A New Kind of Love

Skinny, Mean Man

Skinny, Mean Man

I awoke at six o'clock, as the first rays of the morning sun began spilling into my windshield. I was barely aware of the cold air in the car. All I could think about was the aching in my bones, the pounding in my head. I looked around, noticing that no one was in the park. I was alone, and tired of being alone. I pulled the back of my seat up, turned the key in the ignition, and put my seatbelt on. I rubbed my face repeatedly, trying to wake myself up. After I felt like I could handle driving, I pushed my foot down on the brake, threw the car into reverse, and drove off. I arrived at my house twenty minutes later. My mom's car was still in the driveway, but thankfully, my father's wasn't. I wasn't ready to face him yet, wasn't ready for the screaming, the shoving, the inevitable grounding.

I parked in front of the house, and sighed. I looked over at Ainsley's house, directly in front of mine. Her mother was outside in her robe, retrieving the paper. I smiled. She seemed like a nice lady. I turned my car off, unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the door, breathing in the crisp air. I walked slowly to the front door, dreading what my mother would say. I put my house key into the lock, and opened the door. I made my way inside, walking silently across the wooden floor.

I started for the stairs, only to be stopped by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. I turned on the balls of my feet, coming face to face with my mother. "Hey Mom," I said, looking at the floor.

My mother didn't say anything, she just walked over to me, looked me in my eyes, then slapped me across the face. Hard. I looked at her, and saw tears in her eyes. "Jackson!" she said, her voice cracking, and full of tears, "I have been worried about you! You wouldn't answer your phone, you weren't at Mikey's house. I thought something bad had happened!" she screamed.

"Something bad did happen, Mom."

The look on her face slowly went from anger and frustration, to hurt and realization. "You know," she said, her voice cracking again.

"Yes, Mother. And, unlike you, I'm angry about it."

"Jackson-"

"Mom," I started, my head starting to throb again. I sighed, looking down at my shoes. "I have to get ready for school." Just like that, I turned and walked away, not wanting to talk anymore about my parents' impending divorce. I didn't care about feelings right now, wrong things to say, or comforting words. I just wanted to shower away all the aching in my bones, and get dressed for school. On my way to my room, I saw Annabelle peeking through her cracked door. There was something about the look in her eyes, an emotion in them that I had never seen on her. I couldn't place it. It was somewhere between concern, and sadness.

She just looked at me, wanting to say something, I could tell. I didn't give her the chance. I went into my room, shut and locked the door, then made my way to my bathroom. I jumped in the shower, glad for the warmth, and the water pressure. When I got out, I pulled some clean clothes out of my drawer. When I had slipped on my right sneaker, I heard a knock at the door. I expected my mother. "Go away, Mom."

"It's not Mom, it's me. Annabelle."

I was a little shocked. The last time she'd been in my room, we were kids. Once she hit puberty, and decided she was too cool for me, she never set foot in here again. "What do you want?"

"To talk," she said simply. I reluctantly got up, and walked over to the door. Before I could rethink the decision, I unlocked the door, and opened it. She had her long brown hair in a ponytail, and her makeup and piercings were absent. This was a first. She didn't look like she belonged in Evanescence anymore. She moved passed me, and went over to my desk, sitting on it.