Glass Dragon

Chapter 7

I understand now. What he said earlier 'I love her' she's his mother figure because she's the only one who was kind to him when she knew his secret. The words he might have said play out in my mind. If they- kill him? If they- beat him up? Or maybe both? It's sad to think about it so I try not to and ignore the sympathy. After a while he calms and pulls away from her. She lets go but still holds his hand  "are you alright?" He nods seeming a bit happier until a female voice calls from behind us "¡hermano!" He looks just barely by me and glares. I turn just in time to see a girl with black hair down to the back of her knees running up to meet us "hemos estado buscando por todas partes , Michael" she screams in Spanish then switches to English "Mamá is havin a fit sayin I lost you! Ven ahora." She turns and waves for him to come with her but he stays put "¡no! Yo no voy a volver ! No puedo escuchar a luchar más !" It sounds like an intense fight but I can't understand a word they're saying "do you know what this is about?" Aya shakes her head with a hurt look in her eyes "she wants him to go back to the family but he wants to stay. Says he can't listen to they're fighting anymore." I look back to them and she sighs "por favor, Michael" she pleads "Mamá will be angry with me if I don't bring you back." "Pero" he says sadly and looks back at us with an expression that says it all. I'm sorry. "Go" Aya allows him and he smiles at her but looks down to his feet. His expression turns sour with malevolence as he stands up and glares at the ground "entiendo." She turns around and he follows her across the field. We stay for a while but start on the journey back. After a few minutes of walking I see him with his sister and his parents yelling at each other. No wonder he likes to stay in the corner all the time. The next day I go back to school and it's the same routine: school, soccer, home for dinner, and then to bed. I heave a sigh as I'm walking home o Friday but stop when I hear yelling. It's Michael's voice! I've walked past this house plenty of times and heard yelling but I ignored it. I never knew it was his house. I know it's bad to eves drop but I want to know. "-goes back to Mexico to bang some other guy, and what do you do" he yells and I hear a loud smack "you have no right to talk like that, boy!" I hear him spit then yell "your worse than she is" and him running from the room. As he bursts through the door I see the red mark on his cheek, blood on his lip, and tears in his eyes before he glares at me and darts in the opposite direction. "Michael" I call after him but he doesn't look back and as soon as I get up to chase after him I've lost him in the jungle.