~Just a Guy ~ SM

Just a Guy*1

Chapter 1

A life without pain? without lies? How would Joy feel? Will I ever get answers to these questions? A fun and happy family, would that ever become reality? "Haisley!" My thoughts fade away as soon as I hear my mother crying my name. And at that exact moment I feel how a flat hand flies against my cheek.

"Dad, please, stop!" But my words are getting ignored. At this moment there is nothing that stops him and my tears only make him continue. I hear how my mother and brother are begging my father to stop. It doesn't help. They can do nothing. Kick after kick after kick. It turns black and the last thing I see is how the shadow of my father walks away and the blurry figure of my brother comes racing to me.

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I wake up to the sound of the front door that slams. I pick up my phone and see that it is 08:15AM on Monday morning. And that means school.

"shit, shit, shit " I mumble as I run up the stairs. I quickly pull a sweater over my head and since I already had leggings on I decided to just keep it like that. Gross I know. I grab an Apple from the fruit bowl and I am on my way to school.

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I sit on my chair in the chemistry classroom. The stupidest subject ever and then you're also alone because you don't have friends. It's not that I never have had friends, I was actually quite popular, but since my father began to behave in the way he is doing now, I began to dodge and ignore my friends. While I wait for the teacher, who is late as usual, I put my earphones in and am about to press shuffle on Spotify.

"Yoo, Haisleyl! Did you prepare yourself for the history test? I spent the entire weekend learning. If I get an F now.."

I look next to me to see where the voice is coming from, and see that its Mason. The only friend that was to stubborn to leave me even though I treated my friends like shit.

"Haisley?"

"Huh, what?"

"If you have learned for history."

"Owh, no not really. I-. I- had.. hhmm, no time ?!"

"Was that a question?" Mason asks confused and I just look away. He pulls the chair out from under his table and is about to sit down, but then suddenly turns to me. His mouth opens as if he's about to say something, but it closes again and his face looks like he's debating with himself if he should say the thing he wanted to say.

"Just say it Mason." I say, looking at him.

"Did your father do something?" Mason asks almost immediately. The smile on my face fades and I'm already regretting that I said he should just say it.

"No, no, hhm just tired? I think ?" I lie. He looks at me with a weird face, knowing I suck at making 'excuses'.

"Okay that was definitely a question. And yeah you were so tired that you punched yourself?" He says in responds, emphasising the word 'tired'. " Look at your arm! That bruise is huge!" As fast as I could I pull my sleeve down and my eyes shifted down to my lap out of embarrassment.

"Haisley,  you said that it was getting better." I shrug and I continue looking at my lap. "HAIS!" At that moment the teacher walks in and Mason lowers his voice. "Haisley, tell me!" He whispers.

"Is there something you want to share with us, Mr Martin?" The teacher speaks, slamming his books down on his desk. "No sir." "Well, good. Okay, open your books on page 98 everybody. Mr. Martin can you start reading?" "Of course." He says disappointed while opening his book. I have never been this happy that a teacher walks in while having a conversation.

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"Okay, let's see. Math 10 exercises, Chemistry, reading paragraph 2, 3,4. And last but not least, I have to finish up the English paper." I sigh while sitting cross-legged on my bed, taking the books I need out of my back pack.

"Finally." After sixty minutes of solving stupid math questions, I let out a deep breath and slam the book close. Just as I'm about to grab my laptop to work on the English paper I hear my dad yelling from down the stairs. "Haisley! Living room! now!" I jump from the sudden voice and immediately sprint out of my room.

"Yes, dad?" I ask sounding as confident as possible. I walk around the corner of the kitchen, revealing the whole living room. I look around the room, switching my eyesight to everybody here. My mom, who is nervously sitting on the couch. My dad and Mason, standing beside my dad, my dad holding the collar of his shirt. "Who is this?" Dad speaks up with an loud voice. "Please let go of him." I ask softly. "I asked who is this?" "Dad, please let him go first!" "Answer the god damn question!" He yells while stepping closer to my face, dragging Mason behind him. "He's just a friend, dad." "A Friend? Uh" "I answered the question. Now let him go." "I thought we had agreed no distraction before your grades went up! That means no boys!" "Dad! He's just a friend not an distraction. I had a B- For the last math test. It went up!" "A B-? you think that's enough?" He scoffs, letting go of Mason, pushing him forward.

"Mason, go. Please." "No, Haisley. I'm not going anywhere. This is my fault." "I think my daughter said you have to go." My dad tells him, balling his fist and taking a step in his direction. "Mason, just go. Now!"

He takes one last look at me but then turns and starts walking to the front door. Once the door slams shut behind him the fist my dad was balling up earlier hits my face. My whole upper body crouches down. I touch my face and look at my hand to see a little bit of blood on the tips of my fingers. I stand up straight again and make eye contact with my father. There's no regret to see on his face. The only thing I can make out of his face expressions is that he wants to do it again. My eyes starts to tear up, but I refuse to cry in front of him. "You're a horrible father!" My voice breaks as I yell the truth in his face. Before he can do or say something I speed walk to the front door. As fast as I can I slip on some vans and sprint out the door.

What the hell did I just do? What am I going to do when I go back home? He's never going to let that slip through his fingers.

I keep running until I reach the town square. I finally slow down and take some deep breaths. And with deep breaths I mean hyperventilating, My running skills are horrible.

I look around to find a bench to sit on but they're all occupied. So instead I walk into the closest café shop. I walk all the way to the back off the café because I don't have any money on me to actually buy something.

I sit down and my eyes starts to tear up again. I try to fight them but it's useless. The tears run down my face as i keep wiping them off eith the palm of my hand. 

"Are you alright?" A sudden voice speaks. I take my head out of my hands and I look at the ground to see feet standing in front of me. With red, wet eyes I upward my head entirely, only to look into two brown eyes.