My Promise To You

16 years old

BEN POV:

Dani is about to turn 16. Jason is 13. Which means angst. Like right now. Jason and Dani got into an argument, Jason stormed out. He definitely went to Pops to meet Sweet Pea. At this point he's more of a father than I am sometimes. Somehow Toni and I are still together. Not saying I don't love her! It's just we've been through a lot. "Babe." Toni raps her arms around me. She did get me arrested after all. I don't blame her for that. I had it coming. "What?" I turn around and kiss her. "You should go talk to him." I nod. "I will. I'm gonna give him a minute." I smile. "Dad!" Dani yells. She runs downstairs. "No running!" Toni reminds her. She nods. "I need to go out for driving lessons." I take a deep breath. "Mom can do that not me!"

"Jason." I sit next to him at the counter. "What do you want?" He ask pissed off. "To talk to you." I take his fries. "I haven't been there for you that much in the past." I whisper. "You've been checked out since that incident." I nod. He smiles. "What was that fight about anyways?" I ask quietly. "Her new boyfriend." I look at my son. "She has a boyfriend?" I ask perking up. "Yeah. He's just using her as a beard." He drinks his soda. "What?" I ask. "He's gay." He whispers. "O-oh." I smile. "How do you know?" I ask looking at him. He looks down. "How old is he?" I ask quietly. "14. I'm about to turn 14, he's about to 15. Don't worry." I roll my eyes. "I'm not gay." He whispers. "You know mom and I don't care if you are." I tell him. "I'm still trying to figure out my sexuality and shit." He tells me. "Can you not tell mom? I know you are both are ok with it! I just don't feel like having that talk with her." He whispers. "Ok! Just if you need to talk, I'm here. And please, be safe. I don't feel like dealing with a teen pregnancy or STD." I smile. "You don't have to worry about that. That's one of the things I'm trying to figure out. I haven't even thought about sex, ok? I promise I will use a condom." I nod. "I also meant emotionally. You're my son. I might not be the best dad, but you and Dani mean a lot to me." I tell him. "Did you drive here?" He ask quietly. "You need a drive?" He nods. I pull out my keys out. "Did you pay?" I ask before walking out. "Sweet Pea did." He walks out. "Cool." I smile. I look to make sure no one is watching us. "Dad! It's been a long ass time since that happened." I nod and get the car. "Does Dani know he's gay?" I ask out of no where. "She does just doesn't want to admit it." He tells me. "Ahh! She's a teenage girl." I drive home with him. "You probably don't want me asking but, what's your birth name?" He ask quietly. "Not important." I turn the car off and leave the car. "Babe! I brought our son home from the war!" I joke. Toni walks out of the kitchen. "I'm gonna go upstairs." I whisper before going upstairs. My head is starting to get fuzzy. I walk into other bedroom and lie down. I don't know how much time went by, but next thing I know Toni is holding me. "Talk to me." She whispers. "I need to go back to a therapist." I whisper. "Ok." She kisses my head.

"You're bipolar." My therapist tells me. "What?" I ask quietly. "I don't know how you weren't diagnosed earlier." He looks at all my paper work. "You really should have seen me sooner." He smiles. "What?" I ask sitting up. "Do you know if it runs in the family?" He ask concerned. "M-my mom, my dad maybe." I look up at him. "Can you ask them?" I shake my head. "My dad killed himself and my mother abused me for 17 years." I take a deep breath. "My mom is also dead." He writes everything down. "I'm sorry." He tells me. "Benjamin-." I stop him. "It's Ben. I probably should have just changed my name legally to Ben." I joke, desperately trying to lighten the mood. He smiles. "Ben, I'm gonna put you on some medication." I sit back. "I'm on like 10 different medications." I tell him. "It's ok."

"You ok?" Toni ask quietly. I throw my jacket onto the bed. "What's wrong?" She pulls me closer. I shake my head. "Ben." She whispers. "I don't want to talk about it." I lie down next to her. "Can you just make sure I take my meds." I hand her my new mads. "Bipolar." She whispers. "I don't want to talk about it." I whisper. "When you're ready." She rubs my back. I nod. "I think I got it from my dad." I tell her. "Maybe." I look at her. "Do you think I gave it to our kids?" I ask concerned. "Probably." She whispers. "Fuck!"