Good Boy

chapter 4

I woke up on the couch. My neck aching with a sharp pain wanting me to lay still. I laid there staring up at the ceiling. Everything around me was quiet except for my breathing. Young must be at work.

Ignoring the pain I pushed myself off the couch and sat up. I didn't have work but I didn't want to stay home. Unfortunately Young knows I'm off. If I leave he'll suspect something. My face still hurt from where he slapped me and I was still in my clothes from yesterday.

I left the couch and snuck into our room where the bathroom was located. I knew he wasn't home, but that didn't stop my anxiety from freaking out- afraid I'll somehow run into him.

I grabbed a pair of leggings and a tank top. I pulled down my hair and undressed avoiding the mirror. I didn't turn on the shower head until I was fully inside.

Water massaged my hair and ran down my back. I washed off the makeup I knew was smeared as I fell asleep crying. The warm water soothed my cheek and cleaned the dirt which was thrown in my face. If I could forget everything that happened I would.

I turned off the shower and stepped out, quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around me. For the first time in a week my eyes met in the mirror. My cheek was a nice shade of red still and my arms had raised scratches still running down them. I touched my cheek gingerly and tears threatened to fall again. On my arms I softly traced their paths. Some were shorter than others and some were longer. I didn't dare look up again. Keeping my head down I pulled on my tank top and put on my underwear and leggings.

I looked insulting. Insulting to myself at how weak I am. The tank top only made them worst as I had to look at them. I found my soccer hoodie and pulled it on over my arms.

My stomach growled, but I ignored its cry and went back to the couch in the living room. My head hurt from all my crying and I could swear I was dehydrated. I dug in the couch for my phone, finding it between the cushions I turned it on to see I had a message from young.

'Don't go anywhere.'

I read it in disgust. I was horrified by how controlling he was, the way he acted and who he thinks he is. I was horrified by the way I am.

~

It was nearly four and I still hadn't moved from my spot on the couch. My stomach hurt as I hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon. I stood up slowly,afraid my headache will return and walked to the kitchen.

I checked the fridge only finding water, a half case of eggs, butter and cheese. The pantry was no better. Cereal boxes were stacked on their sides, some weren't open yet and a few were open, but left open to get stale. An unopened loaf of bread was begging for my attention. I grabbed the bread and went to the fridge and collected the eggs, cheese and butter. I grabbed a pan from the cupboard and turned on the stove.

I prepared the bread, spreading butter on one side of both breads. I laid a slice of cheese and pushed the pieces together. I placed the cheese sandwich in the pan and waited a few minutes before I heard the sizzling and flipped it. I haven't made a grilled cheese since I lived with my mom. I'm surprised I still remembered to put butter on both bread pieces.

After my sandwich was done, I poured my eggs into the hot pan and I listened to it sputter.

I kept the tv off as I ate. Seeing as though we had barely any food Young was going to have me go to the store some time soon, if he hasn't already eaten at work.

By the time I was finished the sound of pebbles moving was heard from outside my door. A door was shut and immediately I knew Young was home. I placed my plate on the floor by the couch and pretended to be asleep. The front door creaked open and I could hear his boots step onto the tiles. "This house is a shit house." I could imagine his face contorted in disgust as he pulled off his boots and abandoned them to the side. "Jada, hi baby wake up." He said softly. I opened my eyes slowly seeing Young in his black overalls and orange shirt, all covered in soot and dirt. "Great you're awake. I'm hungry." Shit.

"We don't have much. Maybe we can go shopping." I suggested. I haven't gone shopping with Young in a while and it'd be better than going alone and getting something he doesn't want.

"Jesus woman, I never get to relax." He turned and grabbed his boots, lacing them back up on his feet. I grabbed a pair of my green converse and slipped them on. I followed Young out to his car and got in.

The grocery store wasn't very far from us and by the time we got there so many people were leaving. The parking lot was nearly empty except for a few cars. It wasn't normal seeing it so full. Even with almost all the cars gone. Young was out first already on his way to the automatic sliding doors before I was out the car.

People were in and out of aisles. Young split to another aisle in the back of the store. My attention was caught on the colorful selection of asian snacks in the new section just added to the store. I couldn't exactly pronounce most of the names, but I loved getting them. I grabbed a pink bag I knew was my favorite candy and put it in my basket. I was browsing through the other aisles when I could hear loud laughter stirring the quietness. I turned around to see four guys laughing and beating on each other, in a friendly way. Three of them flew by me, one of them nearly knocking me over. "I'm sorry, miss." A lengthy skinny one said stopping to look at me and smiled. His eyes were most noticeable. Brown, but an intensive, daring brown. His skin was pale and his lips looked like a soft pink.

"It's okay." I said, smiling shyly. He stared at me for a while before we realized his friends were watching this moment and he took off towards the guys.

"Jada, let's go." I turned around startled by Young standing there looking down at me. I silently prayed he didn't see me and that he wasn't mad at me. I adjusted the basket to my other hand and followed him to the front.

Our drive was silent. Nothing changed from earlier, but this silence felt uncomfortable. My mind raced with how I couldn't be careful. He stopped at a red light and I felt everything in spin and my face hurt again. I put my hand up on my cheek feeling where Young had just hit me again. He didn't say anything as I rubbed my cheek trying to soothe the sting. "I saw you, you worthless bitch!" He yelled. I wanted to cry but this time they wouldn't come. "Who was that?" He turned to look at me quickly then looked back. "Huh?" My mouth was dry.

"I don't know!" I yelled back. I've never properly yelled back to him. I only kept my voice low and I only begged. He scared me, but this time I didn't feel like I needed to hide from him. "I just saw him and he almost knocked me over to he apologized." I tried explaining. I tried listening to his breathing but  heard nothing. His hands were gripping the steering wheel. The trees passed by and soon our house. My heart raced as he drove into the wooded area. Houses barely took up the premises and I wa  in the car with a man who could kill me if he wanted. I didn't dare open my mouth to ask him anything.

The car stopped and the engine turned off. "You don't get to yell at me." He said lowly. I reached back and opened the door, falling out onto the ground. Young got out of the car and walked to my side. I tried to push myself off the dirt and stand up but Young beat me to it, picking me up by my hand. "I saw you! Don't try to make me the bad guy." He threw me to the ground and he got down looking at me. "I'm not the bad guy here." He stood up and kicked my side. I couldn't tell if the pain started in my stomach or back. "Get up or I'm fucking leaving you here." He grabbed my arm roughly trying to make me stand up. His hand gripped my skin tightly and my arms were limp. He tried dragging me and he stepped on my foot hard. His boots felt like they crushed my bones in my toes and he dropped me as I added more weight to him. My knee landed on a rock sticking from the dirt and I could feel pain racking through my body. His boots stalked off heavily and I heard the door close and he drove off.

My seeing was clouded with not just my tears, but my terrible headache. "Help." I cried weakly. "Help." My voice was drowned out by my sobbing.

I was still laying on the ground. Everything was in pain. I managed to flip myself over onto my back. I could hear rustling around me. Hope and fear kicked in. It could be someone coming to help or it could be an animal coming to tear me apart. My head was banging and my eyes were getting heavy, blurring my vision of the trees in front of me and the dark sky above me. I blinked trying to shake myself from wanting to sleep. Mg eyes struggled to stay awake and I blinked again this time dark figures were crowded me. I closed my eyes and waited for either pain from being lifted up and saved or pain from being torn apart.

Either way I wasn't scared anymore.