Heal my Heart

Chapter 6 - Backfire

It now had been two years since Grizz had started sneaking into dance classes and he was really grateful that his father hadn't discovered it yet. Logan had his ups and downs and could sometimes still get really violent but his hatred for his son had substantially subdued over the years. Grizz would still sometimes find shelter at Luke's house but it was becoming less and less frequent, much to Grizz's delight.

Everything was going well for him, he spent most of his time with his friends or at dance practice and his father had even encouraged him to start taking violin lessons. It really seemed Logan deeply cared about him, as if making up for the violent episodes he could still sometimes put his son through. Grizz welcomed gracefully this kindness and did everything he could to make his father proud.

His heart was also improving a bit through the years, which allowed him to get more and more involved in dance classes. On good days, he even joined his friends on the field, delighting Luke to the point.

Grizz often thought about his mother but he always would remember happy times and warm memories. His mother was not this tortured and taboo subject anymore, he finally could think about her without feeling tears rolling down his cheeks even if he sometimes still felt so lonely without her. The worst times were his birthdays. He hated it, everybody was so happy to celebrate and to congratulate him that they all forgot that it was also the day he lost her. Logan, on the other hand, never forgot and didn't fail on reminding him about his responsibility in his mother's death. Those were the days he felt the most miserable, but he never let it out, not to worry Luke and his friends.

Grizz was feeling that his strange ability to take in everybody's emotions was getting stronger by the day. It was not much of a problem as long as he never touched an emotionally unstable person. He could always feel the waves of emotions flowing through him but whenever he made contact with such people, it was as if opening a gate to the other's raw emotions. It could sometimes grow unbearable but he always managed to run away in time before anyone discovered his little secret. He thought about talking to Luke about it but it wasn't much of a problem and he didn't want to worry his friend any more than he already was.

Walking home one day from his hospital appointment, Grizz was about to greet his dad when he sensed a flow of angry and upset emotions penetrate him. He stopped dead in the hallway, feeling his anxiety rising. " Oh no... Not another bad day..." he thought, before looking for his father.

He found the latter in his office, setting fire to all his professional files.

" What the ! What are you doing, dad ?! " Grizz yelled, running to the kitchen to get water to ease the starting fire. " What's going on ?! Did something happen ?" he inquired.

His father turned to him, laughing like a madman. The ten years old felt something break in his father, violent emotions hitting him as if someone had suddenly punched him.

" Dad, calm down, please. I don't know what happened but I'm sure it's not worth setting the whole house on fire..." pleaded Grizz.

" Oh shut up, annoying brat ! How could you understand anyway, huh ? Your world's just full of rainbows and butterflies, you wouldn't understand, it's adults matters." the man answered.

" Try me. " he retorted.

" Fine ! I got fired ! My fucking boss threw me out the door ! So what now, you're gonna lecture me about the irresponsible father that I am ? You ignorant bastard ! " and with that, he pushed his son to the ground and started kicking him.

"Bear with it. Don't cry. Don't cry... " Grizz thought.

He now knew exactly how to behave when his father was having one of his episodes. Just bear with it, say nothing and wait for him to calm down on his own. But he felt that this day was more than just a bad day.

His father didn't have a job anymore... How were they gonna live without him working ? Without any money ? Would his dad begin to drink again ? Was he gonna get beaten up four night a week again ? No, he didn't want that !

"Dad, please stop punching me...! It's gonna be fine, we're gonna work something out. Just please, stop it ! " he sobbed.

But Logan was nowhere near finished with him and lashed out on his son the whole evening. Only when he couldn't hear him sobbing and mumbling none-sense anymore did he stop. He went to the kitchen to get his favorite whiskey bottle out.

"It hurts. It hurts. It hurts ! " was all that was Grizz could think about. Between his father's blows, his own misery and all the negative hateful emotions coming from his father straight through his heart, he just couldn't take it.

He waited for his father to get out of the room before even trying to move. Well, even if he tried, his shocked state wouldn't let him move a muscle. He resigned himself to just lay there on the floor for a moment, trying to get himself together. After what felt like hours, Grizz finally managed to get into a seated position so that he could get his phone in his school bag. Dialing Luke's number like so many times before, the kid began sobbing frenetically.

"Oy, Grizz, what's up, man ? " greeted Luke.

But Grizz couldn't say a word. He wanted to speak, to call for his friend to help but he was crying so hard that no sound came out of his mouth except for some pained groans.

"Grizz ? What's going on ? Are you okay? " Luke worried.

He knew that Logan was less and less violent with his son but he had never heard someone cry so painfully before. Anxiety building in him, he feared for the worst.

"Lu... Luke, could...could you co...come and get m..me please...? " whimpered a very shaking Grizz.

"O...Of course ! I'll be there in less than five minutes, just wait for me ! " he almost shouted the last part.

On his way to his best friend's house, Luke couldn't shake this awful feeling that something really bad happened to his friend. He was so angry at this Logan bastard and at himself for not doing anything to prevent something to ever happen again. "I really am the worst friend ever ! " he thought.

He could have stopped that, he could have told someone, his parents, the police, anyone ! But Grizz had already lost so much, he didn't know how much his friend would be able to take before totally breaking and taking his father away was not the best alternative for him to recover from his past trauma. "Well, look what happened now ! You dumbass ! Grizz is hurt, again ! " Luke made himself a promise not to ever let his friend be hurt in anyway, not under his watch !

When he arrived at the Visser's, Luke almost cried seeing the trembling sobbing Grizz waiting for him curled up at the garden entrance. His friend's condition was much worse than what he anticipated and he wasn't sure that Grizz could make it to his house without fainting. He was covered in purple bruises and blood flew freely from his right brow down his beautiful green eyes, now red from tears and exhaustion. The young boy looked about to faint anytime and seemed unable to say anything.

"Grizz... Oh my god, Grizz. You can't be here anymore, I'm gonna get you out of this living hell. But first, this bastard is gonna pay for doing this to you ! " he said, rage in his eyes.

But as he was heading for the front door, a small shivering hand faintly grabbed his shirt.

"No... no pl..please Luke. I just wanna g..get out of here, please..." whispered Grizz, now freely crying again.

"Please... get m..me out of here..." he begged his friend.

Luke felt tears building in his eyes. How could anyone hurt a caring, loving and selfless boy such as Grizz ? He was the most generous and gentle person he had ever met and yet this fucking bastard dared lay a hand on him ?! As much as he wanted to punch the man right now, he knew his friend needed him. He wouldn't be as selfish as to leave Grizz alone at a time like this. So Luke helped Grizz on his feet and took him back home. The young man cried himself to sleep after mumbling "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry " for like the thousandth time.

Once Grizz was finally asleep, all of Luke's thought were redirected toward Logan Visser.

"You're gonna pay for doing this to him... I swear, one day, I'm gonna make you pay." Luke sweared to himself.