Tess

Three

**Contains mature content**

After our dinner date Derek threw up in the bathroom at the cafe because he was to scared to go get a piercing. I knew he couldn't do it.

"Tess, please be careful. You know my door is always open. Just come over if it gets bad." Kim says. She does this every time she sees a new bruise ."Thanks Kim. I'll be fine I swear." I say getting out of the car. I wave goodbye as they drive off. I notice lights on in the house next door? The sold sign that has been there for as long as I can remember, is gone. New neighbours I guess.

    I walk through the front door and instantly get overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol. Not again, I think to myself. I go to walk up the stairs as quietly as I can, knowing there waiting for me and I'm wanting to avoid them at all cost.

    "Tess." A slurred voice calls. "Get in the kitchen." I cringe and make my way to our small kitchen that's off the side of our even smaller living room. I reach them and see my mothers lean figure with a glass in hand, probably whiskey. My mother looks as if she was a beautiful teen, with long brunette hair, petite facial features and a happy attitude. Now she's dull, as if the life was sucked right out of her.

    "Where were you?" My father asks with glazed sunken eyes. "At the café with Derek and Kim." I say cautious of my words. "Like, that fag, gay kid?" He asks standing from his chair and stalking over to me. "I told you not to hang out with him, that makes us look like worthless pieces of shits, having our daughter hang out with a 'fag'." We already are, I thought to myself. My teeth clench together. "Don't call him that." I say looking at the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes.

    "You like talking back to me now?" He takes a step forward and wraps his hand around my neck, tilting it back so my eyes meet his. My father isn't a small man. He's tall and well built, but not in a healthy way. My mouth opens in both shock and pain. My hand fly to his hands clawing at them to let go. My mother walks away from the scene as if this weren't a big thing.

    "Don't ever talk back to me." He grits with yellow smoke stained teeth.
I try to nod a yes with all my efforts. I gurgle a cry knowing a bruise is definitely going to form. He snarls and let's go of my neck. I fall on my knees gasping for air. "Go to bed your presence gags me." My father says walking away.

    There usually like this after a few drinks. The days the have to stop from a massive hangover are ok. Mom gets cheap groceries then goes back to bed. Dad smokes cigarettes on the back porch, then goes to bed. Welfare is all they live on. Spent on alcohol cigarettes and food. That's all you need right? I can't wait till I graduate. I'll move out and go away anywhere but here. Far away.

    I get up after somewhat catching my breath. Staggering quietly, I go upstairs to my bedroom. I close my door just as tears start to pore out of my eyes. I wipe them with both hands trying to stay strong. Maybe there right? Maybe I'm just useless. No one wants me.

    I go to my dresser and open the top drawer, and pull out a blade I took from a razor. I've only done this once before when I was 13. I go over to my window and open it as quietly as I can. I climb out holding the top so I don't fall. I climb to the roof almost like a routine. This is my usual thing, going to the roof to be alone, almost as if I'm running away from my problems.

    I sit at the edge of the roof and dangle my legs down. I pick up the razor and put it against my wrist applying a small amount of pressure.

    "Hey if you want to kill yourself, do it vertically, it might take 2-4 hours till you bleed out but...." I flinch and look to the left to see a dark figure sitting on the roof at the house next door, the one that was just sold.

    "Sorry didn't mean to scare you. Use this instead, much safer." He adds tossing something over to me. I examine it closely to see it's a pack of smokes. I look over as he inhales and exhales a puff of smoke into the cool air. He does it so smooth, so effortlessly like he's had lots of practice. His Adam's apple bobs as well when he blows his smoke.

    I open the pack and pull out a thin smoke, rolling it between my figures." Are you just going to look at it or..."
I take the lighter out of the pack and light the end. I put it against my lips and inhale. I cough it out knowing I didn't do it right. He laughs and takes another hit of his smoke. I try a few more times till I get the hang of it.

    "Your a natural." He says not looking at me. "What's your name?" I ask "Jasper." He replies." I laugh dryly and take another hit of my smoke." My names Tess." I say." Ok." Jasper says.

    We sit in silence for a while." Next time he lays his hands on you, hit him back." He says out of no where. "A real man wouldn't hit a women." With that he gets up, throws his smoke bud off the roof and starts to climb into his own bedroom window that just so happens to be across from my own.

    "Hey, want your smokes back?" I question. "Keep em, you'll need it." The mysterious guy hops into his window. I took notice in his black shirt and dark hair. Hey that's the 'new guy'.
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