F L I N G - M A L U M

Stay Together For The Kids

Stay Together For The Kids - Blink-182

This chapter includes domestic violence! I will put '*******' at the beginning and end of the section.
At the end of the chapter I will explanation of any missed if you don't read the section.

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Cals POV

My body tenses and my eyes shoot open as I'm startled awake by a loud noise. Oh. They're yelling again.

I get out of bed slowly and turn my alarm off, I don't need to be up for another fifteen minutes. Slipping across the hall into the bathroom, I quickly strip and hop in the shower.

I clean my body with the body wash that's in there, making sure to be careful over the tender bruises.
I look down at my torso as the water runs over them, and they're starting to fade into a lighter purple.

Turning the water off, I lean my head against the glass wall. I don't have the energy to go to school today, especially considering I have to walk right past my parents to leave the house.

A sigh leaves my lips and goosebumps cover my body as I step out of the shower and wrap the towel around myself. I hurry to get dressed, before I brush my teeth.

Grabbing my school bag, I walk into the kitchen tensely, and try my best to ignore the screaming.
But I can't,
"Can you guys just SHUT UP!? Just fucking split up already, you're acting like children, and your ACTUAL child has to take care of himself because of it!"

Mum looks down to the floor ashamed and speaks softly,
"We're staying together for you, Cal."

*******
I don't answer, instead my eyes are trained on my dad who has different ideas. He walks over to me quickly in long strides, and slaps me hard across the cheek.
I immediately stumble backwards and bring my hands up to my cheek as the loud noise replays through my head.
*******

My eyebrows furrow and I lean against the wall for support as something in my head clicks over.
I feel dizzy.
Different memories from different times start coming back into my mind in patches, all blotchy and muddled. But there's a few common factors in every single one: Fear,
violence, Dad, tears, and left over bruises.
My gut churns uncomfortably as the man in front of me changes from 'my dad, David', into just 'David'.

My breathing becomes heavier as I look at the angry man in front of me,
"you used to hit me?" I ask in a whisper, my voice cracking, "I can't believe you did that to me!"

He begins to respond, but Mum frowns and interjects,
"Calum, sweetie, your father never did such thing."

I look at her in disbelief, and the sting of my cheek has been long forgotten, replaced instead by a throb of betrayal,
"Don't fucking lie to defend him, I remember!" I turn to David,
"You make me fucking sick. I can't believe you did that, and when I didn't remember you just pretended you didn't! Hitting a child- no, hitting anyone you have power over is so cowardly. You will never ever be considered my father again, in my eyes I have only one parent."

I storm out of the house with my backpack on my back, and just as I do I receive a text.

Luke: mum said she wants 2 b healthy and walk to work or somethin??