Average Joe (2018)

36

I rushed into my house, slamming the door behind me. I was confident my mother wasn't home and after looking in her room and the rest of the penthouse, she wasn't.

I went to the shower. I turned the hot water on full. I looked at myself in the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. My cheek was stained crimson, as well as my hands and forearms.

Guilt crept into my heart, as well as darkness. I felt my heart drop. I lost something today. I doubted I'd ever get it back.

I got into the shower, the hot water and bleach stinging my skin. I slid down to the tiled floor and watched as the blood rushed into the drain. I poured more bleach all over me and gathered as much body wash and soap on my skin as possible. I washed my hair several times and rubbed my skin roughly with a rag. After twenty minutes of this, I sat and stared at the drain.

After a while, I heard the front door open and assumed Mom was home. I got out and dried myself. I put on new clothes and walked into the living room.

"What are you doing?" Mom asked as she set her purse and keys on the table by the front door.

"Taking a shower," I sighed.

"At three am?"

"I got dirty," I grumbled, before walking to my room. I lay on the bed and thought about Cora for a little bit. I thought about how cool she was when she stood up to Bryan. The door opened, and Mom walked in.

"Norman?"

"What?" I grumbled, my face in my pillow.

"Are you alright?" Mom sat on my bed and put her hand on my ankle.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"...Norman... I'm not very good at being a Mom. Y'know, my Mom left when I was a girl. Dumped me with my Dad when I was six months old."

"I know."

"But us Moms, we know things. Like when our children are hurting." I sat up and faced her.

"Mom.... why do you... you know... do what you do?"

"Well... in high school, I didn't have money. My Dad and I were on the verge of being kicked out of our house. I didn't want that to happen. Then after that, I needed money for college, and after that, I needed to support you."

"Well, did you ever want to do something better? I mean we don't need all of this."

"Sweetheart, it's not that simple. What's this about?"

"Mom, I... do you ever feel like you've made a mistake? Like... no matter what you do you can't fix it?"

"That's a lot for a fifteen-year-old to say. Norman, I promise, whatever mistake you make, the universe will almost always give you a second chance."

"It's just that... I was talking to Ross. And he said in the war, he... killed people. Well, not exactly killed. But because of him, someone got hurt."

"Oh, okay. Well, maybe you should tell Ross he needs to quit being so hard on himself. People get hurt. Sometimes it'll be because of you, but maybe if you did something else... like help someone instead of hurting them, maybe you can... get that piece of yourself back."

"Thanks, Mom." Mom planted a kiss on my head.

"But that's not all, is it?"

"No." Mom stared at me. "Well... there's this girl..."

"Norman, I told you, you should tell Tori how..."

"I'm not talking about Tori." Mom smiled.

"Really?" I nodded my head and she smiled wider.