Broken Silence

Chapter 13: Eyes are the window to the soul

I didn't sleep a lot that night. Mostly because I had kept Monica for the night, and she decided to wake me up at 2 in the morning... then 15 minutes later... then another 15... needless to say, I couldn't sleep. Mr. Edwards' brothers had gone mad when they saw their elder brother's face and the memory of Abigail's furious face was enough to even make me shiver.

"Gabriel? Man, what happened to your face?" Leo Edwards had asked after the twins had finished with their rampage of questions.

"Nothing, it was stupid. You don't need to--" Mr. Edwards had begun to say when Abigail's voice cut him off.

"Gabriel, may I have a word with you in the kitchen, please?" she said and while her voice was calm and kind, her face was twisted in incredible anger.

"Y-Yeah, um, Noelle, could you take care of Monica for tonight?" I took the plastic baby into my arms and nodded. He smiled awkwardly and trailed behind his grandmother, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Aw man, not again." Leo Edwards whispered to himself and left with the boys. I followed them upstairs to give Abigail and Mr. Edwards their space.

Shrugging into my clothes, I vaguely thought that maybe Mr. Edwards' past wasn't as happy as I once thought; and with all this secrecy, not only by his family and friends, but with him, I was sure of it now.

Grabbing Monica off her small bed of pillows, I dismissed the thought. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the Edwards siblings were stuffing their faces with eggs, ham, and pieces of toast. The only missing member was their older brother.

"Oh, hon, your breakfast is in the microwave." Abigail said while throwing me a dazzling smiled. I nodded making my way over to the microwave and taking the still hot plate out and sitting down to eat.

"Gabe!" I heard one of the twins exclaim as their older brother walked into the room. I couldn't help but stare at the dark purple bruise around his right eye and the top of his cheekbone. The injury was obviously swollen and his eye not all the way open. A thin splint covered his nose and there was some dark redness around it. I couldn't stare too long.

"Good morning family!" He said as if nothing had happened.

"Jesus, that shiner's really bad, bro." Leo said worriedly. "Did you put ice on it?"

"Is Gabriel going to school like that, grandma?" one of the twins asked as their brother answered 'yes' to Leo's question.

"Of course he is. If he got himself into trouble, it's his own fault. His studies don't have to suffer just because he can't control himself, right?" Abigail said in a sickly sweet voice. I watched as Mr. Edwards cringed at her words and then glared pointedly at her... well tried to. She smiled back.

"Grandma, I told you I had my reasons and this third degree is really unnecessary. Finish your breakfast boys, we'll be late." He said as he stormed out of the room. I watched as Abigail frowned and then sighed.

"Bye grandma!" The twins said as they followed their brother out.

"Bye." Leo said kissing her cheek and giving her a small smile before walking out as well.

I grabbed their plates and put them in the sink. As I grabbed Monica from the chair I had left her in, I heard Abigail softly say, "Thanks sweetie. Go, you'll be late. Have a nice day."

I gave her a small smile and went out.

Mr. Edwards was very strange as he drove to school. He had been drumming on the steering wheel acting as if this morning's event hadn't happened, even passionately lip syncing the songs on the radio to me. As he looked forward, at the road, I couldn't stop my gaze from going to his face. The ugly bruise on his eye and cheekbone looked painful, and I couldn't help my cringing at the sight. A thought popped up as I was staring at him... a thought that I wasn't sure where it came from, or what had inspired it.