V

The sun was already rising above the mountains. The warm sun was beating down on me. I kept my eyes glued in front of me as I ran my usually trail. Step Breath. Step Breath. I continued running down the sidewalk. I came across a black figure, they wore their hood over their head and their blonde hair hung in front of their eyes, as they looked at the ground. I knew exactly who it was.
"Hey whore!" I yelled stopping my running. Maisie didn't look up. She just stared at the ground.
"Ah, giving me the silence treatment. Let's see how long that lasts." I said. I ran over to her and ripped off the hood. I heard a tear and I smiled with satisfaction. The hood was torn half way. Maisie did a half a gasp, before quickly shutting her mouth and hiding her face.
"Hold on, your outfit make over is almost done." I said ripping off the rest of the hood.
"There," I said putting the detached hood on her head, "It's a hat." I smiled with satisfaction. She just stared at the  ground.
"What's wrong with you, bitch? Look up." He said. She looked up at my face. Her grey eyes staring at me. I remember when we were younger. Her eyes were as blue as the sky on a warm summer day. Now they were grey. Pure grey. She continued to stare at me.
Stupid bitch! My father's voice echoed through my head.
"Stupid bitch." I spat. She cowered back an inch. I spat into her face and she cringed and leaned over, wiping it off with her sleeves. I smirked again, happily watching as she cowered back.
"You're an ugly bitch, you know that?" I said as she still bent over. She stood up straight and stared me in the eyes.
"Stop talking to me. Just leave me alone." She said sternly. The anger boiled inside of me. How dare she talk to me that way. Before I even realized, my hand connected with her face. She bent over and covered her face with her hands. I can't believe I just slapped Maisie. I stood up taller, staring down at her.
"Your going to be lonely forever because you fat, ugly, stupid, and a-" But then I saw something. I saw a tear slip out of her eye and hit the sidewalk, like a drop of rain. My mouth fell agape. I reached my hand out to touch her shoulder. She stood up quickly. The pink handprint was on her face.
"Maisie, I-"
"Why do you even do this to me?" She shrieked. I wanted to tell her. I really wanted to tell her. She choked out a sob and glared at me.
"All these years of insults! All these years of going home and crying alone! I'm done!" She yelled with tears still streaming down her face. She covered her face with her hands.
"I'm done." She quavered. She turned around and started running back in the direction of her home. I wanted to race after her. I wanted to engulf her in a hug and apologize for everything, but I know she wouldn't accept it. My dad always did that to me. I never accepted it. So, why would she? In that moment I realized, I was my dad. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

+*+*+

I didn't go to school. I just went home and cried. I cried because I missed my dad when he was happy. I cried because of the image of Maisie running away. I cried because I looked at pictures of me and Maisie playing tag in my backyard. I missed everything. I snapped Maisie. I pulled the rubber band until it broke. I poked the bear until I got the bite. This was the bite. The guilt engulfing me whole, the memories that replayed in my mind, the regret tearing me apart, the tears that soaked my pillow. This was the bite. My phone vibrated and I looked at it. My mom sent me a text message.

Mom: can you please go check in on my coworker's daughter. I offered to check in on her, but I can't do it today.

I sighed and read the text message over again. I wiped the tears from my eyes and say up. I accepted the task and waited for my mom to text me the address. She finally texted it to me. I slipped on some sweatpants and a clean white T-shirt, for I was still in my running clothes. I walked to the house that I was supposed to go to. I thought of Maisie. I couldn't get her out of my head. I probably look like shit right now from crying about her. I wanted to see her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss away her tears. Wait, scratch the last part. I just want to hug her and wipe away her tears. I could never kiss her, ever. I came across a nice house in a culdesac. It had lush green grass with a big oak tree that shaded most of the yard. The house had a small petite look to it. It was two story, but looked kind of small. Its windows were all open. I sighed and walked up to the door. I knocked three times. I heard a thump and soon, the door was opened. It showed no one there until she poked out. Maisie. She immediately saw me and slammed the door.
"Maisie, I'm sorry." I apologized. I heard her footsteps through the house.
"Maisie, please, I'm so sorry." I said walking over to the window. She slammed it shut and closed the curtains.
"Maisie!" I yelled for her again, but she couldn't hear me. She didn't want to hear me. I waited at the door, just staring at its boarded edges. I felt hot tears streak my face once more. I sat down on the step and let the tears roll down. I covered my face with my hands. I, quickly, started sobbing. I sobbed quietly at first, but they got louder. Pretty soon, I was crying so hard I had no more tears. I just kept sobbing.
"That's what it was like, everyday." I heard a voice say. I looked around me, then up. I saw Maisie hanging out the window. Her blonde hair was hanging freely. She was wearing a white T-shirt. Her face was make up free, unlike all the other days. She stared at me. She looked as if she'd been crying too, but not as much as me.
"Except, I had a reason to cry." She added. I stared up at her. I hiccuped with every breath. She continued to look down on me. She stared at me a little longer, then disappeared. I heard the door unlock and the door open.
"Come on." She said. What? She wants me to go inside her house? After all I've done to her she wants me to go inside her house?
"Get inside." She said. I slowly stood up and walked inside. The urge to hug her was strong, I just wanted to be forgiven. She closed the door and looked me in the eyes.
"We need to talk."