Don't Say Skully

Chapter 5: Fight

When I returned home, my apartment was nothing close to quiet. I could hear music blaring loudly from the outside.

Without thinking my hand reached for the door handle and I turned it. I opened the door and walked in. Someone was sprawled out on their stomach on the sofa. It was Joe. He was holding a bottle of beer while four lay empty on the floor. He was rapping along with the song, but I was certain the lyrics weren't as he said it. I was mad.

"Joe!" I yelled.

He looked up at me. "Yay. Fussbug is back." Joe said to his bottle while sitting up.

I threw my bag uncaring, to the side and I marched up towards him. I picked up one of the bottles on both hands and put it up close, in front of his face.

"What the heck is this Joe? I thought you said you quit drinking?!!!!" I said.

"Stop yelling." He said.

I didn't pay any attention to his words. "What is this Joe?!!"

He grunted angrily and with his left hand, he hit the bottle out of my hand right hand and it fell to the carpet floor. Part of the top half broke.

"Are you crazy?" I yelled.

"Shut up!" He yelled too and flung his bottle so hard to the wall, that it broke and scattered into unrecognizable bit. I shook momentarily. Even though it wasn't the first time, I was still scared. He was never himself when he got like this. Still my anger flared up. He had promised to stay off alcohol two months ago when he had hit me in his drunken state. I thought he had quit drinking. I thought he wouldn't go back. But there he was.

"You said you needed to buy food, Joe, food and not this!  Joe you know we barely have much and you're wasting it on alcohol?!" I knew I should have stopped talking but I couldn't take it. I couldn't keep trying to save our butts from starving to death while he recklessly spent the little we had. I had to knock some sense into him. "Joe, you're really not helping matters and..."

My words were thrown back in my mouth when I was hit in my stomach. I stumbled backwards clutching my stomach as I looked at Joe who was up and staggering forward and yelling curses at me.

Clutching at my stomach I pushed him back and since he did not have stamina, he shuffled back and almost fell over the sofa. The pain in my stomach was excruciating. My monthly discomfort was nowhere close to the level of pain I felt. I found it hard to breathe and I couldn't stand up properly. Tears threatened to fall but I fought hard to keep myself still.

"You idiot! I regret the day I met you! You're a burden in my fucking life!" He yelled at me.

I didn't know what to say. The words couldn't find their way out. I was angry and hurt and disappointed. My tears ran down my face. I moved backwards as he stalked closer with each step. I pushed him backwards again, however it was of no use this time. "Joe..." I said unsure of what to say.

Before I think up words, Joe grabbed my neck and pushed my back to the wall.

The last thing I remembered was seeing his fist collide with my eye and then I was out cold.

                            *****

When I woke up,  I saw Joe sitting beside me. I was laying on my bed. In my room. I was certain he had carried me there. I looked down at me with a smile on his face and his hair was disheveled like he had been running his hand continuously through it.

"I'm glad you're awake." Joe said.

I thought back to what had happened earlier. How he had broken two promises at the same time. He had gotten drunk and hit me. Tears welled in my eyes, disturbing my vision. I turned the other way around faced the wall. I didn't want to look at Joe neither did I want him to have the benefit of seeing me cry.

"Prue," Joe called me as he adjusted on the bed. I could sense he was running his hand through his hair with his head hung low. I didn't reply him though. "Prue, I'm sorry. I know I messed up but I'm sorry."

I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying and speaking to him as well. When I still didn't answer he went on. "Love, I know I did wrong but I promise..."

"Stop it! Just stop it with your promises. You never keep them!" I said turning towards him and sitting up on my bed.

"But Prue just..just hear me out please. Evans is...."

I put my hands up beside me, my palm wide and I closed my eyes irritated. "J-just...just leave me alone Joe." I said to him.

"Prue," he said and tried to reach for me but I hit his hand off.

"Get out!!" I yelled. "Get out!"

He stared at me for a moment and stood up. "Out," I whimpered, crying already. He sighed and made his way out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Just then the tears poured out and I dragged my knees up to my chest, letting my tears pour, till I fell into the warm embrace of sleep.

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