When Freedom Calls

IV

Gosh. Writers block is a bitch. Hey, guys. I'm sorry for not updating anything in the past two days.... yeah. I suck. I'll write more soon hopefully.

The entire walk home was full of blissful silence that Stacy and I both agreed on without knowing. I could tell that Stacy was missing Gwen already, but I couldn't judge because I wished I was with Elliot. Reminiscently, we stumbled back to our apartments and waved goodbye just as the sky was turning pink. That was probably the best Saturday I'd had in a long time. The morning started off like shit, so the surprise of pigeon-girl at my window and sending me off to a land full of emeralds and amethysts made me actually giddy for a change.

When I climbed in my window, though, my grand mood decreased as I heard Sam and my father arguing full-throttle.

"HE'S YOUR SON! WHY IN THE FUCK SHOULD I BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A SHITHEADED KID LIKE MAX, WHO NEVER CLEANS, NEVER HELPS OUT WITH ANYTHING, AND IS CONSTANTLY SCREAMING TO HIS FRIENDS ON HIS SHITTY LAPTOP. THEN HE GOES AND RUNS OFF WITHOUT A WORD? I'M DONE WITH THIS, PETER. DONE. YOU CANT HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH A-"

"I FUCKING GET THE POINT, SAMUEL!" My dad's breath was ragged and he was half growling under his breath. "If it weren't for my wife's sickness, we would be GONE. WE WOULD NEVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. IT'S NOT MINE, HERS, OR ESPECIALLY  NOT MY SONS FAULT THAT SHE GOT CANCER, SO DON'T YOU DARE BRING US INTO YOUR CRAZY ASS BLAMING GAME. AND AS FOR MAX, YOU WERE HOME SO YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. THATS THE END OF THAT. DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND NOW?"

I obviously knew that the fight was about me, so I inched quietly down the hallway to get a glimpse at the situation. I saw my dad, a once muscular and extremely buff man, now transformed to a thinner, paler, malnourished looking version of himself. He was still the same height as my fat-ass uncle who took up half of the kitchen, though, so they were toe to toe in the middle of the living room. Unfortunately, Sam was standing at an angle where he could see the opening of the hallway without even moving his head. He rolled his eyes and scowled in his most evil looking face that just screamed that he would strangle me if it didn't mean prison.

"Well. Look who the fuck decided to stop in and say hi for once? Huh? My best bud, MAXWELL." Alcohol bit at my nostrils and forced its way into the back of my mouth. The smell was wretched and stronger than any wrestler that I'd ever heard of. Sam's sudden raise in volume caused me to flinch, and he laughed like a maniac.
"HA. SCARED, ARE YA? YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SCRAWNY SHITHOLE. YOU HAVE NO LIFE." His breath once again cut at my nose and as he mocked me I felt my face getting hotter than the depths of hell. He was so extremely drunk that I was sure he would fall over with one good blow to the jaw and hopefully break his spine. I backed away angrily, digging my fingertips into my palms so far that it felt like I drew blood. A headache erupted in my skull as I clenched my jaw and I noticed my dad's expression in the corner of my eye.

Go. It said.
Be the mentally bigger person and leave him be, no matter how much he deserves an ass beating. Not here, not now. Please, Max.

I reluctantly obliged, but when I saw Sam smirk as though he'd just won a bet, I was nearly pushed over the edge. Holding on by one thin finger. And that's the exact finger I raised at him before I spat in his beer and stomped,  pissed as a urinal, to my room. I slammed the door and sat with my back to it while trying to calm myself. In the back of my head I could faintly hear the shouting that had erupted from my completely called for actions.

I sat there for a while, breathing normally after some time and nearly falling asleep. Eventually I got up, the only noise in the house being my father and his brother in law snoring loudly. The old, crooked floorboards of my room creaked under my feet and I slumped into bed, too upset with the world to think about the previous events of the day, how it changed, or even the amazing person I had met. The universe decided cruelly that, not only would I fall asleep angry and depressed, but I also would not get the chance to dream happily.