Peter

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Teresa, Peter, and Emily stay seated at a table in Starbucks, all of which don't know what to say. Lisbon sips her coffee and leaves her scone untouched, the anxiety making her stomach turn in knots. Emily was enjoying her slice of cake and Peter was silently drinking his coffee.

"Do you like coffee?", she asks trying to start a conversation.

"Yes."

Emily sees the conflict and says in a very cheerful voice,"We got a new Imagine Dragons CD today."

"Imagine Dragons...?"

"It's a band.", Peter interjects, his inner fanboy slowly coming out, "They're the best."

It's not long for silence to take over once again and another few minutes pass by before Lisbon tries again.

"So how is school?"

This one question strikes a nerve and Peter angrily replies with 'It's fine'. Like before, Emily started to take over the conversation and Peter sat there listening in. He was angry and hurt, what was he even doing here? They didn't care about him! His own mother abandoned him the day he was born. It didn't matter how many times his false parents claimed she had put him up for adoption, a rejection is still a rejection. Did she think he was a defect? Peter looks to Emily who is staying cheerful to the best of her ability. Why does she care? She knew he was sad so why wait to the point that he was on the ledge, to intervene?

He abruptly stands up and murmurs that he has to go to the bathroom. Lisbon still hasn't been told of his attempted suicide but Emily immediately catches on. He storms into the restroom full of rage, a panicked Emily tries to reach him but he locks the door. There was just so much pain! Looking at himself in the mirror only seems to make things worse and in one horrific action he cries out and punches the mirror effectively breaking his knuckles. Lisbon breaks through the door but Peter just keeps screaming in frustration and punches the broken mirror over and over again.

"Peter!", Teresa grabs him before he can do anymore damage and holds him close, keeping him in her warm embrace. His hand was bleeding profusely now and needed medical attention but he couldn't even feel it. So he cries instead.

"Let me go!"

"No, I won't let you destroy yourself!"

"Why!?", he looks up at his true mother in anger, "why do you even care!? You abandoned me!", Emily tries to interject but Peter ends up lashing out at her. "You never cared about me! The only reason you stepped in was because I was going to do it! I was going to jump!"

Something in Teresa breaks, her attempt to put him in a loving family had failed. Her son was bitter and broken when he should be happy and at peace. Emily, however, is more upset with Peter then sad.

"I do care about you! I told you Ryan scared me so don't you dare think for a moment that I enjoyed seeing you in pain!"

"Alright you two, the fighting ends now. Emily I think it's time for you to go home, I'm going to call Peter's parents."

Before Peter can object, Lisbon leads him out of the cafe and to her car with Emily following them. After Lisbon helps Peter in the front seat she notices Emily standing behind her as if she's waiting for a command.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I can't answer that Emily, he's in pain. Who is Ryan?"

"He's the biggest bully in school."

"Will you make it on your way home?"