Fall Apart (Scömìche)

Chapter 4

Mitch's POV

I stopped running and realized I had ran to Kirstie's. I rang the doorbell and she answered.

"Mitch! What are you doing here? Come in" 

I looked at her and just started crying, I couldn't help it, and I couldn't stop.

"What's wrong honey?" she asked

"I can't go back there, I just can't they'll hurt me if I do" I said in between sobs. 

"Come up to my room and dry you off, then will you tell me the full story?"

I nodded. We went up to Kirstie's room. She went into a bag in the back of her closet and pulled out dry clothes for me. She's kept that bag and a change of clothes for me ever since we were little. Whenever I would have parent troubles like this, or they weren't home, I would spend the night. She always has clothes for me. Her mother has been more of a mother to me than my own, and I couldn't be more grateful. 

I changed quickly and sat on Kirstie's bed. 

"Will you tell me what happened"

"So after you left, my dad came home,"

"Did he?"

"No, not this time. I was talking to him and I saw my mom's car"

"Did you?"

"I used shower, he wouldn't let me. She walked in and sat me down to talk about my social life"

"They did not! I mean how could they? They barely know you!"

"Well I told them I was fine and then I did the worst possible thing I could do"

"Did you?"

"Yeah, I came out to them"

"And"

"The look on my dad's face" I started crying "I was awful, I just had to get out of there, so I came here"

"I left my school stuff there though, but they'll be gone by the morning, I hope"

"Me too"

"If they're not, well, I'll have to go back there in the morning"

"Staying the night?"

"I don't feel like I have another choice"

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I woke up early the next morning, made sure Kirstie was up, then went to my house to get my things. I opened the door and my dad was standing there.

"I'm just getting my school stuff, I'll be out in a minute" I said

"Come here" he replied, 

"I have to go to school, I don't want to miss my bus"

"COME HERE NOW!" he yelled. Slowly I walked to him.

I looked up at him scared. 

"This is what you deserve" he said before punching me in the jaw, then the stomach, then the jaw again. "Now go get your stuff and leave" 

I ran up to my room, I looked at my face the left side was bruised and swollen. I grabbed my stuff and quickly ran out of the house, back to Kirstie's.

Instead of calling her to come down like I always do, I dropped my stuff by the door, and ran upstairs to her room.

"Mitch!" She exclaimed when I entered "Please knock" her back was facing me and she put on her shirt. She turned around and saw me. "Oh my god, what happened to you!?" She looked scared.

"My dad," 

She got dressed so fast and ran downstairs and got me ice to hold on it. 

"Here, hold this against your face. Do you want something to eat?"

I shook my head because it hurt to talk. 

"How much longer until we have to go for the bus?"

I looked at my phone "Now"

We walked to the bus and got to school. I was walking to first period when Mr. Wanye pulled me aside. 

"Mitchell, are you okay?" he asked

"Yeah," I replied

"What happened" he gestured to my face.

"It's a long story I would rather not get into"

"It wasn't anyone here was it?"

"No, it happened at home"

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, it kinda hurts to talk,"

"I'll send an email to your teachers, and the gym staff to excuse you from gym and talking during your classes, is that okay?"

"Yeah,"

"Now go to class"

I slowly walked into class as the bell rang. I found my seat next to Kirstie and got my notebook out. On a small piece of paper I wrote:

Hurts to talk, Wanye's sending an email to all the teachers letting them know about this.

Did you tell him the whole story she asked

No I wrote back before class started.

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I walked into lunch and tried to blend in. It's hard when your jaw is swollen though. I turned around and saw Scott.

Scott's POV

"Oh my god Mitch what happened?" I exclaimed when I saw his face

"It hurts him to talk, so he isn't really talking," Kirstie said

Mitch whispered something to her then looked at me. 

"I had some issues at home," he replied to my question

"Have you gone to a doctor, it looks pretty bad"

"It just happened, and I don't think it's that bad" 

"Okay, well let me know if you need anything" 

"I will,"

We sat down at our usual table. I couldn't find anything soft to eat so all I had was a bottle of water for lunch.

"Mitch, you should really eat something," Kirstie begged

"It isn't healthy" Scott added

"Guys, I'm fine, really. I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I'm fine"

"Mitch, we're both worried about you, we care about you a lot. It's hard enough for us to have to see you suffering with talking and eating, but we don't want this to become a habit. We aren't trying to be annoying. If you think we are being annoying, we are only being annoying because we care"

"I appreciate it, but there isn't anything soft here and it hurts to chew"

"I think I can solve that" She went over to the lunch lady, talked to her, then came over with a yogurt and a spoon. "Here. eat this"

"Thanks, that means a lot to me"

Kirstie's POV

"Wow you ate that fast!" I exclaimed as Mitch finished his yogurt. 

"Well I didn't have breakfast"

For the first time since I had gone over to his house last night he smiled. I worry about him a lot. He always has the family problems and he doesn't have many friends to go to. I can tell he wants to tell Scott, he really does, but he's scared. Something like that can be very scary, I know him very well, he hates having to go to someone with his problems, but eventually he will have to.