A Breath of Fresh Air

When the Party's Over part 2

Warning: the following contains mentions of child abuse.

T.j smiled at Cyrus. "I got a lot of baggage." Cyrus shrugged. "I got time." T.j stared at the ceiling and put his hands at his sides. Cyrus really wanted to hold his hand. "My mom got me when my parents divorced. I moved with her. I saw her through everything. My parents got divorced when I was nine. My mom always did drugs. I think she started in high school. It was the reason my dad decided to divorce her. He wanted me. He really did and knowing that made it so much harder when it happened. Even though all the evidence was against her she still got me. Every time my dad saw me he always asked me if I was okay. If she was treating me right. I always lied she said um... she told me she wouldn't be happy if I told him." T.j didn't look at Cyrus. He just stared up at the ceiling his eyes watering slightly. 

"I remember when I was ten I came home from school one day and she had some guy over. I just went to my room and waited until the morning to come out of my room. I asked her what he was doing there and she... cut me." He sat up a little bit and pulled up his shirt. He had a scar about as long as Cyrus's pinkie on his side. "She didn't take me to a doctor. She just said she was sorry. Then over the next couple of years it just continued. She would hit me most of the time. She would apologize and give me toys, or games then she'd just do it again. Cut me, hit me." T.j took a sharp breath. "One time she bit my shoulder when she was high." T.j pulled down his shirt at the collar showing a scar in the shape of teeth. "I knew I could tell the cops in our town and they'd believe me. All my teachers knew, I was lying to them but they knew. Everyday after school they'd ask me to stay in class and talk to me. Ask me how things at home were. If my mom ever got upset. The only problem was I never told them. I couldn't. They would get me into sports and clubs, all the free ones. They didn't want me to go home. At one point I was only at home around once a week but then she didn't like it so she stopped allowing me to hang out with some friends. I never stopped playing basketball though. Never. One day Rickie came to pick me up for practice. It was a Saturday. Rickie might not be the best person ever but that day my mom wasn't home so I invited him inside while I got my stuff together. It was cold out and I might not always be the nicest person ever but my dad taught me manners. Rickie took one look at the place and understood with in seconds. I don't remember exactly what had happened but some how I ended up without a shirt on. Rickie took one look at me and called the cops. I didn't testify against her as a... bad mom in the way she was but I said she was high a lot of the time." Cyrus realized his hands were shaking and T.j was doing his best not to cry but he was. Cyrus hugged him. He kind of held him. "Cyrus please don't tell anyone. My dad doesn't even know and I don't want him too just please." T.j buried his face into Cyrus's chest. 

"T.j I'm so sorry. I am so incredibly deeply sorry that that happened to you." Cyrus comforted him. "Its not your fault." Cyrus was at a loss for words. "Do you want to talk to my mom about it?" Cyrus asked. "What?" T.j giggled as he said it. "Shes a psychologist." T.j shook his head slightly and smiled up at Cyrus. "Oh, what would I do without you?" T.j and Cyrus stayed in that small room for while. Just talking and joking. Cyrus knew he needed to talk to T.j about his destructive behavior but he would wait until later. He just needed T.j happy for a while.